State championships in track and dramatic playoff moments on the baseball diamond headline this week’s Apple Dental Center Athlete of the Week nominees.
London freshman Alana Williams captured the Class 3A state title in the high jump and added a silver medal in the 100-meter dash.
Gregory-Portland’s Ryder Harrison claimed the Class 5A boys pole vault state championship and Kingsville’s Eleanor “JB” Kazanjian also shined in Austin, winning the Class 4A 100 hurdles state title and adding another medal in the 100-meter dash.
On the baseball field, Falfurrias’ Derek Vasquez delivered one of the top moments of the postseason with a walk-off grand slam against Marion, and Orange Grove’s Leelan Rodriguez threw a complete game to help keep the Bulldogs’ playoff run alive.
Calallen softball standout Audryna Almaraz also powered her team with a home run and five RBIs in a playoff victory.
Students can only be named Athlete of the Week once per season, per sport, and athletes from one school cannot win more than three consecutive weeks.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Monday and can be submitted through email at ctsports@caller.com, by messaging the Caller-Times through its Facebook page, or on X @CallerSports. Please include statistics or honors for your athlete.
Take a moment to look at some of the top performances in the last week and vote on caller.com or below.
Audryna Almaraz, Calallen softball — Almaraz went 2-for-3 with a home run, double and five RBIs in a one-game regional final playoff win against Gonzales.
Ryder Harrison, Gregory-Portland boys track and field — Harrison won the Class 5A boys pole vault state championship at 16-feet, 6-inches after setting a new school record earlier this season.
Eleanor “JB” Kazanjian, Kingsville girls track and field — Kazanjian won the Class 4A state title in the 100 hurdles and added another state medal in the 100-meter dash after qualifying in five events.
Leelan Rodriguez, Orange Grove baseball — Rodriguez threw a complete game with eight strikeouts in a playoff win against Lytle after also helping lead the Bulldogs to a Game 1 victory earlier in the series.
Brielle Vasquez, IWA girls golf — Vasquez shot an 80 in difficult weather conditions to finish second at the TAPPS 4A District Tournament at Lozano Golf Course.
Derek Vasquez, Falfurrias baseball — Vasquez hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Falfurrias to a Game 1 playoff win against Marion in the regional semifinals.
Zion Jackson, Port Aransas baseball — Jackson went 2-for-2 with a triple, double, RBI and stolen base in a playoff win against state-ranked Burton.
Alana Williams, London girls track and field — The freshman Williams won the Class 3A girls high jump state championship by clearing 5 feet, 7 inches and also earned silver in the 100-meter dash.
VOTE HERE
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Vote now for the Caller-Times High School Athlete of the Week for May 11-16, presented by Apple Dental Center
Reporting by Rey Castillo, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
