Vote: Who should be SBLive's Texas High School Athlete of the Week? (10/30/2023)
Who was the top high school athlete in Texas last week — not including those who play football?
Each week throughout the year, SBLive takes a look at the top high school athletes across the Lone Star State by researching the entire state, gathering the top performers and putting the best of the best up for reader vote.
We're splitting our Athlete of the Week process up in order to spotlight more of the scores of tremendous performances across Texas at the beginning of each week on www.highschool.si.com/texas.
Statewide offensive and defensive football player of the week posts, and top football player posts in Southeast and Central Texas as well as non-football athlete of the week.
Here are SBLive's Texas Athlete of the Week nominees for October 16-22. Now, we want to hear from you. Scroll down to read about this week's nominees and cast your vote in the poll below. Voting remains open until Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Central time.
TEXAS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
Luke Anderson, Salado boys cross country
The Eagles won the UIL 4A Region 3 title and had the individual champion as well in Anderson, who ran 15:59.50 at the Huntsville course. It was the fourth win of the year for the junior.
Emily Bartek, Goldthwaite girls cross country
Running in Corpus Christi on Tuesday, the sophomore won the UIL 2A Region 4 championship. It was her sixth win in seven races this season.
Kira Braun, Magnolia volleyball
The senior setter passed a pair of milestones in a 3-2 win on Tuesday against Magnolia West, she surpassed 2,500 career assists and 1,000 assists on the season.
Chelsea Butler, Huntsville volleyball
The Sam Houston State pledge eclipsed the 1,000th kill mark in a win against Dayton. She had 407 kills this season. She recorded most of those for the Hornets but played her sophomore season at Lovelady.
Eduardo Cruz-Rivera, Frisco Centennial boys tennis
The Titans won the Class 5A title with a 10-1 win over Austin Liberal Arts and Science Academy. At No. 2 doubles, he joined with Akshay Kommineni to win 6-4, 6-3 and won his singles match by the same score.
Sahasra Dodds, Frisco Centennial girls tennis
The No. 3 singles player won 6-0, 6-4 and joined with Trudy Kosman for 6-0, 6-0 sweep at No. 3 doubles in the Class 5A finals versus Austin Liberal Arts and Science Academy. The Titans won the title, 10-1.
Hudson Haley, Austin Vandegrift boys cross country
The junior secured his fourth win of the year by running 15:22.77 and winning the UIL 6A Region 4 championship on Tuesday in Corpus Christi.
Jaidyn Hartsfield, Mesquite Horn volleyball
She had a pair of big matches, recording 26 kills, 10 digs and four assists in a 3-1 win against North Forney and had 28 kills, 23 digs and 8 assists in a 3-2 victory over Rockwell-Heath.
Addison Hite, Pilot Point girls cross country
Competing in the UIL 3A Region 3 championship in Grand Prairie, the senior set a new personal record in the 2-mile race by nearly 28 seconds and won first place by 21 seconds.
Jordan Imperial, El Paso Franklin volleyball
The senior outside hitter had 17 kills, 23 digs and two aces in a 3-0 sweep over El Dorado on Tuesday.
Neeraj Kulkarni, Frisco Lebanon Trail boys cross country
In the UIL 5A Region 3 championship, the senior won for the second time this month. He held off Lucas Lovejoy’s Caden Gary by two seconds.
Elizabeth Leachman, Boerne-Champion girls cross country
The sophomore secured her seventh win of the season by winning the UIL Class 5 Region 4 championship with a time of 16:50.61 – the second-place time was 18:32.60.
Staucie Lees, Spring Grand Oaks girls cross country
Running in Grand Prairie, the senior won the UIL 6A Region 3 championship by 10 seconds. It was her sixth win of the season.
Caden Leonard, Southlake Carroll boys cross country
The sophomore recorded his fourth win of the year by taking first in the UIL 6A Region 1 Championship on Tuesday in Lubbock. He ran 15:12.40 in the 5K.
Ella Malone, Wimberly girls tennis
The Class 4A title went to Wimberly, 10-7, against Kauffman. Malone, the No. 1 player for the Texans, won 7-6, 6-2 in singles and at No. 1 doubles with Kate Carson the duo won both 6-1.
Joseph McCreary, Flower Mound Marcus boys water polo
In the state championship match on Saturday, he had 10 goals and 1 assist in a 25-12 win over Boerne-Champion.
Armando Morales, La Feria boys cross country
La Feria went 1-2-3 at the finish line to pave the way for the Lions to take first place. In a photo finish, Armando Morales beat Anthony Morales by a hundredth of a second on Tuesday.
Kinley Niles, Richmond Foster girls water polo
In an 11-8 win over Southlake Carroll in the championship match, she was named the MVP. She had two goals in the semifinals and the finals and added four assists.
Lilianna Rangel, Amarillo Caprock volleyball
The senior recorded a triple-double in a 3-2 win over Palo Duro on Tuesday. She recorded 30 digs, 16 kills and 42 assists for the Longhorns.
Abby Spiars, Plano John Paul II girls cross country
In the TAPPS 6A District 1 meet on Monday, the sophomore ran a new personal record (11:59.70) in a two-mile race in Rowlett and picked up her fifth win of the year.
Alina Strickler, El Paso Coronado volleyball
The Thunderbirds swept El Paso Montwood on Tuesday behind the seniors' 12 kills, 18 digs and two aces.
Noah Strohman, Holliday boys cross country
Running in his third race of the year, the sophomore won for the third time at the UIL 3A Region 1 championship in Lubbock. He ran 15:46.10 and beat his teammate and brother, Ryder.
Janya Tellabati, Round Rock Westwood girls tennis
She was part of two wins in the 6A finals against Houston Memorial. She won her singles match 6-2, 6-1 and joined Dana Kardonik to win in doubles.
Bailey Warren, Fulshear volleyball
The Chargers beat Richmond Foster, 3-2, to end the season with a win and locked up the District 20-6A title for the sixth straight year on Tuesday. The Purdue commit had 31 kills.
Devon Zhang, Round Rock Westwood boys tennis
He picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win in singles and joined Daniel Zhang for a win on doubles, 6-2, 6-0, to help his team secure a win in the 6A finals against Houston Memorial.
-- Cody Thorn | @sblivetx
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
