It’s Athlete of the Week time. That’s where we give you the athletes who have been at the top of their game this spring and you vote for your favorite.
You call the shots.
But before we look at this week’s honorees, let’s look back at last week and see who you voted.
You picked Xavier Prep golfer Ayden Rosales. Rosales was the top local finisher at the Champions Invitational and also had a 2-under 34 in a match against Loyola.
This week’s winner, as always, is up to you. Simply vote in the poll at the bottom of this article at desertsun.com. and whoever has the most votes at noon on Saturday will be the weekly winner.
We love submissions, so if you know of an athlete who is excelling in a spring sport, shoot us an email with all the details to sports@desertsun.com.
Here are this week’s candidates, a super-sized list of six athletes, listed in alphabetical order. Happy voting.
Jaquelyn Ayala, Shadow Hills track
What she did: Ayala picked up three first-place finishes in the Knights’ win over Palm Desert on Tuesday to help the Knights win the league title, ending La Quinta’s decade-long reign. Ayala, a freshman won the 800-meter with a personal best time of 2:32.35, the 1,600 with a personal best of 5:33.68 and was part of the winning 4 by 400 relay team.
Aleida Lua Bautista, Desert Mirage swim
What she did: Bautista has recorded personal bets in every event she’s participated in this year, proving that her hard work and dedication is paying dividends. But what her coaches really value in Bautista is her leadership and the way she sets a standard for the rest of her teammates.
Nicholas Chavez, Palm Desert baseball
What he did: Chavez drove in the winning run in the Aztecs’ 4-3 win over La Quinta to hand the Blackhawks their only league loss. Chavez has been consistently clutch all year, leading the Aztecs with 15 RBIs.
Bella De Leon, Cathedral City softball
What she did: De Leon, only a freshman, is the Lions’ leadoff hitter and she has an on-base percentage fo .702. And when she gets on first base, you might as well call it a double, because the speedster has a whopping 24 stolen bases this year.
Jaeda Diaz, Indio softball
What she did: There’s being on a tear and then there’s Diaz in her last two games. Check out these numbers: Seven at-bats, seven hits, seven runs and eight RBIs in a pair of wins over Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley. That 7 for 7 includes two homers, two doubles and three singles. Wow!
Jonah Toland, Palm Desert track and field
What he did: It’s been quit a week for Toland. First he was invited and competed in the nationally prestigious Arcadia Invitational, and he finished third in the high jump with a leap of 6-4 3/4. He then topped that Tuesday when he broke the Palm Desert record with a jaw-dropping leap of 6-8 1/4 in a dual meet vs. Shadow Hills.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: It’s time to vote for The Desert Sun Athlete of the Week
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
