Meet this week’s nominees for the News & Observer’s high school athlete of the week. Readers can vote as often as they want until Saturday, around noon.
Collins Black, Cary Baseball: The Imps’ freshman struck out seven batters, going 5.1 innings, while earning the victory on the mound to lead Cary to a 5-1 win over Green Hope May 21.
Cary beat Green twice in one season for the first time since Green Hope became a school nearly 20 years ago.
Black also went 1-for-2 at the plate in a 3-1 loss at Green Level May 18.
Black is 3-1 on the mound with 22 strikeouts in 15.1 innings of work, while also hitting .167 with three RBI for Cary (6-2, through Sunday).
Caleb Bowers, Riverside Baseball: The Pirates’ senior tossed a complete-game, shutout with 10 strikeouts to lead Riverside to a 3-0 win at Jordan May 18. Bowers also had a RBI-double at the plate in the same game.
Bowers had an RBI in a 7-3 victory at Green Level May 17.
Bowers finished off his week by going 1-for-3 at the plate in a 10-7 loss at Athens Drive.
Bowers is 2-0 on the mound with 25 strikeouts in 14 innings of work on the mound, while hitting .227 with three doubles, a home run and seven RBI for Riverside (4-4, through Sunday).
Josh Campos, Chapel Hill Baseball: The Tigers’ junior went five innings with 10 strikeouts while allowing only three hits to earn the victory in a 6-0 win over Nash Central May 21. He was also 3-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run in the same game.
Campos went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBI in a 11-4 win over East Chapel Hill May 18.
Campos is batting .476 with a home run, four doubles and five RBI, while going 1-0 on the mound with 24 strikeouts in 13.1 innings of work for Chapel Hill (5-3, through Sunday).
Levi Gingerich, Green Level Baseball: The Gators’ sophomore tossed a complete game (78 pitches), allowing one run, while striking out five batters to lead Green Level to a 3-1 win over Cary May 18.
Gingerich was also 1-for-3 at the plate in the same game.
He went 0-for-3 at the plate with a run in a 11-6 win over Hillside, May 21.
Gingerich was also 0-for-1 at the plate in a 7-3 loss to Riverside, May 17.
Gingerich is 3-0 on the mound with 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings, while batting .278 with five RBI for Green Level (6-2, through Sunday).
Conner Hibberd, Middle Creek Wrestling: The Mustangs’ freshman pinned his Apex Friendship opponent at 106-pounds to propel Middle Creek to a 40-21 win over the Patriots, May 20.
Hibberd also won his match in a 40-25 win over Fuquay Varina, May 18.
Hibberd is a perfect 12-0 individually this season for a Middle Creek team that is 11-1 overall, through Sunday.
Aaron Hollis, Enloe Wrestling: The Eagles’ freshman had two pins this week at 220 pounds to improve his record to 7-1 on the season.
Hollis pinned Jordan’s Pablo Araujo Cruz in the first period of a tri-meet with Cary and Jordan, May 17. He also beat Cary’s Kevin Ortiz, 4-2, the same day.
Hollis also pinned Apex Friendship’s John Marcinaccio in the first period in a tri-meet with Apex Friendship and Southeast Raleigh, May 19.
Hollis also excels in the classroom where he boasts a 3.75 grade-point average.
The Enloe wrestling team is 3-7, through Sunday.
Shawnti Jackson, Cardinal Gibbons Track: The Crusaders’ sophomore ran a personal and school-record 11.55 to win the CAP 7 conference title on her home track May 22.
Jackson also led the Cardinal Gibbons’ 4 X 100-meter relay to a conference title in a school record, 47.96, with teammates, Ellie Bowman, Sophia Deluca and Taylor McKinnon.
The Cardinal Gibbons’ girls’ track team won the CAP 7 conference title by 91 points.
Edward Kunas, Holly Springs Baseball: The Golden Hawks’ senior third baseman went 5-for-7 with a home run and seven RBI in wins over Apex and Middle Creek.
Kunas was 1-for-2 with two RBI in a 5-4 win over Middle Creek May 17.
He exploded going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and five RBI in a 21-10 victory at Apex May 20.
Kunas is batting .435 with a home run, three doubles, 10 runs scored and 14 RBI for a Holly Springs’ team (6-2) that has won five straight games.
Drew Lanphere, East Wake Academy Baseball: The Eagles’ junior went for 4-for-7 at the plate with three singles and a grand slam, home run, while also pitching 5.2 innings with 12 strikeouts in wins over Franklin Academy and Voyager Academy.
Lanphere was 3-for-4 with two singles, a grand slam home run and five RBI in an 8-7 win over Voyager Academy, May 18. He also earned the win on the mound with two strikeouts in an inning of work in the same game.
Lanphere went 1-for-3 at the plate, while pitching 4.2 innings, recording 10 strikeouts in 3-2 victory at Franklin Academy, May 20.
Lanphere is batting .579 with two home runs, three doubles and 11 RBI, while going 1-0 on the mound with 14 strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work for East Wake Academy (5-1, through Sunday).
Kaleb Lucas, Durham School of the Arts Track: The Bulldogs’ sophomore ran a personal and school-record 10.84 to win the 100-meter dash in a meet with Carrboro at Durham School of the Arts May 20.
Lucas’ broke the 100-meter dash, school-record that dated back to 2007.
Lucas also won 110-meter hurdles (15.75) at the same meet.
Sarah Mitchell, Apex Track: The Cougars’ junior ran a personal and school-record 2:16.39 to win the 800-meter run in a home meet with Chapel Hill, Green Level and Panther Creek, May 22.
Mitchell’s time was No. 5 all-time in state history and No. 3 in class, 4A.
Caleb Stephens, Millbrook Track: The Wildcats’ senior had four personal-best performances to claim two, CAP 7 conference titles and two runner-up finishes at Cardinal Gibbons, May 22.
Stephens won the CAP 7 title in both 100-meter dash in 11.12 and the triple jump (45-5).
He also finished as runner-up in the 200-meter dash (22.60) and long jump (22-0) at the same meet.
** Information published today includes statistics through May 22.
Want to nominate an athlete?: Athletes of the week highlights high school players with outstanding performances. The goal is to recognize all athletes in all sports, both the most accomplished and the underrated or underappreciated players. If you want to suggest someone to be included in the Athletes of the week column, send email to Jay Edwards at edwardsraleighnewsobserver@gmail.com.