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High School Sports

Georgia high school athletes of the year for 2024

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Georgia high school athletes of the year for 2024

Baseball

Dax Kilby, Newnan: The senior shortstop hit .495 and led the Cougars to the Class 5A championship, their first title since 1991. Kilby has signed with Clemson but is expected to be selected in the MLB draft in July. He had 11 doubles, four triples, five homers, 53 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 33 walks and only five strikeouts in 99 at-bats. Kilby was the Region 3 Player of the Year, the MVP of the state championship series and a Perfect Game All-American, and he carries a 4.0 GPA.

Basketball (boys)

Caleb Wilson, Holy Innocents’: The 6-foot-10 senior forward averaged 21.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.5 blocks for a 27-4 team that won the first state championship in program history. He had 33 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals in an 84-45 victory over North Cobb Christian in the Class 3A-A private final. Wilson, a McDonald’s All-American, is No. 5 nationally in the 247Sports Composite senior rankings. He has signed to play basketball at North Carolina.

Basketball (girls)

Hailee Swain, Holy Innocents’: The 5-foot-11 senior guard averaged 23.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals in leading Holy Innocents’ (25-5) to the state championship in the Class 3A-A private division. She was named the top player in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Tipoff Club and MaxPreps and was named a McDonald’s All-American. Swain is the No. 7 player in her class nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings. She has signed to play basketball at Stanford.

Cheerleading

Alicia Carrillo-Bueno, McIntosh: The senior was a captain for a competition team that won its sixth state championship in nine years and a game day squad that won its first title. The Chiefs posted the highest score in any classification at both state meets. The three-year letter winner also was a captain for the football sideline squad. Coach Shannon Bednarowski called her “the most all-around skill athlete in the entire cheerleading program.” Carrillo-Bueno signed to be a cheerleader at Southeastern Louisiana.

Cross country (boys)

Tommy Latham, Marist: The senior had the fastest time at the state meet, earning the Class 4A individual championship with a time of 15:30.22. It was the third consecutive title for Latham, who won Class 6A as a junior (15:57.21) and sophomore (15:58.17). Marist finished in second place in the team competition. Latham is a first-team All-American, and he recorded a season-best time of 14:43.67 when he took third place at the Nike Cross Southeast Regional Championship. He has signed to run cross country and track at North Carolina.

Cross country (girls)

Averi Lowen, Bowdon: The sophomore posted a meet-best time of 17:52.46 to win the Class A Division II individual championship for the second consecutive season. She was the only runner in any class to break the 18:30 mark, and her margin of victory in her race was 3:21. Lowen won her classification as a freshman with a time of 20:10.03. She produced the fastest time in the state during the season by 19 seconds and won seven races in 2024, including the Nike Cross Southeast Regional Championship.

Flag football

Chelsea Njoku, McEachern: The senior quarterback passed for a state-best 4,786 yards and 77 touchdowns and rushed for a team-leading 438 yards and 12 TDs in leading McEachern to a 29-0 season and its first state championship. She passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-6 victory over Lambert in the Division 4 final. Njoku played primarily wide receiver the past two seasons before moving to quarterback as a senior. She was named the Division 4 player of the year by the Georgia Flag Football Coaches Association.

Football

Luke Nickel, Milton: The senior quarterback was 209-of-308 passing for 3,744 yards and 44 touchdowns for a 15-0 team that won its second consecutive state title and finished No. 2 in six national polls. He passed for 409 yards and four touchdowns in the Class 5A championship game. Nickel was 38-6 as Milton’s three-year starter. His 10,165 career passing yards rank 11th all-time in Georgia, and his 107 career TD passes rank 15th. Nickel, the No. 16 quarterback prospect nationally, signed with Miami and entered school as an early enrollee.

Golf (boys)

William Long, Milton: The sophomore shot a season-best 66 in the first round of the state tournament and finished as the medalist in Class 5A with a 9-under-par 135. He also won the Cambridge Cup and the Trojan Invitational. Long finished among the top five in eight of 11 tournaments and never finished worse than seventh. The Eagles finished second at state in the team competition, six strokes behind champion Creekview.

