Columbia Launches Spring Sports Voting for Athletes of the Week

News Summary

Columbia has kicked off the voting for The State’s spring sports Athletes of the Week, covering male and female high school athletes from March 31 to April 5. Fans have the chance to vote for their favorite standout players from local schools until Friday at noon. The weekly polls will continue throughout the spring sports season, providing opportunities for recognition. Coaches are invited to nominate players via email. Exciting nominees include impressive performances in baseball, soccer, and track, as young athletes showcase their talents.

Columbia Kicks Off Spring Sports Voting for Athletes of the Week

Columbia, it’s that time of year again! The spring sports season is in full swing, and fans are ready to cheer on their favorite high school athletes. Voting for The State’s spring sports Athletes of the Week has officially opened for the boys, covering the week from March 31 to April 5. So, if you’ve got a favorite standout player from your local school, now is your chance to show your support!

The voting period wraps up on Friday at noon, so don’t wait too long to make your voice heard! Once the votes are tallied, the winner will be announced on Lou Bezjak’s Twitter page. It’s an exciting way to keep track of who’s shining on the fields, courts, and tracks around the Midlands area.

But wait, there’s more! The weekly poll isn’t just a one-off event; it will continue throughout the spring sports regular season, giving you plenty of opportunities to vote and recognize these remarkable athletes. And if you’re a coach with a standout player you want to highlight, you can easily nominate them by dropping Lou an email before 1 p.m. each Monday.

The Boys Are Ready to Play!

This week, we have a dazzling array of male nominees who have truly made a mark with their impressive performances:

• Rohan Bremmer of AC Flora baseball came in strong, going 4-for-8 with four RBIs, including a stunning walk-off hit in a thrilling 9-8 victory against Lugoff-Elgin.
• Johnny Collins from Blythewood baseball has been on fire, throwing six shutout innings with six strikeouts, while also contributing 5-for-7 at bat with four RBIs in a dominating 10-0 win over West Florence.
• On the golf greens, Wyatt Hightower from Chapin clinched the Lexington County Golf Championship with a remarkable score of 1-under 70.
• In the rapid-paced world of lacrosse, Malachi Merkovsky scored an impressive nine goals and provided four assists across two games, while Drew McCall shined with ten goals and four assists in two wins.
• Mason Mills, a sophomore from Newberry, had a fantastic outing in baseball, pitching a complete game and also batting 3-for-6 with five RBIs.
• In track and field, Richland Northeast’s Ethan Moody dominated by winning both the 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles at the Blazer Twilight Invitational.
• Back to baseball, Candler Morden from Dutch Fork earned a win with just one earned run and struck out 11 against Lexington, while also hitting 1-for-4 with three RBIs.
• Mason O’Cain of Ben Lippen baseball went 4-for-6 with three RBIs, playing a vital role in his team’s three-game winning streak.
• Soccer players are also shining with Matthew Pinasco from Hammond scoring two goals and providing three assists, and Gaines Roberts from Irmo with a game-winning assist.
• Lastly, keep an eye on Dalton Taylor and Josh Uhlar, with phenomenal stats showing their impact on the diamond!

Don’t Forget About the Girls!

It’s not only the boys who are putting their best foot forward—voting for the girls’ Athlete of the Week is also open! Take a look at the incredible female athletes showing off their skills this week:

• Ashlyn Blackstone from White Knoll softball crushed it with a 4-for-6 performance while racking up five RBIs.
• Aspen Boulware, a sophomore at Gray Collegiate, hit three home runs and collected seven RBIs in three victories—an impressive feat!
• Makenzie Brown from Gilbert softball went 6-for-8, adding three RBIs to the scoreboard in region wins.
• Over on the soccer field, Hailey Jimenez Cortez from Brookland-Cayce has proven unstoppable with nine goals and three assists in just three matches.
• Saniya Flemming of Richland Northeast softball went a perfect 6-for-6 while adding six RBIs to her tally.
• Other contenders include Mia Hendry, who had three goals and six assists for Blythewood soccer, and Payton Melinauskas from Lexington, who shone with three triples and two RBIs.
• Savanna Padgett from Pelion made headlines with a walk-off homer during her 4-for-8 showing with six RBIs.
• Ava Sapp, a pitcher, made her mark with a 2-0 record with an impressive 17 strikeouts over 14 innings on the mound.

So, whether your heart lies with basketball, baseball, soccer, or track and field, there’s something to cheer for this week! Get those votes in before the deadline and let’s recognize these amazing young athletes who are working hard to shine. With so much talent in the Midlands, it’s going to be a thrilling spring sports season!

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

HERE Resources

Barry Dooley Passes Away at Home
UCLA Women’s Basketball Team Secures Historic No. 1 Seed
Spotlight on Five Remarkable Lexington Athletes
Lexington Community Honors Legacy of Beloved Coach Ken Poole

Additional Resources

• AOL: Vote for State Midlands High School
• Wikipedia: Spring sports
• The State: High School Sports Article 1
• Google Search: High School Sports
• The State: High School Sports Article 2
• Google Scholar: High School Athletics
• The State: High School Sports Article 3
• Encyclopedia Britannica: High School Sports
• The State: High School Sports Article 4
• Google News: Spring Sports

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