Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for Feb. 7-13

Published 1:30 am Monday, February 14, 2022

The Athlete of the Week nominees for Feb. 7-13. Voting closes at midnight Sunday. The winner will be announced with the next poll and in next Tuesday’s paper. Each weekly winner will be included in an Athlete of the Month poll.

Last week’s winner

Bella Hasan | Kamiak | Girls Basketball

Hasan, a sophomore, made all 12 of her free-throw attempts and scored a team-high 20 points in Kamiak’s 63-53 win over Glacier Peak on Jan. 31. She also scored 16 points in Kamiak’s 70-53 victory over Mariner on Feb. 2. Hasan won The Herald’s Athlete of the Week for Jan. 31-Feb. 6 by claiming 976 (30.6%) of 3,193 votes.

This week’s nominees

Jensen Elsemore | Jackson | Boys Swim & Dive

Elsemore, a senior, won the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 45.33 seconds) and 100 freestyle (47.04) with state qualifying times at the Class 4A District 1 swim and dive championships on Feb. 12. Elsemore also helped lead Jackson’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle teams to victories.

Jacob Erickson | Glacier Peak | Boys Wrestling

Erickson, a senior ranked first in the state at 220 pounds by Washington Wrestling Report, earned a 6-3 decision over Lake Stevens’ Koen Mattern, ranked sixth, to win the 220-pound title at the Class 4A Region 1 Tournament on Feb. 12. He pinned both of his opponents in less than one minute to reach the finals.

Noah Henderson | Cascade | Boys Swim & Dive

Henderson, a junior, claimed victories in the 200-yard individual medley (1 minute, 59.89 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (59.90) with state qualifying times at the Class 3A District 1 boys swim and dive championships on Feb. 12.

Hailey Rich | Stanwood | Girls Wrestling

Rich, a senior ranked sixth in the state at 170 pounds by Washington Wrestling Report, pinned at Mount Baker’s Gabriella Cortes, ranked eighth, at the 4:37 mark to win the 170-pound title at the Region 1 Tournament on Feb. 12. She won all three of her matches at the tournament by pin.

Baylor Thomas | Lake Stevens | Girls Basketball

Thomas, a senior, connected on five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 29 points as Lake Stevens clinched an outright Wesco 4A title with a 84-51 victory over Kamiak on Feb. 7.

Torey Watkins | Glacier Peak | Boys Basketball

Watkins, a senior, poured in a game-high 27 points as Glacier Peak outlasted Mariner 67-63 in overtime on Feb. 8.

Brianna Williams-Bales | Arlington | Girls Wrestling

Williams-Bales, a senior ranked ninth in the state at 235 pounds by Washington Wrestling Report, pinned Lynden’s Hannah Kayser, ranked 12th, in 35 seconds to win the 235-pound title at the Region 1 Tournament on Feb. 12. She won all three of her matches by pin.

Note: The Herald’s Athlete of the Week nominees are chosen based off stats reported to the newspaper, recommendations from coaches and first-hand observations. Stats from games and recommendations for nominees can be sent to sports@heraldnet.com.