VOTE: Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week, May 26

Each week, publications from the Southern California News Group’s 11 properties (Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin, Redlands Daily Facts, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena-Star News) select the Athletes of the Week for their respective region.

Each athlete is then entered into the overall Southern California Athlete of the Week vote.

Click on the newspaper links below the athlete’s name to read about their performance from last week, and then vote for who you think deserves the top honor.

Readers are allowed to vote multiple times. Voting ends at Friday at noon, but final totals aren’t always immediately reflected due to processing.

GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK VOTING

The overall winner will be announced on Friday, May 26.

Voting poll at bottom of the page.

Damon Anderson Wolf, Aliso Niguel: He continued his outstanding pitching in the CIF Southern Section playoffs by throwing a complete game for the Wolverines in their 11-1 win over San Marcos of Santa Barbara in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game.  Anderson Wolf scattered nine hits and pitched out of jams multiple times. He struck out five with only one walk. Anderson Wolf was 3-0 with three complete games in the CIF-SS playoffs as Aliso Niguel won its first CIF baseball championship.

Gabe Smith, Ganesha: Smith was the catalyst in the Giants’ 7-0 victory over Fillmore in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 championship game. It is the school’s first baseball title. Smith’s bases-loaded double in the fourth inning drove in three runs to give the Giants to a 4-0 lead. He finished the day with three hits, four RBIs and scored twice. Ganesha (18-0) will continue its season next week in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs.

Tyler Hawn, Castaic: Hawn threw a complete-game shutout in a 7-0 win over Hesperia Christian in the CIF Southern Section Division 6 final. The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out six and walked none to deliver Castaic its first CIF title in school history and make it just the second program from the Foothill League to win a CIF crown. It joined Hart, which won its title in 1999

Yuvan Anthony, Peninsula: Anthony turned in another strong outing for the Panthers in the CIF-SS Division 5 final. The junior pitched a four-hit shutout to lead Peninsula to a 3-0 win over Apple Valley Saturday at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Xai Ricks, Long Beach Poly: Ricks qualified for the CIF State Track and Field Championships by winning 400 meters in 46.50 seconds, which was a new personal record, at the CIF-SS Masters Meet on Saturday, May 20. Ricks also ran essential legs on Poly’s 4×400 relay that qualified for state by winning at Masters in a state-leading time of 3:13.86, and the team’s 4×800 relay (7:50.18) that finished third at Masters. Poly’s 4×400 and 4×800 relays are among the favorites entering the state meet.

Justice Mephors, North: No Inland track and field athlete has seen their stock rise more in recent weeks than Mephors, who claimed the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet title in the boys discus with a throw of 184 feet, 7 inches, the No. 5 mark in the state this season. This is the fourth straight week Mephors has improved his personal best. He threw 153-11 at the Ivy League finals, 164-9 at the CIF-SS Division 2 preliminaries and 175-4 at the CIF-SS Division 2 finals.