Poll: Who should be the Miami Herald’s High School Athlete of the Week? (April 7)

South Florida’s top athletes were recognized recently in the sports of baseball, boys’ volleyball, lacrosse, softball, and water polo.

This week, we continue a feature where we ask you to vote for the best performer of the week from boys’ volleyball, softball and water polo in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Take our poll below to cast your vote. The poll will be open until Thursday, April 10, 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.

Madelyn Althage, Miami Carrollton softball: the senior pitcher won three games, defeating Miami Lourdes 11-4, Miami LaSalle 11-0 and Marathon 11-4.

Sofia Beltran, Miami Gulliver Prep water polo: the freshman had 7 blocks, 1 assist and 1 steal to lead the Raiders (21-1) over Miami Mater Lakes Academy.

Kaley Dyer, Miami Westminster Christian softball: the sophomore pitcher won two games (8-0 over Alabama Hatton and 7-4 over Ohio Marysville during the Spring Break for the Gulf Shores Classic III High School Softball Tournament in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Offensively in four games, she had 5 hits, 1 run, 2 RBI and 1 walk.

Yeison Gonzalez, Miami Reagan boys’ volleyball: the senior 14 kills, 20 serve received and 8 digs in a 3-set win over Miami LaSalle and 15 kills, 14 serve received, 7 digs and 2 aces in a 3-set win over Miami Hialeah.

Joel Jobi, Coral Springs boys’ volleyball: the senior had 23 kills, 2 aces, 11 digs, and 20 serve receive in a 4-set win over Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest.

Emely Ramirez, Miami Braddock softball: the junior pitcher won two games, striking out 9 in a win over Miami Archbishop Carroll and struck out 7 in a win over Miami TERRA.

Max Spears, Davie Western boys’ volleyball: the junior had 21 kills, 2 blocks and 21 digs in a 4-set win over Pompano Beach.

This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 2:59 AM.

Jim Varsallone

Miami Herald

305-376-3621

Jim Varsallone writes a high school sports column twice a week, featuring top performers in all varsity sports (boys and girls) in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He also covers pro wrestling, something he’s done since his college days in the late 1980s. Now in his fifth decade of coverage, he currently follows WWE (Raw, SmackDown and NXT), AEW, Ring of Honor, TNA Impact Wrestling, MLW, WOW, NWA, and the South Florida indies, mainly CCW. He writes MMA, too -- mostly profile stories and video interviews with American Top Team and Sanford MMA fighters in South Florida. As for pro wrestling, he writes feature stories and profile pieces, updates upcoming show schedules in South Florida, photographs the action and interviews talent (audio and video) -- sharing the content here and via social media on his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel). Support my work with a digital subscription