Athlete of the Week
VOTE NOW: Athlete of the Week
It’s time to vote for The News-Press high school athlete of the week. Voting will close at noon on Thursday.
Nominees are derived from scores and stats called and emailed in by Lee County coach’s during the week. Voting begins each Monday at 2 p.m.
Coaches can email scores to sports@news-press.com or call in scores at 239-335-0357. The deadline for each night’s results is 10:30 p.m.
Here are this week’s nominees based on their performances between Feb. 29-Mar 5.
Girls tennis
Jade Budhler, Lehigh
Budhler picked up two individual and two doubles wins across the week against Dunbar and Mariner. On Friday, she defeated Mariner’s Kaitlyn Bandemer 6-4, 6-2.
Boys tennis
David Vera, Evangelical Christian School
Vera scored an individual win over Oasis’ Ian Milaski 6-1, 6-3 and a doubles win on Friday.
Baseball
Christian Menendez, Ida Baker, senior
Over a week that included three wins and two one-run games for the Bulldogs (9-0), Christian Menendez popped a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against Estero on Thursday during a 3-2 win.
Softball
Camri Aho, Oasis, freshman
Aho pitched a complete game two-hitter with eight strikeouts during a 6-5 win over Island Coast on Thursday. She added two hits in a 16-2 win over the Gators on Tuesday.
Girls lacrosse
Kameryn Gannon, Bishop Verot, junior
The steely goalkeeper saved 13 shots on Friday during a 14-6 win over Cypress Lake and added seven saves during a 12-10 win over Estero on Tuesday.
Boys lacrosse
Tagg Toscano, Bishop Verot, junior
He pocketed four goals and four assists during the Vikings’ 22-1 win over Cypress Lake on Friday. He also contributed in Bishop Verot’s 12-5 win over Estero on Tuesday.
Girls track and field
Jessica Edwards, Canterbury, 7th grade
The Cougars distance runner earned a first-place effort in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:29 and was second in the 1,600-meter run.
Boys track and field
Josh Norville, Lehigh, senior
The Lightning field athlete scored two wins at the Jim Smith Invitational at Golden Gate, scoring a 47-0 leap in the triple jump, which became the third best mark in the state following the meet. He also won the long jump in a result of 22-2.25.
Wrestling
Jalen Soto, Cypress Lake, sophomore
The 132-pound grappler was heady throughout the FHSAA Class 2A tournament in Kissimmee, never earning a pin in four matches, but managing his matches smartly to earn a trip to the finals at the weight class, where he lost by decisoin to Jensen Beach’s Konnor McHale 3-1. Soto finished third a season ago and as a runner-up in 2016.