Beginning in September, the Standard-Times recognized some of the top high school performances by soliciting nominations and naming finalists for the City National Bank Athlete of the Week.

Weekly voting lasted throughout the school year and produced 36 Athletes of the Week.

Now, readers will have a chance to choose from those honorees to name a Standard-Times City National Bank Fan Favorite High School Athlete of the Year.

Voting will break down over two weeks beginning June 17 and will run Tuesday through Sunday each week, with voting wrapping up at noon every Monday.

The 16 athletes who receive the most votes this week will advance to the second round of voting beginning June 24.

Voting totals will reset each week.

The athletes represent schools of every size across West Texas. The City National Bank Fan Favorite Athlete of the year will be voted on and selected from the 16 finalists beginning June 24.

Each athlete is listed alphabetically with the sport they were chosen for Athlete of the Week. Take a look at the finalists and vote below for the 2024-2025 Standard-Times City National Bank Fan Favorite High School Athlete of the Year.

Nominees

Marianna Aguilar, Reagan County softball

Chris Alvizo, Lake View football

Chloe Becker, Veribest girls track and field

Caleb Braden, Wall baseball

Paxton Brake, Wall boys basketball

Jarrett Brown, Reagan County

Lorelei Bryant, Cornerstone girls basketball

Veronica Castro, Central softball

Chasen Doyal, Junction football

Christian “Squeaky” English, Central boys basketball and football

Acelyn Fowler, Irion County girls basketball

Christina Geary, Sterling City girls basketball

Gage Reichenau, Wall baseball

Leevi Knight, Reagan County boys tennis

JP Garza, Ozona baseball

Avery Hansen, Lake View girls soccer

Cameron Hash, Central boys track and field

Briggs Jones, Wall boys track and football

Jaxon Kennedy, Central baseball

Wyatt Killough, Sonora boys basketball

Thomas Leanos, Wall football

Johnny Menefield, Brady football

Colby Mitchell, Cornerstone boys basketball

Mia Obenhaus, Colorado City softball

Jezebel Pasillas, Sonora volleyball

Francisco Ramirez, Lake View football

Brooklenn Reyes, Reagan County softball

Landry Sanderson, Goldthwaite football

Luke Sanderson, Goldthwaite football

Aaron Segura, Sonora football

Casner Stribling, Central baseball

Kaidence Tambunga, Ozona girls basketball

Hunter Tucker, Veribest football

Water Valley girls 400 relay team

Baylor Wright, Coahoma track and field

Landon York, Wall football

Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer.

Fifty-five athletes from the Missourian coverage area were named to the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams Monday.

St. Elizabeth, which is coming off its third MSHSAA Class 1 championship in four years, led the local teams with six all-staters. Now-graduated senior pitcher Gavin Williams was selected as the Class 1 player of the year and was joined on the first team by senior catcher Brady Kemna, junior infielder Eli Kemna and junior outfielder Sam Luetkemeyer. Senior designated hitter/utility Nolan Chipman was named to the second team, and sophomore infielder Kyson Green received honorable mention notice.

Eugene — which finished second in Class 2 — had four selections: first-team senior pitcher Drew Hart, first-team senior infielder Sam Schulte, second-team junior pitcher Chase Richard and second-team freshman catcher Jeffrey Schulte.

Tipton, which finished fourth in Class 2 for the second straight season, was represented by first-team senior pitcher Lucas Cashman, second-team sophomore pitcher Eli Higgins and second-team sophomore catcher Paxton Pyle.

Harrisburg senior DH/utility Ike DeMuth and Westran senior catcher Cooper Harvey were also Class 2 first-team honorees. Fayette junior DH/utility Payton Oeth and Harrisburg senior infielder Bryce Ott were named to the second team, and Van-Far senior infielder Carson Huff and senior DH/utility Reece Culwell received honorable mention notice.

Miller sophomore pitcher Jase Wilkinson was named the Class 2 player of the year. The left-hander helped the Cardinals to their first state championship in program history and has drawn interest from Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Oral Roberts.

Fatima placed five players on the Class 3 all-state list after winning the state championship. Senior DH/utility Brody Kleffner, junior pitcher Blake Kliethermes and junior catcher Colton Scheulen were named to the first team, while senior infielder Glenn Berhorst and sophomore DH/utility Bryce Wieberg were named to the second team.

