Poll: Who should be the Miami Herald’s High School Athlete of the Week? (Nov. 18)
South Florida’s top athletes were recognized last week in the sports of cross-country, golf, swimming and volleyball.
This week, we continue a feature where we ask you to vote for the best performer of the week from cross-country, golf, swimming, and volleyball in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Take our poll below to cast your vote. The poll will be open until Thursday, Nov. 21, around 10 p.m. You may vote as often as you like until then.
Here are the candidates:
NOTE: You should see a Miami Herald box underneath this note for you to type Yes and click Submit. That will ignite the actual poll to vote.
Information on each candidate below.
Grace Aldrich, Miami Carrollton cross-country: in a field of 113 runners, the senior won the girls’ Region 4-2A title in 18:30.80 at South County Regional Park in Boca Raton. She also led the Cyclones to the team championship. Then at state, she placed second in 18:13.6 in in Class 2A (first of South Florida runners) to help Carrollton finish fourth.
Remi Bacardi, Miami Palmer Trinity golf: the senior won the Region 4-1A girls’ golf title in a playoff, after tying at 1-under par 70 at Miami Shores Country Club. Also a district champ, she qualified for state, where she then placed second.
Gabriel Carr, Miami Sunset cross-country: in a field of 118 runners, the senior won the boys’ Region 4-2A title in 16:24.50 at South County Regional Park in Boca Raton. Then at state, he was eighth in 16:18.2 in Class 2A (first of South Florida runners).
Shynah Collins, Fort Lauderdale Dillard cross-country: the 8th grader led the Region 4-3A champion Panthers by winning the individual title, besting a field of 108 runners in Stuart in 18:53.90. Then at state, she was sixth in 18:39.1 in Class 3A (first of South Florida runners) to help Dillard finish second.
Armando Cruz, Miami Belen Jesuit cross-country: the sophomore won the Region 4-3A championship in Stuart in 16:10 in leading the Wolverines to the team title with another perfect score (15 points). That marks Belen’s 22nd consecutive regional championship. Then at state, he was seventh in 15:39.8 to help Belen win the state title.
Dylan Ferguson, Miami Braddock swimming: the senior won five gold medals at the 4A state championships in Ocala, placing first in the 100 butterfly (48.07) and 100 backstroke (47.32) and being part of the winning 200 medley relay and 400 relay groups to help the Bulldogs boys’ team win state for the first time.
Grace Finneran, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas cross-country: in a field of 116 runners, the senior won the girls’ Region 4-4A championship in 19:00.50 for the champion Raiders at Tropical Park in Miami. Then at state, she was 12th in 18:26 in Class 4A (first of South Florida runners).
George Gonzalez, Miami Braddock swimming: the senior won five gold medals at the 4A state championships in Ocala, placing first in the 50 free (20.05) and 100 free (43.75) and being part of the winning 200 medley relay and 400 relay groups to help the Bulldogs boys’ team win state for the first time.
Arya Luthra, Miami Gulliver Prep golf: the 7th grader made school history by becoming the first Raiders girls’ golfer to qualify for state. She accomplished the feat at the Region 4-2A Championships at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs. She received one of eight at-large bids throughout the state.
Sabrina Martinez, Miami Riviera Prep cross-country: in a field of 105 runners, the junior won the girls’ Region 4-1A title in 19:50.30 at South County Regional Park in Boca Raton. Then at state, she was 16th in 19:52.5 in Class 1A (second of South Florida runners, first for Miami).
Jonathan Pena, Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy cross-country: in a field of 116 runners, the senior won the boys’ Region 4-1A title in 15:58 at South County Regional Park in Boca Raton. He also led the Lions to the team championship. Then at state, he was third in 15:47 in Class 1A (first of South Florida runners) for fourth place Westminster Academy.
Mikayla Porter, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas volleyball: the senior setter posted 20 kills, 23 assists and 15 digs as the Raiders repeated as Class 6A girls’ volleyball state champions with an exciting, five-set victory over Gulf Breeze 25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 21-25 and 16-14 at Polk State College in Winter Haven. In the state semifinal victory over Land O’Lakes Sunlake 25-21, 25-17, 25-23, she recorded 10 kills, 15 assists and seven digs. That marks the volleyball program’s eighth state title.
Trevor Tingle, Miami Palmetto golf: the junior won the Region 4-3 boys’ individual title with 4-under par 67, which included scoring a hole-in-one on Hole No.7 to help him finish two shots better than the runner-up at The Park West Palm in West Palm Beach. A district champ, too, he advanced to state.
