South Plains fans weigh in as Lubbock Avalanche-Journal opens weekly athlete of the week voting

Readers can now cast ballots for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s high school athlete of the week, with the poll scheduled to stay open until 5 p.m. Friday. Coaches from any sport can submit nominations, sending stats and results to the paper’s sports desk by noon each Monday.

Six athletes across cross country, volleyball and football make up this week’s nominee list:

• Amelia Anderson, Lubbock High cross country — took first place at the Hoka McNeil Invitational, finishing the 5K course in 17:49.1.
• Lindsay Haynes, Lubbock-Cooper volleyball — posted 15 kills, 2 assists, 4 aces, 5 digs and 1 block in a victory over Frenship.
• Scarlett Hobgood, Lubbock Christian volleyball — paced her team with 8 kills on a .238 hitting percentage, adding 2 blocks and 2 digs in a win against Amarillo San Jacinto.
• A.J. Huddleston, Idalou football — amassed 201 rushing yards with 3 touchdowns and also caught a 44-yard scoring pass in a win over Fort Stockton.
• Gavyn Knelsen, Seminole football — hauled in six catches for 208 yards and 3 TDs while adding 61 rushing yards and another score against Hereford.
• Chase Lantelme, Ropes football — completed 4 of 7 passes for 147 yards and a TD, plus 112 rushing yards and 2 more scores in a defeat of Panhandle.

One nominee crossed paths with the sports-business world this week: Anderson’s Invitational title came at a meet carrying the Hoka name, the performance-running brand owned by Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NYSE: DECK), which also counts UGG among its labels. The company’s shares recently changed hands at $79.86, down 0.45% from the prior close of $80.23, giving it a market capitalization of roughly $11.5 billion. Title sponsorships of Texas invitational meets are part of how footwear brands maintain visibility at the grassroots level.

Friday football performances dominate this week’s slate, with three running backs and receivers turning in multi-touchdown outings, while volleyball and cross country round out the field.

What to watch

The voting window closes at 5 p.m. Friday, when the athlete of the week will be determined. Nominations for future editions are due Mondays at noon. The Hoka McNeil Invitational season and Texas high school district play will continue to provide the pool of weekly candidates.

Source: original release