Golf (girls)

Athena Yoo, Lambert: The senior shot a 6-under-par 138 to finish second at the Class 6A championship and help the Longhorns win their 11th state title in 12 years. Lambert won the team competition by 69 strokes and was the only team in any classification to finish under par (11 under). Yoo completed her career with two individual state championships and two area championships. This season, she won the Atlanta Athletic Club’s Girls Invitational and had five wins in eight starts. Yoo signed to play golf at UCLA.

Gymnastics

Emma Howells, North Oconee: The sophomore had the highest all-around score in the state finals, posting a 39.225 to win the individual title in the Class A-4A division. Howells won on the vault (10.000) and bars (9.700) for the second consecutive season and the floor exercise (9.800) for the first time. She also finished second on the balance beam (9.725). Howells led North Oconee to its sixth consecutive team championship, the longest streak in the sport since 1979.

Lacrosse (boys)

Brooks Wehman, Lambert: The senior attack was a guiding force for a 22-0 team that won its seventh state championship and finished No. 2 nationally in the MaxPreps computer rankings. He scored twice in the Longhorns’ 12-0 victory over South Forsyth in the Division 3 championship game and finished the season with 134 points on 63 goals and 71 assists. He also was named his region’s defensive player of the year in basketball. Wehman committed to play lacrosse at Navy.

Lacrosse (girls)

Jenna Lundstedt, Cambridge: The senior midfielder dominated draw controls all season for the Bears, who finished 19-2 and defeated Blessed Trinity 17-5 in the Division 1 championship game, giving the Bears back-to-back titles. Lundstedt scored three goals in the title game and finished the season with 41 goals, 12 assists, 45 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. She set a school record with 284 draw controls and won 76% of her draws, also a school record. Lundstedt committed to Southern Cal.

Riflery

Katlyn Sullivan, Statesboro: The senior posted a finals state championship-record score of 467.5 to win the individual championship at the all-classification state meet for the second consecutive season. She finished 8.6 points ahead of second-place Aubrey Hancock of team champion East Coweta. Sullivan became the first individual champion to repeat since 2019. She has qualified for the National Rifle Junior Olympic Championships each of the past four years. Sullivan, Statesboro’s Class of 2025 valedictorian, signed to compete for Nebraska’s rifle team.

Soccer (boys)

Tolu Adeyemi, Grayson: The senior completed his career with 57 goals and 26 assists. A two-time all-state selection, he scored five goals this season in the first four rounds of the playoffs before the Rams (22-3) lost in the Class 6A championship game. He was the Region 4 Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, the Gwinnett County Player of the Year and a 2024 Elite Clubs National League All-America selection. He signed to play soccer at Mercer.

Soccer (girls)

Graycen Ehlen, Walton: The senior goalkeeper was the anchor of a defense that allowed just eight goals all season as the Raiders compiled a 20-2 record and won the program’s first state championship since 1993. In the Class 6A final, Ehlen had two saves on penalty kicks to give Walton a 4-2 victory over Buford in the shootout after the teams were scoreless for the first 100 minutes. Ehlen also was a three-time all-region selection in basketball. She signed to play soccer at Mississippi State.

Softball (fast-pitch)

Kendall Wells, North Oconee: The senior had a .759 batting average this season, with 12 home runs, 22 RBIs, a .914 on-base percentage and a 2.172 slugging percentage. She hit .580 for her career with 54 homers and 144 RBIs, and she tied the state home run record with 24 as a junior. Wells was a three-time region player of the year and all-state selection. North Oconee was a semifinalist in 2023 and a finalist in 2021. She is the No. 1-rated catcher and a top-five recruit nationally and signed to play softball at Oklahoma.

Softball (slow-pitch)

Lily Welch, Richmond Hill: The junior pitcher retired the final three batters with the tying runs on base to preserve an 8-6 victory over West Laurens in the all-classification championship game. She also had two hits and scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning. Welch hit nine home runs on the season, including one in a 1-0 victory over Elbert County in the second round. Richmond Hill finished 17-0 in its second season. Welch also is a catcher for the school’s fast-pitch team.

