(This article first appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer on August 25.)
In a vote ending Aug. 23, Cincinnati. com readers voted more than 40,000 times for the Cincinnati Enquirer athletes of the week winners, Aug. 1-Aug. 19, presented by Tri-Health.
This week’s winners are:
Boys cross country: Alex Justus, Kings – The junior was the highest placing local runner in the Division I race at the OHSAA Early Season Invitational Aug. 17, at 10th place.
Girls cross country: Lily Bauer, Mariemont – The freshman won the Division II race at the OHSAA Early Season Invitational Aug. 17 with a time of 19:02.00.
Boys golf: Jack Neville, Mariemont - The senior shot a 72 for medalist honors in the Madeira Open at The Vineyard. Two days later he was medalist again in the Cincinnati Hills League’s preseason tournament, shooting a three-under par 69. Then, over three consecutive days this week, he shot 35, 36, 33 in his team’s nine-hole dual matches.
Girls golf: Morgan Hughes, Northwest – The senior leads the SWOC with an average of 40.30 and has been medalist in each of her first three matches with scores of 44, 41 and 36. She was also SWOC athlete of the week.
Boys soccer: Willis Johnson, La Salle – The junior forward had two goals and one assist in a 7-0 win over Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Aug. 16.
Girls soccer: Jayden Boelter, Conner – The senior scored seven goals and had one assist in three games last week. At Grant County Wednesday, she had a hat trick, while assisting on a fourth goal in a 5-0 victory. Saturday at Collins in Shelbyville, she scored four goals in the first half, leading the pack in a 10-0 win that ended at halftime. By scoring the four goals on Saturday, she now has scored 52 goals in her high school career at Conner High School.
Tennis: Elizabeth Pendergast, St. Ursula – She is 4-0 at first singles on the season in two team wins since Aug. 12.
Volleyball: Olivia Tombragel, Walnut Hills – The senior hit .512 with 25 kills on 41 swings and passed a 2.43 on 22 passes during the program’s first-ever win over Lakota East.
Water polo: Declan Skinner, Sycamore – In three games at the Napoleon Tournament, he earned 14 positive points and a plus-minus rating of 7. He scored one goal, had three assists, seven steals, two kickouts drawn and one field block over the three games and dominated hole defense against St. Francis. In the game against St. Francis, he earned the team’s first full line (a stat in each of the positive columns – goals, assists, steals, kick outs drawn and blocks in one game).