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PNJ Athlete of the Week: Who should win the award for the week of April 15-20?

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7 months ago

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PNJ Athlete of the Week: Who should win the award for the week of April 15-20?

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It’s time for another round of the Pensacola News Journal Athlete of the Week!

Vote early and vote often, as the polls will be open until Saturday at 11 a.m. Each weekly winner will be awarded a one-of-a-kind PNJ Athlete of the Week shirt provided by BSN SPORTS. The poll is exclusively on PNJ.com.

Winners will be contacted early next week after the poll closes.

Nominees are accepted via email or phone, but will be selected by staff in the absence of submission. The poll is decided by the PNJ sports staff and finalized the Sunday before the poll opens.

Note: Is your team or sport missing from Athlete of the Week? Be sure to file statistics with PNJ staff or keep your MaxPreps page up to date.

Ben Grieco can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) or via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.

Baseball, Justin Smarr (Central): The Jaguars hit the 20-win mark this week thanks to a four-victory slate. Smarr played strong on both sides of the ball for Central. In the Jags’ first win of the week over Flomaton (Alabama), Smarr posted a two-hit performance with two doubles, adding two runs and an RBI. He also threw two innings on the mound, striking out three batters. In the 7-1 win over Baker, Smarr had another two-hit night with two RBIs and a run. He also threw five innings on the mound, fanning nine batters. Smarr, in the doubleheader against Destin, a hit, three runs and an RBI across both games.

Softball, Shelby McKenzie (Pace): The Patriots just keep winning. At the plate, McKenzie showed why she was the 2023 PNJ Hitter of the Year, and propelled a strong offensive week where Pace scored 32 runs across three games. In the game against Milton, McKenzie crushed a home run and added two doubles, scoring twice and tacking on three RBIs. She had another two-hit night at Tate, adding a run and an RBI. To cap off the week, McKenzie posted three hits with a double at Gulf Breeze, adding a run and two RBIs.

Flag football, Isabella Kendall (Navarre): The Raiders recorded a program-record 15th win this season, which was a dominant victory over Forest in the Region 1-2A quarterfinals. Kendall accounted for five of the team’s six touchdowns. She threw for 246 yards (17-for-30) with four touchdown passes, averaging 14.5 yards per attempt. She also rushed for 78 yards, adding a touchdown. Kendall had a long rush of 58 yards. Defensively, Kendall tacked on a tackle and an interception.

Boys lacrosse, Bennett Rauscher (Pensacola Catholic): The Crusaders claimed another district championship, and Rauscher left little to no doubt that his team would claim the crown. Rauscher led Pensacola Catholic with seven points in the game, tallying six goals and an assist on a prolific offense.

Girls lacrosse, Julia Frosch (Pensacola Catholic): Frosch was a big part of the Crusaders’ two-win week, which saw them win a district semifinal and district championship game against two area foes. In Pensacola Catholic’s win over Booker T. Washington in the semifinals, Frosch led the team with 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists). She also won 15 draws. In the championship game against South Walton, Frosch recorded a three-goal hat trick.

Boys tennis, Andrew Swan (Pensacola Catholic): The Pensacola Catholic boys tennis team swept the district championship last week. Swan won both second singles and second doubles in the District 1-1A meet. In the semifinals of the tournament, individually, Swan beat Nathan Strickling by scores 6-1, 6-0. In the finals the next day, Swan topped Steven Savoie (6-1, 6-3) to claim the individual crown at second singles. In second doubles, paired up with Max Frederick, the duo won in the semifinals over Walker Wallace and Mason Tutt (6-0, 6-0) before beating Reece Early and Joseph Savoie in the finals (6-3, 6-0).

Girls tennis, Gabby Goyins (Pensacola Catholic): Goyins won yet another district championship, maintaining her stronghold on the area in girls tennis. She claimed the individual title at first singles in District 1-1A, while also winning on the first doubles team. In the semifinals, Goyins won her first singles matchup over Hannah Kersey by scores of 6-0, 6-0. In the finals the next day, Goyins shut out her opponent, Anna Phillips, again (6-0, 6-0). In first doubles, Goyins teamed up with Maria Bush. They defeated Hannah Kersey and Ansley Steele (6-0, 6-0) before winning the finals match over Anna Phillips and Emma Smith (6-0, 6-0).

Boys weightlifting, Connor Mathews (Navarre): Mathews is coming back to Navarre as a dual weightlifting state champion. At the Class 3A state meet on Friday, Mathews won both the Olympic and traditional classifications in the 199-pound weight class in Lakeland, surpassing the competition by quite a bit. In traditional, Mathews lifted a total of 755 pounds (375-pound clean and jerk, 380-pound bench press) for a Schwartz rating of 441.1465. His total lift was 110 pounds better than second place. In Olympic, Mathews lifted a total of 635 pounds (260-pound snatch, 375-pound clean and jerk) for a Schwartz rating of 371.0305. His total lift was 90 pounds more than second place.

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