The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week Presented by State Farm agent Mark McGriff for the week of January 16 is KIM MELTON* of the Santa Fe (Alachua) girls’ soccer team.
*Melton had a big week in leading Santa Fe to its fourth straight girls’ soccer district title. She began the week by scoring six goals in an 8-0 win against Crescent City in the Raiders’ opening game of the Class 2A-District 5 tournament. The Southern Virginia University commit followed that up by scoring all three goals in a 3-0 win against Newberry in the semifinals. Then, in the championship, the senior forward had all four goals in a 4-1 win against No. 2 seed P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) to win the title and secure a first-round playoff game at home on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Previous 2016-17 winners:
January 9 – Devin Lawrence (Hawthorne boys’ basketball)
The junior helped lead the Hornets (16-3) to a 3-0 week, including a 2-0 mark in 1A-District 6 to stay unbeaten (11-0) in league play. On Saturday, Lawrence scored 25 points, grabbed five rebounds and added four assists in a 70-68 win in overtime against Eastside. In a 76-70 district win against Williston on Thursday, he had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Lawrence began the week by shooting 64% from the floor against district foe Newberry, scoring a game-high 18 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
January 2 – Dylan Murray (Williston boys’ basketball)
Murray led the Class 1A Red Devils to a 3-0 week by averaging just under a double-double (22.3 points/9.7 rebounds). The senior forward scored a team-high 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 69-48 district win against Fort White, followed by 21 points and 11 rebounds against Hilliard in a 72-57 league victory. He finished the week by scoring 29 points and eight rebounds in a 68-54 win against Class 9A Lyman (Longwood) at the Dante Anderson Memorial Invitational.
December 12 – Caio Carvalho (Keystone Heights boys’ soccer)
Carvalho helped lead the Indians (11-3-1) to a 2-1 week. The senior scored two goals and added an assist in a 5-0 district win at Newberry. Carvalho began the week by scoring two goals and assisting on two other goals in a 6-2 win at Palatka.
December 5 – Ailey Tebbett (Oak Hall girls’ soccer)
The senior helped lead the Lady Eagles (8-2-1) to a 2-1 week by recording two shutouts. The University of Florida commit made 30 saves, and she also scored a goal by coming out of her goalkeeper position for a penalty kick in a 2-0 win against Hamilton County. Tebbett, who currently holds a 3.7 GPA, has 93 saves in nine games, and 996 saves in her varsity career despite missing her sophomore year due to injury.
November 28 – Macey Martin (Buchholz girls’ soccer)
Martin helped lead the Bobcats to a 4-0 week, including a first-place finish at the Maclay Invitational in Tallahassee. The sophomore had a goal in a 4-0 win at Mandarin (Jacksonville) and two or more goals in each of the Bobcats’ three tournament games (total of eight goals) in tournament wins against Lincoln (Tallahassee), 3-2, Columbia (Lake City), 5-2, and Florida High (Tallahassee), 9-1.
November 21 – Lee Ducharme (P.K. Yonge girls’ soccer)
The junior forward single-handily outscored Keystone Heights in leading the Blue Wave to a 6-3 District 5-2A win. Ducharme scored four goals, including a hat trick in the first half in helping P.K. Yonge to a commanding 4-0 lead at the break. That’s 10 goals in two games for Ducharme, who had six goals in a win against Interlachen.
November 14 – Ayanna Rollins (Oak Hall girls’ basketball)
Rollins helped lead the Lady Eagles to a 2-0 week. The junior guard had 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists and five steals in a 59-4 rout of Florida School for the Deaf & Blind (St. Augustine). She followed that up with a monster game against Bronson, scoring 19 points and recording 15 rebounds in a 64-17 win.
November 7 – Naomi Peng (Eastside girls’ swimming & diving)
The senior won the Class 2A state diving title, leading to a top 10 finish overall for the Lady Rams at the FHSAA Swimming & Diving state championships in Stuart. According to the Gainesville Sun, Peng’s state title marked the Rams’ first girls individual state title since Allison Wagner won a pair of them in 1994. Peng helped lead the Eastside girls’ swimming & diving team to a sixth place finish overall.
