It's time to vote for the athlete of the week from the High Desert.
Thirteen athletes from across the region are in the running for the Daily Press High School Athlete of the Week.
Each week throughout the 2025-26 school year, the Daily Press will recognize one standout student-athlete from the High Desert as Athlete of the Week.
Through nominations submitted by coaches, as well as our own research, those selected will be placed on a ballot every week. The nominations are limited to only varsity athletes.
You can vote for your favorite high school athletes as often as you’d like. The poll closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Here are the choices for this week, based on performances from Feb. 9 to 14.
- Cael Humphrey, Sultana wrestling — Competing in the 132-pound division at the CIF-SS Southern Division tournament, Humphrey won all five matches by pinfall. He pinned Corona’s Aidan Mueller at the 1:30 mark to successfully defend his division title.
- Daniel Mendoza, Victor Valley wrestling — The 113-pound senior pinned all five opponents at the CIF-SS Eastern Division tournament, including four in under a minute, and finished by pinning Ayala’s Jayren Chan in 47 seconds to repeat as division champion.
- Daniel Preciado, Hesperia wrestling — The senior won four of five matches by pinfall at the CIF-SS Southern Division tournament, capping his run by pinning Etiwanda’s Nathaniel Garcia at the 3:08 mark in the championship match.
- Ellie Myer, Victor Valley wrestling — Myer claimed the 115-pound championship at the CIF-SS Northern Division tournament, defeating Lutheran’s Jennifer Flores 4-1 in sudden victory in the title match. She won five matches over the two-day event.
- Emiliano Hernandez, Hesperia wrestling — The senior 150-pounder became a two-time champion at the CIF-SS Southern Division tournament. Hernandez recorded four pinfall victories and secured the championship with an 11-0 major decision over Centennial’s Jesse Jimenez.
- Jackson Humphrey, Sultana wrestling — Humphrey is now a two-time divisional champion after claiming the 126-pound title at the CIF-SS Southern Division tournament. He won three of his five matches by pinfall and scored a 7-2 decision over Roosevelt’s Jesse Quiroz in the championship match.
- Jonathan Ugarte, Hesperia wrestling — Ugarte won the 157-pound title at the CIF-SS Southern Division tournament by winning three of his five matches by pinfall. The senior scored an 8-4 decision over Norco’s Ethan Zabala in the championship match.
- Lianna Tsabur, Granite Hills girls soccer — Tsabur accounted for all six goals in two playoff wins, scoring four times in a 4-2 victory over Culver City and both goals, including the game-winning penalty kick, in a 2-1 win over Temescal Canyon.
- Noah Sanchez, Victor Valley wrestling — Competing at 138 pounds, Sanchez won three of his five matches by pinfall. Sanchez claimed the title with a 15-11 decision over Buena’s Ryan Homan.
- Nolan Newman-Gomez, Hesperia boys basketball — Newman-Gomez led the Scorpions in a pair of playoff victories, scoring a combined 67 points with 33 rebounds. He had 23 points, 17 rebounds and five steals in a 52-41 win over San Clemente on Feb. 11, and 34 points with 16 rebounds in a 77-62 victory over Elsinore on Feb. 13.
- Peace Adewumi, University Prep girls basketball — Adewumi helped lead the Jaguars to the CIF-SS quarterfinals. She began the week with 19 points in a 40-38 playoff victory over Anaheim on Feb. 12, and added 10 points in a 45-39 win over Norwalk on Feb. 14.
- Renee Abbott, Sultana girls soccer — Abbott headed in the game-winning goal off a corner kick in overtime to lift the Sultans to a 2-1 victory over Lakewood on Feb. 14, sending the team to the CIF-SS quarterfinals for the first time since 2010.
- Samantha Aguilar, Adelanto girls soccer — Aguilar scored a pair of goals in the CIF-SS playoffs for the Saints. She scored a goal in the first round as Adelanto beat Temecula Prep 3-0 on Feb. 12, and followed that up with the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Beverly Hills on Feb. 14.
You Can Vote Here
Nominations must be received for consideration by Sunday morning following that week's games. Anyone can nominate an Athlete of the Week for every varsity sport.
Be sure to nominate next week’s ballot through email to sports reporter Jose Quintero at [email protected]. Feel free to also reach out to him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @J0seQuintero, or on Instagram at @760Varsity. Please include a player’s statistics and a photo if possible.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Vote for the Daily Press High School Athlete of the Week