Here are the nominees for The Herald’s high school athlete of the week. The poll closes at noon Sunday.
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This week’s nominees
Tori Baldino
, Nation Ford softball: The Falcons’ freshman shortstop had three singles, a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored, while walking once as Nation Ford beat Fort Mill , 9-1, on April 1 , and defeated Northwestern , 11-1, on April 3 .
Baldino also had four put outs in the field in the two games.
Baldino is batting .370 with seven doubles, a home run, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored for Nation Ford (10-6) this season.
Layla Clayton
, York softball: The Cougars’ senior tossed a perfect game, a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts, in a 9-0 win at Dreher on April 1 .
Clayton went 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs in a 10-0 win over Northwestern on April 2 .
Clayton finished the week by tossing a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts to earn the win on the mound, while going 2-for-4 with an RBI at the plate, in a 9-1 victory over Dreher on April 3 .
Clayton is 8-1 with 88 strikeouts in 49.2 innings of work, with a 0.42 earned-run average this season. Clayton is also batting .341 with two doubles, one triple and eight RBIs for York (11-3).
Hannah Davis
, Buford girls’ soccer: The Yellow Jackets’ senior forward scored two goals and had one assist in a 3-2 win over Westwood on April 3 .
The next day, Davis scored another goal in 3-2 victory over Hartsville .
Buford (11-3) also lost 6-1 to Lugoff – Elgin on April 1 .
Davis has 10 goals and four assists this season.
Connor Demmerle
, Fort Mill track: The Yellow Jackets’ junior ran a personal-best 1:58.23 to win the 800-meter run at Northwestern on April 2 .
Demmerle also won the 1,600-meter run (4:24.84) and helped 4 X 800-meter relay to victory at the same meet.
Demmerle also finished fourth in the 3,200-meter run in 10:23.77 the same day.
Aloni Hogans
, Catawba Ridge softball: The Copperheads’ senior went 7-for-9 at the plate with five singles, two doubles, four RBIs and three stolen bases as Catawba Ridge went 3-0 last week.
The Copperheads, 17-0 this season, beat Clover (4-0), South Florence (11-1) and Fort Mill (10-0).
Hogans is a Queens University commit.
Mason Kucia
, Indian Land golf: The Warriors’ senior shot a 5-under-par 67 to earn medalist honors at the Blazer Open at Fort Jackson on April 1 .
Kucia’s play also helped the Indian Land boys’ golf team to its third consecutive Blazer Open team championship.
Griffin McKain
, Legion Collegiate baseball: The Lancers’ sophomore tossed a five-hitter, allowing just two runs, while striking out eight batters and leading Legion Collegiate to a 7-2 victory at Oceanside Collegiate Academy on April 2 .
McKain was also 1-for-3 at the plate in a 9-0 loss at ECA Baseball Academy on April 4 .
McKain is 3-0 on the mound with 25 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work with a 1.78 ERA, and is batting .516 with five doubles, a triple, a home run, 10 RBIs and 13 runs scored for Legion Collegiate (10-6).
Xavier Means
, Northwestern track: The Trojans’ sophomore ran a personal-best 10.80 to win the 100-meters and 21.84 to win the 200-meters on his home track on April 2 .
Means also helped the 4 X 100-meter relay to victory in a season-best time of 42.04, as the Trojans beat Fort Mill in the meet.
Connor Sweatt
, York Baseball: The Cougars’ junior went 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored in a 10-0 win over Dreher on April 1 .
Sweatt also went 3-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base in a 17-3 victory at Dreher on April 3 .
The next day, Sweatt went 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs in a 16-12 loss to Clover .
Sweatt is batting .435 with seven doubles, a home run, 21 RBI, 10 run scored and five stolen bases for York (9-6).
Josh Zawlocki
, Catawba Ridge soccer: The Copperheads’ senior scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Clover on April 1 .
Zawlocki has 13 goals and two assists for Catawba Ridge (10-3) this season. Zawlocki also now has 51 career goals.
** Information published today includes statistics through April 5 .
Herald AOTW l 04.13.25
April 9, 2025 | Herald, The: Web Edition Articles (Rock Hill, SC)
Author/Byline: Jay Edwards and Langston Wertz Jr., The Herald | Section: high_school