April showers called for cancellations last week, but between the spurts of rainy weather were plenty of noteworthy performances from Jackson-area athletes.
Below are some of the best of the best from the week of April 15-20, as nominated by area coaches and game reports sent to MLive and the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
In order to nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, coaches are asked to report results or player nominations to jvandyke@mlive.com before 7 p.m. every Sunday. If you don’t see a student-athlete’s name on the poll and want them to be considered in the future, make sure to contact your coach about sending results in.
This week’s poll ends at noon Friday, April 26. To cast your vote and make your opinion heard, scroll down to the bottom of the story and submit your choice for the Jackson-area Athlete of the Week.
NOTE: All MLive player polls are non-scientific and designed to promote discussion and put players in the spotlight. Winners receive no prize and the results have no bearing on postseason honors.
Here are this week’s nominees:
Maddie Barnes
Western Girls Soccer
Highlight: Barnes scored four goals against Quincy on Saturday, one goal against Pennfield on Thursday and two goals against Northwest on Tuesday to finish the week with seven goals for the Panthers.
Alex Rose
Stockbridge Baseball
Highlight: Rose went 7-for-11 from the plate with four runs scored and two RBIs for the week. He also went 1-0 from the pitching mound with nine strikeouts. He leads the team in batting average (.474), doubles (six), stolen bases (10) and RBIs (15) on the season.
Josh Brown
Addison Boys Track
Highlight: Brown won four events Saturday at the Dome Classic at East Jackson High School and added four wins against Hanover-Horton on Tuesday. At the Dome Classic, Brown won the 100-meter dash (11.57 seconds) and 200 dash (24.68) and was also a member of the 400 (45.97) and 800 (1:36.58) relay teams that won their events.
Against Hanover-Horton, Brown won the 100 dash (11.52) and 200 dash (24.4) and was also a member of the 400 (45.69) and 800 (1:35.06) relay teams that won their events.
Britney Medcoff
Leslie Girls Tennis
Highlight: Medoff swept her No. 1 singles match against Columbia Central on Wednesday, winning 6-0, 6-0. Prior to that, Medoff won her No. 2 singles matches against Lansing Waverly (6-3, 6-3) and Easton Rapids (6-2, 6-2) during a tournament Tuesday.
Camille Wertzbar
Jackson High Softball
Highlight: The junior pitcher broke the school record for strikeouts in a game against Ann Arbor Huron with 16 in seven innings of action.
Nevaeh Ingram
Northwest Softball
Highlight: A week after winning the first Athlete of the Week poll, the freshman added to her resume with a five-hit performance against Adrian Madison on Monday. Ingram totaled four RBIs and two doubles from the plate and added 10 strikeouts and no hits allowed through four innings of action from the pitching circle to pick up the win in Game 1.
Rayna Edwards
Manchester Girls Soccer
Highlight: Edwards recorded a hat-trick and added one assist in Monday’s game against Grass Lake and added one goal and one assist against Williamston on Tuesday.
Jack Brockie
Hanover-Horton Boys Golf
Highlight: Brockie carded a 70 at the Sharp Park Golf Course on Thursday as part of the Vandercook Lake Invitational Tournament. With his score, Brockie took individual medalist honors and helped push the Comets into a second-place team finish.
Morgan LeFaive
Vandercook Lake Softball
Highlight: LeFaive collected six hits and nine RBIs in one doubleheader against Michigan Center on Wednesday.
Ashley Oliver
Western Track and Field
Highlight: Oliver won the 400-meter dash (1:02.51) and 3,200 run (12:40.05) and took third in the 800 dash (2:37.45) and was also a member of the 1,600 relay team (4:38.41) that won its event during Tuesday’s meet against Marshall.
Grace Pilaczynski
Northwest Softball
Highlight: Pilaczynski hit two home runs in her team’s doubleheader against Adrian Madison on Monday. She blasted a three-run homer in Game 1 and went 4-for-4 in Game 2 with a home run and three RBIs. She also threw one inning in the nightcap of the doubleheader with three strikeouts.
Cannon Risner
Leslie Boys Golf
Highlight: Risner tied for individual medalist honors at the Greater Lansing Area Conference jamboree on Tuesday at College Fields with a 37 through nine holes of play.
If you are reading this via Facebook and cannot see the poll, click this link to vote instead: http://s.mlive.com/OtZoVtW