Each week, The Herald-Tribune staff will select nominees for the Herald-Tribune Girls Athlete of the Week poll sponsored by Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, Inc. Nominees are derived from scores and stats emailed in by Sarasota and Manatee county coaches during the week to htincoming@gmail.com. Readers can then vote in the online poll to determine the Girls Athlete of the Week.
The Herald-Tribune Girls Athlete of the Week sponsored by Central Florida Behavioral Health Network for March 2-7, 2026, was Lakewood Ranch track and field athlete Kiki Bullas, who won the poll with 24% of the vote. Bullas won the javelin at the Tarpon Classic with a throw of 31.99 meters.
A poll will be posted at heraldtribune.com each Monday, and voting will end at 10 a.m. Friday each week.
To vote, scroll to the bottom or CLICK HERE.
The nominees for the Girls Athlete of the Week for March 9-14, 2026 are:
Basketball
Lilli Morris, Booker
Highlights: The Tornadoes center had 13 points and five rebounds in a state semifinal loss to Bishop Moore.
Lacrosse
Kayleigh Bergstrom, Cardinal Mooney
Highlights: Bergstrom scored 8 goals, including the 100th of her career, in a win over Bishop Verot.
Gabbie Hotaling, Lakewood Ranch
Highlights: Hotaling had 6 goals and 2 assists in a win over Saint Stephen’s and finished the week with 12 goals and 6 assists.
Softball
Gia DePastino, Sarasota
Highlights: DePastino went 2 for 4 with a double and drove in 3 and scored 3 times and drove in one in wins over Fort Meade and ECS, and had 2 hits with a double, drove in 2, and scored twice in a loss to McKeel.
Peyton Eckes, Palmetto
Highlights: The sophomore allowed 4 hits and struck out 7 in a shutout win over Inspiration Academy. For the week, she pitched 19 innings, allowing 9 hits, no earned runs, walking four, and striking out 32.
Morgan Meeks, Venice
Highlights: Meeks went 3 for 4 with a double, 3 RBIs, and a run in a win over Braden River.
Track & Field
Malia Hambrick, North Port
Highlights: The senior won the 1600 at the RAM Invitational in 5:19.24.
Maeve Murray, Cardinal Mooney
Highlights: The junior won the 400-meter race at the RAM Invitational in 1:00.03.
Layla Obaseki, Riverview
Highlights: The freshman won the 100 hurdles at the RAM Invitational in 16.95 and helped the 4×400 relay win first, was third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump.
Alana Price, Parrish
Highlights: The junior with the 100-meter dash at the RAM Invitational in 12.14 seconds, helped the 4×100 relay take first, and took second in the long jump.
Editor’s Note: We reserve the right to disqualify a candidate or declare a vote “no contest” if tampering such as bots or offering to pay for voting is evident. Please respect the integrity of the vote the way these athletes respect the integrity of the game.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VOTE for CFBHN/Herald-Tribune Girls Athlete of the Week for March 9-14
Reporting by Ed Reed, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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