Swimming (boys)

Baylor Stanton, Brookwood: The junior won individual titles in the 200 individual medley (1:45.01) and 100 backstroke (47.46) and was a member of relay teams that finished first (200 medley) and second (400 freestyle) at the Class 6A meet. He has won three consecutive titles in the 200 IM, an event in which he holds the state record. Brookwood finished the team competition with a 409-293.5 lead over second-place Walton, the two-time defending champion. Stanton is ranked by Swimcloud as the nation’s No. 1 junior.

Swimming (girls)

Sarah Paisley Owen, Midtown: The sophomore won the 50 freestyle (22.34) and 100 freestyle (48.47) at the Class 4A meet and now holds the state record in both events. She broke the record in the 100 this year and the 50 as a freshman (22.25). Owen also competed on the 400 freestyle relay team that won with a time of 3:31.75. Midtown finished fifth in the team competition. Owen is ranked by Swimcloud as the No. 1 swimmer in Georgia and the No. 8 swimmer nationally in her class.

Tennis (boys)

Harrison Kemp, Greater Atlanta Christian: The junior played No. 1 singles all season and helped his team win the state championship in Class 3A-A private. It was the third consecutive title for the Spartans, who won Class 5A the past two seasons. Kemp competed against five top-15 national teams and the best in Georgia and went 11-4 in singles and 8-2 in doubles. He was down 4 match points against powerful Baylor (Tennessee) and came back to win. His UTR rating is 11.02 in singles and 11.12 in doubles.

Tennis (girls)

Brooklyn Hoffmann, West Forsyth: The senior went undefeated at No. 1 singles and helped the Wolverines win the state championship in the highest classification for the second consecutive season. She went 16-0 in singles and won her lone doubles match. Hoffmann was undefeated in the Macon Heart of Georgia Tournament against some of the state’s best competition and won the 18U doubles title at the USTA National Winter Championship. She signed to play tennis at James Madison.

Track and field (boys)

Maurice Gleaton, Hughes: The senior won Class 5A titles in the 100 meters (10.51 seconds) and 200 meters (21.39) and anchored the winning 4×100 relay team (40.75), leading Hughes to its third consecutive state championship. At his region meet in April, Gleaton became the first Georgia high school athlete to break 10 seconds in the 100, finishing in 9.98, the second-best wind-legal time in high school history nationwide. Gleaton, also a 3-star wide receiver prospect on the Panthers’ football team, signed to run track at Georgia.

Track and field (girls)

Skylar Cunningham, Greater Atlanta Christian: The sophomore won the 100 and 200 meters and ran on the winning 4×100 relay team at the Class 3A-A private meet, leading her team to the championship. It was the Spartans’ sixth championship in nine seasons. Cunningham’s time of 11.32 seconds in the 100 set a Class 3A record and was the best time in all classes at the state meet. Her 200 time of 23.34 also was the all-classification best. Cunningham won the 100 and finished second in the 200 as a freshman.

Volleyball

Abigail Li, Alpharetta: The 6-foot-1 senior setter had 937 assists, an average of 10 per set, along with 195 digs, 80 kills, 53 aces and 46 blocks for a 36-0 team that won its second consecutive state championship (third in five seasons) and finished No. 6 in MaxPreps’ national rankings. She was named a third-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and was the Region 6-6A player of the year and a first-team all-state selection. Li signed to play volleyball at Georgia Tech.

Wrestling (boys)

Dominic Bambinelli, Mill Creek: The senior became one of 51 Georgia wrestlers since 1961 to win four individual titles when he won the 175-pound division at the Class 6A traditional meet. He won at 152 pounds as a freshman, 165 pounds as a sophomore and 175 pounds as a junior. He was 46-0 this season and 180-3 in his career. Mill Creek finished third at the traditional meet and tied for fifth at the state duals. Bambinelli, ranked No. 23 nationally on FloWrestling’s Top 100, signed to wrestle at Missouri.

Wrestling (girls)

Vera Spencer, North Oconee: The senior was voted by coaches as the girls’ Most Outstanding Wrestler at the all-classification state traditional meet after winning the 125-pound division for her third consecutive individual state championship. She won the title at 120 pounds as a junior and at 115 pounds as a sophomore. North Oconee finished in fifth place out of more than 120 teams. Spencer was 22-2 as a senior and 87-4 in her career. She will continue her wrestling career next season at Illinois Wesleyan University.

