Winners of The News Tribune’s Athletes of the Week (Feb. 13 to 18)
Voting is now closed for The News Tribune’s Athlete of the Week (Feb. 13 to 18).
Thanks to everyone who voted and supported local student-athletes.
This week’s winners are:
Tyce Paulsen, Curtis boys basketball — Paulsen scored 17 points — including the game-winning layup — in a win over Olympia in the 4A West Central/Southwest district championship game.
Aiden Hammer, Gig Harbor boys swimming — Hammer won a 3A state title in the 200 free with a time of 39.58 seconds and the 500 free at 4:28.63. Also swam legs of the Tides’ 200 free (1:29.16) and 400 free relays (3:17.05), which both placed seventh.
Elijah Cater, Silas boys wrestling — Cater won a second consecutive Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a first-round pin of Mount Spokane’s Jayson Bonnett in 1:34 in the 126-pound weight class.
Praline Werner, Puyallup girls wrestling — Werner won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a second-round pin of Pasco’s Natalia Tovar in 3:53 in the 100-pound weight class.
The polls are located at the bottom of each section. You can read about all of the candidates and their accomplishments below.
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Want to nominate a high school athlete from the South Sound in the future? Email reporter Jon Manley at jon.manley@thenewstribune.com or send a direct message on Twitter (@manley_tnt) with the athlete’s first and last name, school, year, position and a stat line from game(s) during the past week. Nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. Sunday.
BASKETBALL
Regan Brewer, Tumwater girls basketball — Scored a team-high 14 points in a win over W.F. West in the 2A Southwest District championship game.
Lateibreon Chandler, Auburn boys basketball — Scored a team-high 15 points — including four second-half 3-pointers — in a win over Gig Harbor in the 3A West Central/Southwest district championship game.
Oliviyah Edwards, Lincoln girls basketball — Scored a game-high 11 points in a win over North Thurston in the 3A West Central/Southwest district championship game.
Brooklyn Hicks, Timberline boys basketball — Scored 20 points and had nine rebounds, six assists and three steals in a win over Auburn Mountainview in the 3A West Central/Southwest district third-place game. Also had 21 points in an overtime loss to Gig Harbor in the semifinals.
Martin Kaupanger, Annie Wright boys basketball — Scored a team-high 16 points in a win over Seattle Christian in the 1A West Central District championship game.
Vivian Kingston, White River girls basketball — Scored a team-high 16 points a win over Enumclaw in the 2A SeaKing/West Central district third-place game.
Will Landram, Gig Harbor boys basketball — Scored a game-high 23 points in a loss to Auburn in the 3A West Central/Southwest district championship game.
T.J. Marshall, Annie Wright boys basketball — Scored nine points in a win over Seattle Christian in the 1A West Central District championship game. Also had 17 points in a win over Life Christian in the semifinals.
Tyce Paulsen, Curtis boys basketball — Scored 17 points — including the game-winning layup — in a win over Olympia in the 4A West Central/Southwest district championship game.
Noah Seabrands, Enumclaw boys basketball — Scored 18 points in a loss to Renton in the 2A SeaKing/West Central district championship game.
Jazmyn Shipp, Bonney Lake girls basketball — Posted a double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Peninsula in the 3A West Central/Southwest district third-place game.
BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING
Matthew Audette, Curtis boys swimming — Swam a leg of the Viking’s 400 free relay team, which won a 4A state title with a meet-record time of 3:06.45. Also placed fourth in the 100 butterfly at 50.94 and fourth in the 100 backstroke at 51.63.
Sam Funches, Curtis boys swimming — Swam a leg of the Viking’s 400 free relay team, which won a 4A state title with a meet-record time of 3:06.45. Also placed fifth in the 100 free at 47.41.
Aiden Hammer, Gig Harbor boys swimming — Won a 3A state title in the 200 free with a time of 39.58 seconds and the 500 free at 4:28.63. Also swam legs of the Tides’ 200 free (1:29.16) and 400 free relays (3:17.05), which both placed seventh.
Adam Kwon, Curtis boys swimming — Swam a leg of the Viking’s 400 free relay team, which won a 4A state title with a meet-record time of 3:06.45, and a leg of the 200 free relay team that placed second at 1:26.23. Also placed second in the 200 free at 1:44.6 and fourth in the 500 free at 4:46.17.
Corwin Lindeman, Mount Rainier boys diving — Won a 4A state title in the 1-meter diving competition with a score of 444.5.
Tolu Young, Curtis boys swimming — Won a 4A state title in the 50 free with a meet-record time of 19.73 seconds, and finished second in the 100 free at 45.61. Also swam a leg of the Vikings’ 400 free relay team, which won a state title with a meet-record time of 3:06.45, and a leg of the 200 free relay team that placed second at 1:26.23.
