VOTE: Southern California Girls 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 Thursday at midnight, but final totals aren’t always immediately reflected due to processing.

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK VOTING

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

Voting poll at bottom of the page.

Haley Kitzerow, Liberty: Kitzerow had an afternoon to remember, as she knocked in all five runs to help the Bison defeat Irvine 5-2 in the CIF Southern Section’s Division 5 championship game. Liberty captured its first section title in the school’s second year. Kitzerow, a transfer from Temecula Valley, gave the Bison an early lead with a three-run home run to center field in the first inning. It was her first homer of the season. Kitzerow added a two-run double in the third inning.

Kalena Lemus, Ganesha: The Giants pitcher allowed a single in the first inning, and that was it during a dominant performance in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 championship game against Ontario. Lemus tossed a one-hitter with nine strikeouts, and the Giants  beat Ontario, 5-0, to earn the school’s first softball championship. The Giants (16-0) will continue their season in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs next week.

Meagan Humphries, Castaic: Humphries continues to show she’s one of the best track and field athletes in the state. One week after winning four individual titles at the CIF-SS Finals, she added Masters champion to her resume Saturday at Moorpark High. Humphries won the girls high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 7 inches, placed third in the long jump (19-3.75), sixth in the triple jump (38-7.75) and fourth in the 200, crossing the finish line in a wind-aided time of 23.54 seconds. All four marks qualified her to compete in the CIF State Championships on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Lela Divinity, Redondo: Divinity ran a personal-best time of 42.86 seconds to win the 300-meter hurdles race at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet. At the CIF-SS Division 1 finals, Divinity posted a 43.61 to finish in sixth place.

Mai Ricks, Long Beach Poly: Ricks qualified for the CIF State Track and Field Championships in the shot put with a throw of 41 feet and 8 1/2 inches, which was a new personal record. The junior finished fifth at the CIF-SS Masters Meet on Saturday, May 20. She is one of three Poly girls athletes who qualified as an individual for the state meet at Buchanan High School in Clovis on Friday and Saturday.

Madi McDonnell, Capistrano Valley: McDonnell tossed a six-hitter and went 2 for 4 with a solo home run to lead the Cougars to their first CIF-SS softball championship with a 6-1 victory against Santiago of Corona in the Division 3 final.