— Stan Awtrey, Todd Holcomb and Adam Krohn contributed to this article.

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High School Sports

Watch Thursday 9.4 JSZ Football Highlights

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Watch Thursday 9.4 JSZ Football Highlights

We’ve got Thursday night football to kick off Week 1 around the Garden State as JSZ brings you three games from the gridiron. Princeton and Allentown meet in a Mercer County thriller, Demarest looks to start strong against Bergen Tech plus Washington Township tries to reach 2-0 against Pennsauken in the WJFL. Check back as the highlights are posted throughout the night!


Down 6-0, senior Ellinton Hinds who already had an interception on the first drive of the game, made one of the best catches in all of New Jersey high school football so far this season to keep Princeton (2-0) undefeated in 2025. Hinds had two leaping catches from QB Quinton deFaria, who threw for 109 yards and a TD. The Tigers beat Allentown (0-2) for the first time since 2005 and look to keep their win streak alive with a Week 2 matchup against Ewing.

JSZ’s Tyler Mroz has the highlights + reaction from Allentown: 

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Princeton and Allentown is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.


The Minutemen took care of business in their home opener by racing out to a 35-0 halftime lead and cruising the rest of the way. Colin Beeler scored a pair of touchdowns to lead a bruising rushing attack in the victory. Paris Pratt hauled in a touchdown and added a fumble return touchdown for Washington Township (2-0). Pennsauken (1-1) will look to bounce back next Thursday against Highland.

JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Sewell:

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Washington Township is made possible by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.


With lead running back Reed Kauderer unavailable for the majority of the game, the Norsemen needed their other playmakers to step up. They ultimately answered the bell. Quarterback Joseph Yun accounted for three total touchdowns as Demarest (1-0) begins their 2025 season with a bang. Daejuan Joseph caught a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Bergen Tech (0-1) will now turn their focus to a game against Ferris next week.

JSZ’s Sean Dugan has the highlights from Little Ferry:


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High school football

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High school football

Five games dotted the high school football schedule Thursday night.

In Class AA, Butte stormed past Billings Skyview 33-13 on the road while Missoula Sentinel knocked off No. 3 Great Falls CMR 6-0. A big showdown in 8-Man lived up to its billing as No. 3 Fort Benton beat No. 2 Belt 24-22.

Check out the highlights and details below:

CLASS AA

Missoula Sentinel 6, No. 3 Great Falls CMR 0

After a scoreless first half, Sentinel struck with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rudy Hess to Kyler Haslam. That ended up being the game’s only score, as the Spartans’ defense kept Great Falls CMR off the scoreboard entirely.

WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:

Missoula Sentinel knocks off No. 3 Great Falls CMR in defensive slugfest

Sentinel held CMR to six first downs, and 0-for-9 showing on third down and 132 total offensive yards. The Spartans’ Jake Boggust recovered a fumble on a promising CMR drive in the fourth quarter that helped preserve the shutout.

Butte 33, Billings Skyview 13

Hudson Luedtke caught three touchdown passes from Brooks Vincent to lead Butte to a road victory. Peyton Johnson had a scoring run and Jaeger Hansen returned an interception for a TD as the Bulldogs built a sizable first-half lead.

WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:

Butte picks up convincing win at Billings Skyview

The Falcons got their points on two touchdown passes from Jaxon Zagata to Jackson Carter.

At halftime, Skyview celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 1995 state title team. That year, the Falcons went 11-1 under coach Rob Lebsock and won the Class AA championship with a 27-20 victory over Bozeman.

1995 Billings Skyview

The 1995 state champion Billings Skyview Falcons are honored at Daylis Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Billings.

8-MAN

No. 3 Fort Benton 24, No. 2 Belt 22

Truman Giese’s fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion gave Fort Benton the lead and two defensive takeaways in the final minutes helped maintain it as Fort Benton knocked off Belt in a ranked matchup.

WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:

No. 3 Fort Benton knocks off No. 2 Belt in 8-Man showdown

Blake Waldner set an early tone for the Huskies with a 29-yard touchdown run, but Giese scored from 3 yards out to help tie it 8-8 in the second quarter.