October 31 – Grace Blair (Oak Hall girls’ cross country)
Blair won Oak Hall’s first individual cross country state title in school history while leading the Lady Eagles to the Class 1A state championship – their second title overall. The junior finished with a personal best time of 18:22.85.
October 24 – Mindy Herrick (Buchholz girls’ golf)
The University of North Florida commit helped lead the Lady ‘Cats to a third place finish at the FHSAA Class 3A state tournament. The Bobcats finished with a two-day total of 638, behind only West Orange (625) and state champion Lake Mary (614). Herrick finished second individually with a 1-over par 145 in two rounds.
October 17 – Logan Locascio (Gainesville boys’ cross country)
The senior helped lead the Hurricanes to the Class 3A-District 5 cross country championship. Locascio finished second in a time of 16 minutes and 21.20 seconds to take top area honors.
October 10 – Luke Whittemore (Buchholz football)
Whittemore caught nine passes for 220 yards and a TD as the Bobcats (4-2, 2-0) stayed unbeaten in 7A-District 3 with a 17-10 win at Bartram Trail (St. Johns). The senior, who is a Troy commit, hauled in an 86-yard scoring pass. He also had five carries for 29 yards and a 25-yard kick return.
October 3 – Tyler Winkel (Gainesville football)
The senior was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points, including the game-winner in double-overtime, and he also added a 31-yard FG, as the Class 6A ‘Canes edged rival Buchholz, 31-30, to snap a two-game losing streak against the Class 7A state-ranked ‘Cats.
September 26 – Blake Sanders (Keystone Heights football)
The junior running back had a career night with 277 yards on 47 carries to go along with four touchdowns as the visiting Indians defeated P.K. Yonge, 25-19 in double-overtime, in a 4A-District 3 game. Sanders had the game-winning 10-yard score on the Indians’ first play in the second OT. Keystone ran 54 plays on offense, and Sanders touched the ball on 49 of them (47 handoffs, two receptions).
September 19 – Jenna Wiggs (The Rock volleyball)
Wiggs helped lead The Rock to a first-place finish at the Gator Town Classic at Buchholz. The senior finished the tournament with 31 service points, 85 digs and seven aces, including one to end the match. In that third set, she scored the last four points, and point 25 was an ace. She served at 99 percent. The Rock (16-4) had wins over Citrus (25-7, 25-11), Okeechobee (25-11, 25-15), Santa Fe (25-10, 25-17), and Ocala Forest (25-27, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22) in the semifinals.
September 12 – Andre Hampton (Union County football)
The senior linebacker had 29 total tackles with six for a loss in the Tigers’ 43-8 win over Hilliard in the District 6-1A opener for both teams. The 29 tackles for one game is the most recorded by a Union County player in the modern era.
September 5 – Jakhai Mitchem (Newberry football)
Mitchem carried the ball 13 times for 187 yards and four TDs as Newberry upset Class 1A No. 5 Union County (Lake Butler), 40-22, for its first win against the Tigers in four years. The sophomore had scoring runs of 20, 28, 15 and 14 yards as the Panthers (3-0) remained undefeated.
August 29 – Jack Holloway (Gainesville boys’ golf)
The senior claimed low medalist honors in Gainesville’s quad match victories over Buchholz, Eastside & Newberry at Ironwood Golf Course. Holloway parred holes two through seven and birdied number eight en route to a 37 total. He helped the Hurricanes (4-0) stay unbeaten.
August 22 – Jacquez Jernigan (Newberry football)
Jernigan, who plays fullback, scored three rushing TDs to help lead the Class 1A Panthers to a 22-6 win at 4A Santa Fe (Alachua). The senior overcame two early fumbles and finished with 129 yards on 24 carries. He had TD runs of 6, 1 and 11 yards.
The Trophy Shop Athlete-of-the-Week is presented by State Farm Agent Mark McGriff of Gainesville. For more information on auto, life and health insurance, call Mark at 352-372-8406. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