South Callaway senior pitcher Tucker Jones and senior infielder Ethan Edwards as well as Warsaw senior DH/utility Kendall Bagley were honorable mention selections. Lone Jack senior pitcher and Wichita State signee Ethan Rogers was the Class 3 player of the year.

Tolton led the local Class 4 contingent with four all-staters after finishing fourth in the state tournament. Senior infielder and Saint Louis signee Lucas Wietholder was a first-team selection, senior outfielder Matthew States was picked to the second team, and senior outfielder Karter Ball and junior infielder Carter Henke received honorable mention notice.

Boonville senior pitcher Evan Bishop and Moberly senior infielder Jackson Engel were also first-team honorees. Blair Oaks senior catcher Nolan Laughlin, Fulton senior pitcher Ethan Millius, Moberly junior outfielder Kyler Fanning and Southern Boone senior DH/utility Brayden Beckmann and freshman infielder Nolan Ash were also named to the second team. Blair Oaks sophomore pitcher Wyatt Libbert and sophomore DH/utility Vander Halford, Eldon sophomore infielder Drew Hinds, Fulton senior catcher Justin Case and Moberly senior pitcher Cade Bohm were honorable mention selections.

St. Charles West senior DH/utility Brenan Goering was named the Class 4 player of the year.

Jefferson City had four seniors make the Class 5 list, headlined by the first-team battery of catcher Jackson Koch and Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and Arkansas signee Jordan Martin. Pitcher Ethan Lipp and infielder Mason Wall were second-team selections.

Camdenton senior DH/utility and Wichita State signee Karson Durnin was also picked to the first team, and Helias senior outfielder Cam Hoelscher received honorable mention notice. Platte County junior infielder Brennan McLaughlin was tabbed the Class 5 player of the year after helping the Pirates to the state championship.

Rock Bridge paced the local Class 6 contingent with three second-team seniors: outfielder Will Kimes, pitcher Jake Musick and catcher Crew Norden. Hickman junior infielder Jackson Shults and Rolla junior outfielder Colton Petersmith — a Nebraska commit — and junior DH/utility Jenson Thomas were also second-team honorees. Kewpies senior pitcher and Evansville signee Tanner Graham was an honorable mention selection.

Staley senior DH/utility Brody Irlbeck was named the Class 6 player of the year. The Iowa signee allowed just three earned runs all season and had a stretch of 55 consecutive scoreless innings, finishing 11-0 with a 0.27 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 104 strikeouts. He also hit .347 with 19 extra-base hits and 38 RBI for the Falcons, who finished as the Class 6 runners-up.

SHELBY — Several Shelby students are helping make a difference in their district and community.

The high school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter organized numerous events for students this past school year, including a distracted driving program and a veterans appreciation night.

Shelby High School FCCLA members Olivia Byrd and Sophie Penn presented achievements from 2024-2025 to the Shelby Board of Education during Monday’s meeting. Kelly Jung, FCCLA advisor, was also in attendance.

“I think it’s extremely valuable for them to have the opportunities that they have through FCCLA,” Jung said.

Shelby FCCLA was awarded a $1,200 grant from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office to assist with the distracted driving event, Penn said.

Weeks prior to the event, students created one-of-a-kind cars out of cardboard boxes donated by Shelby’s Carton Service. Staff at Shelby voted on the four top designs, which earned a spot in a race around the high school gymnasium.

Each lap of the race was completed by a different student, who had to complete a different distracted driving task — including eating, makeup and hair, texting and drunk driving.

The event included a powerful message from school resource officer Hannah Hall.

Shelby High School FCCLA member Olivia Byrd presents to the Shelby Board of Education on Monday night. Credit: Hayden Gray

Honor our Heroes Night

Byrd said the chapter also organized an “Honor our Heroes Night” during a home Shelby football game last fall.

Prior to the game, all Shelby High School students were invited to write messages on American flags — which were later displayed near the entrance of the Whippet Athletic Complex.

The FCCLA also welcomed veterans and their families to a pregame tailgate, she said.

“We raised $900 and bought a POW (prisoners of war) chair, which is being installed this summer and we will have a dedication for it Sept. 19,” Byrd said.