Slater Lords had a long catch and run for a touchdown, putting Belt up 16-8, but a Giese-to-David Olson TD pass tied the game again. In the third, Waldner turned a Huskies interception into another touchdown run as Belt grabbed a 22-16 advantage. But it didn’t hold up.

Other Thursday scores:

8-Man

Fairview 64, Poplar 0

6-Man

Highwood 62, Alberton 0

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What is the Fastest Tennis Serve of All Time?

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What is the Fastest Tennis Serve of All Time?

In this countdown, we look back at the fastest recorded tennis serves of all time.

Service speed remains a dominant feature in the modern game and can become a player’s trump card out on the court.

With players getting stronger and cutting-edge technology in tennis racquets making leaps and bounds, serves today are faster than ever.

We take a look at the fastest serves ever recorded by men and women out on the tennis court.

Men’s fastest tennis serve

Sam Groth – 263.4kph (163.7mph.)

Australian Sam Groth has the honour of having the fastest recorded tennis serve of all time.

The 6ft 4 Australian set the record during an ATP Open Challenger match in Busan, South Korea, in 2012 against Belarusian tennis player Uladzimir Ignatik.

Groths serve clocks in at a staggering 263.4kph (163.7mph).

Honorable mentions

Second Fastest Recorded Serve in Tennis

Albano Olivetti – 257.5 kph (160mph)

Frenchman Albano Olivetti holds the record for the second-fastest serve ever recorded. The French tennis pro also remains the second person to break the 160mph serve speed barrier.

Olivetti’s serve came in 2012 at the challenger level during the Internazionali Trofeo Lame Perrel–Faip.

Albano Olivetti

Albano Olivetti holds the second-fastest record serve on the tour.

Third Fastest Recorded Serve in Tennis

John Isner – 253 kph (157.2 mph).

It would be hard not to include the American giant John Isner in this list. The 6ft 10 American is known best for his monster serves, which are delivered consistently throughout.

His monstrous serve is thanks in part to his stature. Isner clocks in as the third-tallest tennis player on the ATP behind the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic and American young gun Reilly Opelka (both 6ft 11 inches). Ivo Karlovic currently holds the record for the fourth fastest recorded tennis serve.

Isner currently holds the third fastest serve in tennis. The Americans serve, clocking in at 253 kph (157.2 mph) during a 2016 Davis Cup tie against Bernard Tomic.

John Isner also holds the record for playing the longest match in Grand Slam history against Nicolas Mahut. During Wimbledon 2010, Isner beat Mahut in 5 sets: 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68. The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.

Isner’s serve is the fastest recorded serve in tennis, recognised by the ATP.

Fastest Tennis Serve Female

Georgina García Pérez – 220kph (136.7 mph)

Spaniard Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest recorded tennis serve by a woman.

Perez clocked a serve of 200kph (136.7 mph) during the Hungarian Ladies Open in 2018.

Georgina Garcia Perez

Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest serve by a female.

Why is it nearly impossible to hit a 160 mph tennis serve?

A considered calculation of stature, technique, coaching, mechanics and good old practice is said to make the perfect concoction for a fast serve.

A direct correlation has been proven between the height of a player and power during a serve. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the top servers of the game are all giants by nature.

The trajectory of a serve remains ever important. Players who are 6ft 7 or above have the ability to hit the ball with a downward trajectory, whereas those who are under that height are unable to do so.

Modern technology has also greatly aided in the incremental increase of server power over time. The changeover from wooden rackets to today’s modern racket is a huge factor in determining serve power. Advancements in string technology and racket materials also play a huge part in determining a fast serve.

Other mitigating factors include court conditions. Faster serves are much more likely to happen on a hard court and during hotter temperatures, where there is less resistance to air density, translating to faster speeds.

When you compare the fastest tennis serve with other sports, you can see how fast it is.

Fastest Football shot – 114 mph by David Hirst in 1996
Fastest Baseball pitch – 105.1 mph by Aroldis Chapman in 2010
Fastest Cricket Bowling speed – 100.2 mph by Shoaib Akhtar in 2003

What is the average tennis serve speed?

