MARION — Spring sports athletes across the Marion area endured a rainy week last week to complete track meets, tennis matches and baseball and softball games.
This week they'll need to endure cold temperatures early on and then mid-week rain, but that's typical for this time of year.
Still, there were enough highlight performances posted around the Heart of Ohio.
Here are the Marion Star's athlete of the week polls for boys and girls. Fans can vote for their favorite nominees as often as allowed. The polls will close early Sunday morning.
Marion Star Boys Best of the Week Performer Poll
Northmor track's Cowin Becker won the 400 meters in 51.0 and was runner-up in the long jump at 20 feet, 9 inches at the Colonel Crawford Grove/Keller Invitational.
Highland track's Jett Black set the school record in the pole vault with a leap of 13 feet, 6 inches in a tri-meet with Galion and Madison.
Marion Harding baseball's Tyson Lind pitched a complete game four-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks in a win over Shelby.
Cardington baseball's Wyatt Wade pitched a two-hitter with two walks and seven strikeouts, plus hit a double in a win over Fredericktown.
Elgin baseball's Colton Ware hit three singles and had three RBI in a win over Fairbanks.
Marion Star Girls Best of the Week Performer Poll
River Valley track's Madalyn Gwinner was runner-up in the discus at 103 feet, 10 inches and in the shot put at 31-9 3/4 at the Colonel Crawford Grove/Keller Invitational.
Cardington softball's Celia Hall was 4-for-4 with three runs scored in a win over Fredericktown.
Northmor softball's Shelby Cooper pitched a two-hitter with no walks and nine strikeouts, plus added two hits and three runs in a win over South Central.
Elgin's Madison Hill gave up one earned run, six hits, no walks and nine strikeouts, plus hit a double and two singles in a win over Wynford.
North Union's Brenna Martino pitched a seven-hit shutout with a walk and two strikeouts, plus hit two singles in a win over Bishop Watterson.
Last week's winners
In the first girls poll of the spring sports seasons, North Union softball's Kennedy Harrah, who had a triple, double and three RBI in a win over Elgin, earned 564 out of 1,594 votes (35 percent) to win it. Other nominees were softball players Ari Simpson of Cardington, Lydia Shaffer of Highland, Kameron Fowler of River ...
