Vote for the News & Observer high school athlete of the week (5.15.21).

Here are the nominees for this week’s News & Observer high school athlete of the week award.

Readers can vote as often as they want until Saturday, around noon, when this week’s poll will close.

Payton Baxter, Cardinal Gibbons Tennis: The Crusaders’ sophomore won both of her singles’ and doubles’ matches (with junior, Christina Blake) to help Cardinal Gibbons stay unbeaten (4-0) with wins over Millbrook and Sanderson.

Cardinal Gibbons won at Sanderson, 7-2, May 5, and beat Millbrook 6-3, May 6.

Baxter is 4-0 in singles, and 3-1 in doubles’ play for Cardinal Gibbons through Sunday.

Cael Bergquist, Heritage Wrestling: The Huskies’ sophomore went 2-0 this week at 120 pounds.

Bergquist is unbeaten at 6-0 this season.

Caleb Bowers, Riverside Baseball: The Pirates’ senior tossed a complete-game with nine strikeouts while allowing one earned run in an 8-2 win over Green Hope May 5.

Bowers also had a double, a home run and five RBI at the plate in the same game.

Bowers was 0-for-3 at the plate in an 8-0 loss to Panther Creek May 7.

Bowers is 1-0 with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings of work on the mound, while batting .143 with a double, a home run and five RBI at the plate for Riverside (1-3, through Sunday).

Luke Brown, Middle Creek Baseball: The Mustangs’ sophomore went five innings, striking out 10 batters, giving up only two hits and one earned run to help Middle Creek to a 4-3 victory at Apex May 5.

Middle Creek also beat Heritage, 6-2, May 7.

Brown is 2-0 with 17 strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work on the mound for Middle Creek (4-0, through Sunday).

Alec DeMartino, Millbrook Baseball: The Wildcats’ senior centerfielder went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, five stolen bases and five runs scored in a sweep of Enloe last week.

DeMartino went 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored, three stolen bases and two RBI in an 8-1 win over Enloe May 3.

He also went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, two stolen bases and two RBI in a 9-5 victory at Enloe May 6.

DeMartino, a UNC Wilmington commit, did all of this after missing the first week because of injury, according to Millbrook baseball coach, Austin James.

Millbrook is 4-0 through Sunday.

Grey Gurganious, Princeton Baseball: The Bulldogs’ senior left-handed pitcher went six innings, struck out 11 batters, and allowed just one hit and earning the victory in 11-0 win over Hobbton May 4.

Gurganious, who picked off a runner in the same game, retired the last 17 batters he faced.

Princeton also won 13-5 at Neuse Charter May 5.

Gurganious is 2-0 on the mound with 22 strikeouts and only two hits allowed in 10 innings of work for Princeton (3-1, through Sunday).

Caroline Fowlkes, Cedar Ridge Track: The Fighting Red Wolves’ junior set a personal and school record going 10-6 to win the pole vault in a tri-meet with Southern Durham (host) and Vance County May 6.

Fowlkes improved her vault substantially after going 10-0 April 29.

Owen Kose, Holly Springs Golf: The Golden Hawks’ junior fired a six-under par, 66, to win the 4A Mideast Regional title at Quail Ridge Golf Club in Sanford May 3.

Kose had six birdies and an eagle in his round.

Savannah Krupica, Holly Springs Track: The Golden Hawks freshman ran a 5:30.62 in her debut, 1600-meter run in high school to win the race at Apex Friendship May 5.

Krupica’s 1,600-meter run time was already a regional qualifying run and the top time run in the South Wake Athletic Conference (4A) to date this season.

Krupica’s efforts also helped the Holly Springs’ girls’ track to a victory over Apex Friendship.

Patrick Maloney, Broughton Baseball: The Capitals’ freshman went 4-for-6 with two doubles, a home run and 8 RBI as Broughton swept Southeast Raleigh last week.

Maloney was 2-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI and two runs scored in a 11-1 over Southeast Raleigh, May 5.

The next day, he was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and four RBI in an 18-1 victory at Southeast Raleigh.

Maloney is batting .500 with two doubles, a home run and nine RBI for Broughton (3-1, through Sunday).

Will Mitchell, Millbrook Track: The Wildcats’ senior won the 800, 1600 and helped the 4 X 400-meter relay to victories in a tri-meet with Brougton and Enloe at Millbrook May 4.

Mitchell, a Western Carolina signee, ran a 4:27 to win the 1600-meter run, a personal-best 2:00.40 to win the 800-meter run, and helped the 4 X 400-meter relay to victory in 3:44.9.

Mitchell’s efforts also helped the Millbrook boys’ track team to victory at the same meet.

Kolleen Tyndall, West Johnston Tennis: The Wildcats’ freshman won two singles and two doubles’ matches to help West Johnston beat both Smithfield Selma and South Johnston last week.

Tyndall won 6-4, 6-1 in singles’ play, while teaming with Nicole Neal to win 8-1 in doubles as West Johnston beat South Johnston 7-2, May 5.

She also won 6-0, 6-0 in singles, teaming with Nash to win 8-6 in doubles in a 7-2 win at Smithfield Selma, May 3.

Tyndall is 2-0 in both singles’ and doubles’ play for West Johnston (2-0, through Sunday).

** Information published today includes statistics through May 8.

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.