The average tennis serve speed differs between both men and women, as well as between pros and amateurs. Data shows us that for professional male tennis players, the average tennis serve speed is approximately 114 mph (on their first serve) and 93 mph (on their second serve).

For women, the average tennis serve speed clocks in at 98 mph (on their first serve) and 82 mph (on their second serve).

This data was recorded between 2002-2013, so bear in mind the average speeds have likely increased by a few miles per hour in the modern era, as racquet technology and athletes continue to evolve and adapt within the sport.

Check out Wired’s video, which covers the topic more in-depth.

Fancy writing for us: Apply to become a Sports Writer at the Sporting Ferret

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Poudre tennis top singles player Owen Addington voted Blue FCU Athlete of the Week

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Poudre tennis top singles player Owen Addington voted Blue FCU Athlete of the Week

It’s the second edition of Blue Federal Credit Union‘s Fort Collins-area Athlete of the Week for the 2025-26 high school sports season.

And this week’s honor is hitting the local tennis courts with a top singles player.

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Poudre boys tennis player Owen Addington took top honors in the Fort Collins area for the week of Aug. 25-30 after a couple of dominant sweeps.

Playing on the No. 1 singles line, the Impalas senior dropped just six games in four sets across two match wins over Windsor and Northglenn’s top players.

He beat Windsor’s Joseph Bisceglia (6-2, 6-3) and followed that up with a 6-0, 6-1 over Northglenn’s Emrah Mehidic.

Poudre's Owen Addington bends down to hit a shot during a city rivalry boys tennis dual on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colo.

Poudre’s Owen Addington bends down to hit a shot during a city rivalry boys tennis dual on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colo.

Addington, also a basketball player and tennis team captain, has helped Poudre get off to a 3-1 start this season that also included a team tournament title at the Thompson Valley Invitational.

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The senior and third-year varsity player is the first tennis player to earn Blue FCU Athlete of the Week honors in the award’s third school year. He joins Rocky Mountain’s Bode Nesbitt as the first winners in the 2025-26 prep sports season.

Poudre fans pushed Addington atop the polls, giving him the victory with 51.5% of the fan vote.

That propelled him past these other four outstanding Athlete of the Week nominees:

  • Brooke Pravlik, PSD flag football (runner-up at 36.7%)

  • Taylor Morgan, Wellington softball

  • Judd Nikkel, Fossil Ridge boys golf

  • Nora Ebel, Rocky Mountain girls cross country

The Blue Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Week series features five nominees on Mondays, with voting at Coloradoan.com until 11:59 p.m. every Wednesday.

Fans can nominate their favorite athletes (deadline: 11:59 p.m. every Sunday), and the Coloradoan Sports staff will ultimately select the nominees each week.

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If you have nominations for a future Athlete of the Week, please send them via email to ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com for consideration.

View the full results:

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Poudre tennis’ Owen Addington voted Blue FCU Athlete of the Week

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7 high school takeaways from Thursday, or as we call it High School Football Eve

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7 high school takeaways from Thursday, or as we call it High School Football Eve

BB&N senior Sam Kelley (right) announced he will play football at Brown. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

With sincere apologies to all the games played Thursday, here at Globe Schools it feels a lot like Christmas Eve, with a full slate of high school football arriving under the tree Friday evening.

Over the last two weeks we talked to nearly 200 football coaches and wrote more than 30,000 words previewing every team in Eastern Mass. There’s still time for a cram session!

Team-by-team previews for every Eastern Mass. program

Trevor Hass wrote about Whittier football coach Kevin Bradley, who is continuing to coach the team while battling tongue cancer. Read coach Bradley’s inspirational story.

The first three football games of the season were played Thursday night, with Pentucket topping Northeast (26-22), Waltham holding off Belmont (24-12), and Brookline beating Lexington (27-10).

1. Milestones

▪ Two golf teams made history, as Canton set a new low home score at Blue Hill Country Club, scoring a 138 as a team to best Mansfield by 15 strokes thanks to 1-under-par 33s from senior Joey Ryan and freshman Chase Thomas.

▪ Rockport set a record for most points on its home course, Rockport Country Club, posting a 168-151 win over Hamilton-Wenham behind a 38-point showing from Sam Kesterson, who shot a 1-under-par 34 with three birdies.

