Welcome to the first IU Health Herald-Times Athlete of the Week poll of the new year, which will cover action that took place over the two-week holiday stretch.
Readers can vote as much as they like until the poll closes on Thursday, Jan. 8 at noon.
Here are this week’s nominees:
Madi Bland, Edgewood girls basketball
Had 17 points and was tough to stop in the paint as the Mustangs rallied from eight down to top Springs Valley on the road, 53-44.
Adrianna Burns, South girls wrestling
Took second place at 140 pounds in the Indian Creek Sectional. A fifth-place finisher at sectional last year, she pinned fifth-ranked Allie Silcox of Whiteland in 2:46 in the semifinal before falling in the title match.
Grady Callison, Eastern Greene boys basketball
Junior scored 36 points as the T-Birds beat North Knox and fell in close games to Monrovia and 1A No. 1 Barr-Reeve. Callison was 6-of-10 with 10 rebounds and six assists against North Knox, had four points, four rebounds and five assists against Monrovia and finished with 5-of-6 day at the 3-point line to score 16 points against Barr-Reeve.
Jack Clark, South boys basketball
Helped the Panthers to two wins and the title in the Community Cars Tournament at home, scoring his team’s last nine points to finish with 21 in a 60-58 win over Muncie Central, then had 26 points, hitting three 3s in the last 5:10 to secure a 64-55 win over Avon. Went on to score 15 points with seven rebounds and five assists in a 67-49 win over Centerville to open the Lawrenceburg Tournament. Added 19 points in the semifinals loss to 3A No. 2 Silver Creek and another 17 in the loss to Fort Wayne Blackhawk in the third place game.
Peter Kovacs, South boys swimming
Won three events as South took third place at the Center Grove Holiday Invitational against the host Trojans and Homestead. The sophomore won the 200 freestyle (1:41.99), 50 free (21.26) and 100 individual medley (50.89) in the event that featured college-length swims. Also anchored 200 free relay to third (20.68) in 1:30.76 and the 400 free relay to third (47.17) in 3:16.82.
Riley Martin, Owen Valley boys wrestling
Won the 157-pound bracket at the Mooresville Holiday Classic, sweeping through the field with three pins and a major before a pin in 3:27 in the title match over No. 23 Dylan Lane of Hamilton Southeastern. He added three first period wins against Western Boone, South Putnam and Greencastle last Saturday.
Kyra Newby, Owen Valley girls wrestling
Senior grabbed third place at the Mt. Vernon Sectional, bouncing back from a loss to the 12th-ranked wrestler in the state in the semifinals, she picked up two pins in 2:45 and 1:55 to advance to regional for the first time.
Aubrey Sparks, Owen Valley girls basketball
Sophomore piled up 57 points as the Patriots took third place at the Whiteland Invitational. She had 26, going 12-of-13 at the line in a 54-50 loss to Anderson and then had 31 in a 65-41 win over the host Warriors, scoring 18 in the first half as OV jumped up 31-11. She had 30 points, all in the first three quarters of a 69-36 win over Brown County.
Josiah Stanton, South boys wrestling
Freshman had the best finish for the Panthers at the always tough Al Smith Classic in Mishawaka taking second place at 120 pounds. Stanton, ranked fifth in the state, was the No. 2 seed and had a tech fall of 17-2 and pin of 2:00 to open, then pinned No. 23 ranked Nathan Scott of New Prairie in 3:08. He topped seventh-ranked Justus Thrasher of Center Grove by 9-1 major to make the final when he was pinned by No. 4 Jeremy Carver of Cathedral.
Miguel Tedrow, North boys wrestling
Senior made a run to second in the 165-pound weight class at the Mooresville Holiday Classic. He opened with a pin of 2:22, a 13-3 major and a pin 1:38 to make the semifinal. Tedrow, ranked 21st in the state, beat No. 26 Cohen Davis of Hamilton Southeastern with a pin in 4:52 but lost to No. 2 ranked Brant Beck of Rochester by tech fall.
Emily Wang, South girls swimming
Had three individual third place finishes for the Panthers, who took third at the Center Grove Holiday Invitational behind the host Trojans and Homestead. Wang swam a 4:50.33 in the 400 individual medley, a 31.98 in the 50 breaststroke and 2:35.40 in the 200 breaststroke in a meet that featured college-length events. Also had a 56.09 leadoff for the third place 400 free relay and had a 31.21 breast leg for the fourth place 200 medley relay (1:57.48).
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: VOTE IU Health Herald-Times Athlete of the Week poll for Dec. 22-Jan. 3
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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