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Accessibility to menstrual products

In early March, Byrd said she met with Shelby Superintendent Michael Browning to discuss access to menstrual products in district bathrooms.

When Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 33 in 2023, included legislation made it a requirement for districts to provide free feminine hygiene products in school restrooms for grades six through 12.

Byrd surveyed Shelby middle and high school students to learn more about their thoughts on what is available to them at school.

She found that 90 percent of respondents said they struggle to find feminine hygiene products and 85 percent said having access to these products would help them return to their class more quickly.

Kim Nadolsky, vice president of the Shelby Board of Education, said she liked the survey Byrd conducted and specified its value to district students.

The Nevada women’s track and field season ended Thursday, marking the final Wolf Pack team to complete its 2024-25 campaign. At the conclusion of the year for each Nevada sport, we will offer a final report card. Here is that report card for Wolf Pack women’s track and field.

Nevada women’s track and field

Preseason expectations: The Wolf Pack had a solid 2023-24 season, placing seventh in the Mountain West indoor championships before improving to fourth in the outdoor meet. There was momentum entering the season with the opening of the $5 million Reno-Tahoe Indoor Track, plus the return of five of the seven Nevada athletes who qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary, all of whom were underclassmen last year. That led to optimism the Wolf Pack could see improved marks in 2024-25.

Final record: Ninth at the MW indoor championships (out of 11); sixth at the MW outdoor championships (out of 11)

Athlete of the year: Lilly Urban — Two athletes separated themselves from the pack as Nevada’s top track and field athletes this year in Urban, a javelin thrower, and sprinter Magdalene George. Both made our Dandy Dozen list (the Wolf Pack’s top-12 athletes this year). Urban set the Nevada javelin record four times during her sophomore season, including a personal-best 56.89 meters to win gold at the MW Championships. She qualified for the NCAA Championships and placed 11th (55.27 meters) to earn second-team All-American honors, the highest national finish of any Wolf Pack athlete in 2024-25.

Best win: This category doesn’t necessarily apply in track and field, but we will highlight George’s school records in the 60 and 200 indoor. The sophomore from Nigeria won five medals at the conference championships, including silver in the 100 and 200 indoor and bronze in the 60 and 200 outdoor, adding a bronze in a relay event. While George didn’t win gold at the MW meets, she was the Wolf Pack’s top point-earner at the conference championships.

Stat to note: 6 of 8 — With Urban qualifying for nationals, Nevada has sent at least one individual or relay team to six of the last eight NCAA outdoor track and field championships. That run, which dates back to 2017, has included Urban; multi-athletes Nicola Ader and Nicole Wadden; steeplechase runner EmKay Myers; and Nevada’s 4×400 relay team competing at nationals. Prior to 2017, Nevada didn’t have an individual qualify for nationals since 2011.

Season in short: With the Reno-Tahoe Indoor Track opening inside the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, the Wolf Pack hosted four indoor meets before traveling to a pair of events in Albuquerque, including the MW Championships where it finished a disappointing ninth out of 11 schools, its lowest mark since also finishing ninth in 2019. That was down two spots from 2024. The outdoor season brought more prosperity as Nevada sent athletes to nine meets before the conference championship where it finished sixth out of 11 team, which also was down two spots from the year prior. The Wolf Pack set nine school records during the indoor and outdoor season.

Final grade: C+ — The Wolf Pack took a small step backward year over year with lower placements in the MW indoor and outdoor meets and fewer athletes sent to the NCAA West Preliminary. The Wolf Pack sent five athletes to the NCAA Preliminary round, down two from last year. Nevada’s five qualifiers were tied for the sixth most in the MW behind New Mexico (12), San Diego State (10), Fresno State (eight), Colorado State (six) and San Jose State (six). Utah State also had five. The season was boosted by Urban’s All-American year, which was fantastic. This program has been a middle-of-the-conference or slightly below operation for its 13 seasons in MW, with its facilities not really up to the MW standard prior to the addition of the indoor facility. That should boost Nevada in the future, or at least raise the level of fair expectation, as the Wolf Pack looks to build the depth require to compete at the top of the conference. The Wolf Pack will lose a couple of key seniors in Izzy Steerman (javelin), Natasha Chetty (high jump), Claire Nelson (distance runner) and Alyssa Carson (pole vault) but returns most of its point-earners from this season.

Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.