BOYS WRESTLING
Aidan Anderson, North Thurston boys wrestling — Won a Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a first-round pin of Heritage’s Austin Steinbach in 46 seconds in the 285-pound weight class.
Chase Baker, Kentwood boys wrestling — Won a Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 7-5 decision over Lake Stevens’ Koen Mattern in the 220-pound weight class.
Curtis Carlisle, Rogers boys wrestling — Won a Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 6-4 decision over Sunnyside’s Jayden Jasso in the 106-pound weight class.
Elijah Cater, Silas boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a first-round pin of Mount Spokane’s Jayson Bonnett in 1:34 in the 126-pound weight class.
Phillip Chobot, South Kitsap boys wrestling — Won a Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 5-1 decision over Tahoma’s Christopher Neal in the 182-pound weight class.
Mathias Collins, Kennedy Catholic boys wrestling — Won a Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 3-2 overtime decision over Graham-Kapowsin’s Devan Carter in the 160-pound weight class.
Apollo Cruz, Orting boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 7-4 decision over Pullman’s Israel Acosta in the 138-pound weight class.
Bryan Dickerson, Orting boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 9-0 major decision over West Valley of Spokane’s Logan Utecht in the 132-pound weight class.
Navarre Dixon, Lincoln boys wrestling — Won a Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a first-round pin of Hermiston’s Jaxson Gribskov in 1:27 in the 182-pound weight class.
Andrew Flores, Lincoln boys wrestling — Won a Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with an 8-6 overtime decision over Kent-Meridian’s Adonai Garza in the 120-pound weight class.
Michael Fritz, Orting boys wrestling — Won a Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with an 8-0 major decision over Othello’s Isaac Campos in the 113-pound weight class.
Quentin Harding, Orting boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 6-4 decision over Grandview’s Evan Benitez in the 126-pound weight class.
Elias McDonald, Sumner boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 5-2 decision over Tahoma’s Joe Sullivan in the 120-pound weight class.
Ezekiel McEwen, Capital boys wrestling — Won a Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a second-round pin of Prairie’s Alex Ford in 3:06 in the 170-pound weight class.
Maverick McEwen, Capital boys wrestling — Won a Class 3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a second-round pin of University’s Samuel Thomas in 2:42 in the 160-pound weight class.
Cody Miller, Sumner boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 6-3 decision over Glacier Peak’s Gil Mossburg in the 145-pound weight class.
Mitchell Neiner, South Kitsap boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 4A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 14-5 major decision over Skyview’s Owen Pritchard in the 138-pound weight class.
A.J. Salguero, Orting boys wrestling — Won a second consecutive Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 6-1 decision over Centralia’s Jesus Campos in the 120-pound weight class.
Dominic Thomas, Orting boys wrestling — Won a Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 10-0 major decision over Washington’s Daniel Herrera Sanchez in the 106-pound weight class.
Westin Triplett, Enumclaw boys wrestling — Won a Class 2A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a first-round pin of Ephrata’s Hudson Sager in 1:50 in the 160-pound weight class.
GIRLS WRESTLING
Anna Dicugno, White River girls wrestling — Won a Class 2A/1A/2B/1B state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a second-round pin of Toppenish’s Kendra Perez in 3:33 in the 125-pound weight class.
Madisyn Erickson, Yelm girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 7-6 decision over Moses Lake’s Reese Prescott in the 120-pound weight class.
Monica Kaiser, South Kitsap girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a first-round pin of Yelm’s Camryn Erickson in the 145-pound weight class.
Annika Lee, North Thurston girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a 3-0 decision over Yelm’s Samantha Blank in the 135-pound weight class.
Zeta Lee, Mount Tahoma girls wrestling — Won a second consecutive state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a third-round pin of Sunnyside’s Alexxus Ramos in the 110-pound weight class in the Class 4A/3A tournament.
Ryley Nager, Curtis girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with an 8-4 decision over Richland’s Erin Kremer in the 170-pound weight class.
Flor Parker-Borrero, Graham-Kapowsin girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a third-round pin of Camas’ Addie Wunderli in the 140-pound weight class.
Nicole Poussier, White River girls wrestling — Won a Class 2A/1A/2B/1B state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a third-round pin of Goldendale’s Madison Kiemele in 4:36 in the 135-pound weight class.
Clarissa Wangen, Curtis girls wrestling — Won a second consecutive state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a third-round pin of Bellingham’s Frances Porteous in the 155-pound weight class in the Class 4A/3A tournament.
Sierra Wangen, Curtis girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a third-round pin of Moses Lake’s Bianca Johnson in the 130-pound weight class.
Praline Werner, Puyallup girls wrestling — Won a Class 4A/3A state championship at Mat Classic XXXIV with a second-round pin of Pasco’s Natalia Tovar in 3:53 in the 100-pound weight class.
This story was originally published February 20, 2023 at 2:31 PM.