▪ St. John Paul II field hockey coach Leah Pierce got her first win with the program, beating Bishop Stang, 3-0. Ariana Liakos got her first win helming the Pembroke girls’ volleyball, beating Falmouth, 3-1. And Acton-Boxborough girls’ soccer coach Manny Lopes notched his first victory, 4-0, over Algonquin.

2. Upset city

▪ No. 4 Needham girls’ volleyball knocked off preseason No. 1 Brookline, 3-0, just a day after falling, 3-0, to No. 2 Newton North.

▪ On the pitch, No. 18 Medfield boys’ soccer shocked No. 10 Oliver Ames, the defending Division 2 state champions, with a 2-0 win powered by goals from Max Tillmann and Sebastian Cole.

3. College corner

Keene State freshman Kayla DiPasquale, a Marshfield High graduate, was named Little East Conference women’s soccer Rookie of the Week after scoring her first two collegiate goals in a 4-2 win over Rivier.

4. Commitment central

BB&N senior captain Sam Kelley, a 6-foot-2-inch, 228-pound two-way athlete from Natick, announced he will play football at Brown.

5. Soccer leaderboard

Goals

Talia Lowney, Greater Lowell, 5

Mary Kudarauskas, Sturgis West, 4

Rowan Malvey, Marshfield, 4

Miguel Armaczuk, St. John Paul II, 3

Cody Boghdan, St. John Paul II, 3

Jackie Fritz, Salem, 3

Linda Jenner, Sharon, 3

Leah Monahan, Lowell, 3

Angie Niz, Lynn Tech, 3

Devon Weafer, Medfield, 3

Bella Wen, Westwood, 3

Davide Vitale, Shawsheen, 3

Points

Lowney, Greater Lowell, 10

Kudarauskas, Sturgis West, 8

Malvey, Marshfield, 8

Kaylee Barrett, Lynnfield, 7

Jenner, Sharon 6

Lauren Sutliffe, Duxbury, 6

Vitale, Shawsheen, 6

Lyla Chapman, Tewksbury, 5

Ava Damiani, Lynnfield, 5

Jocelyn DeMedeiros, Sturgis West, 5

Zach Dziggle, Shawsheen, 5

Maddie Fernandes, Mansfield, 5

Sophie Hano, Manchester Essex, 5

Cory Lloyd, O’Bryant, 5

Sera Eramo, Greater Lowell, 5

6. Field hockey leaders

Goals

Hannah D’Angelo, Pembroke, 4

Dani Ekyman, Sutton, 4

Julie Pacheco, Somerset Berkley, 4

Anthony Ford, Lowell, 3

Alyssa Norden, St. Mary’s, 3

Abbie Poole, Malden Catholic, 3

Natalie Ramcharan, Malden Catholic, 3

Maura Richardson, Joseph Case, 3

Points

Emma Bouchard, Joseph Case, 5

Pacheco, Somerset Berkley, 5

D’Angelo, Pembroke, 4

Ford, Lowell, 4

Richardson, Joseph Case, 4

Vaught, Somerset Berkley, 4

Caitlin Patten, Hingham, 3

Sam Rudick, Hingham, 3

7. Girls volleyball leaders

Kills

Kiera Clark, Milton, 17

Kyra Ward, Chelmsford, 15

Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 14

Sadie Stants, Needham, 14

Norah Downey, Braintree, 11

Assists

Sophie Derwinski, Milton, 27

Madison Blanchet, Central Catholic, 24

Ellen Griswold, Chelmsford, 22

Bella Lee, Needham, 17

Audrey Manning, Lynnfield, 14

Digs

Alexia Vaquerano, Lynnfield, 14

Brooke Braswell, Lynn Classical, 12

Angelina Silva, Tewksbury, 12

Blocks

Alexia Faria, Central Catholic, 10

Downey, Braintree, 5

Manning, Lynnfield, 5

Aces

Morgan Etna, Hamilton-Wenham, 9

Hall, Central Catholic, 7

Maria Rosario, Greater Lawrence, 6

Downey, Braintree, 4

Stants, Needham, 4


Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.

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