Enquirer names Cincinnati high school athletes of the week for March 18
In a vote that ended March 18, Cincinnati.com readers selected the Cincinnati Enquirer Athletes of the Week, presented by Mercy Health, from high school sports action through March 13.
Winners through the end of 2021 should have received a certificate through the school's athletic department. The 2022 certificates are currently being produced and should be mailed after the winter season concludes.
More: How to add athletes to Cincinnati Enquirer high school sports athletes of the week in 2022
Once they reach the schools, please remember to send a picture of winning athletes with their certificates for the photo gallery to mlaughman@enquirer.com.
The Athlete of the Week voting occurs each week during all high school sports seasons and recognizes athletes across all sports. Send your nominations by Monday morning for this week's high school sports action.
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The Enquirer staff chose the girls basketball team this week. Voters chose the rest of the week's winners. They are:
Boys basketball team: Taft – Taft eased its way into a regional title and state tournament berth after beating Mariemont 57-41 and then Georgetown 67-49 in the March 12 regional final.
Girls basketball team: Purcell Marian – The Lady Cavaliers won a Division III state championship when they beat Worthington Christian 62-38 March 12.
Winter team of the week: Mason boys bowling – The Comets competed at the Division I state meet, finishing in 11th place with a 3270 score.
Boys basketball player: Mitchell Rylee, Covington Catholic – The senior center was MVP of the Ninth Region Tournament after scoring 25 points in the championship game win over Dixie Heights. He had 17 points in the second half of that game on perfect 7-of-7 shooting. He also had nine rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in the game.
Girls basketball player: Liz Freihofer, Cooper – She averaged 14.3 points in Cooper’s three Sweet 16 games, and was named to the all-tournament team along with Whitney Lind. In Cooper’s 55-47 win over Bowling Green in the quarterfinals, Freihofer led Cooper with 20 points, 16 in the first half to help the Jaguars build an early lead. She was 6-6 from the floor and 8-9 from the foul line.
Boys bowler: Caden Graham, Mason – He was the highest-placing local bowler at 26th place with a 602 (192, 174, 236) score in the March 10 OHSAA Division I state tournament, helping Mason to an 11th place team finish.
Girls bowler: Madison Harnish, Hamilton – The senior led Hamilton to a team state championship in match play in the Division I girls state bowling tournament March 11 when she finished 24th with a score of 552 (202, 210 and 140).
Wrestler: Jake Niffenegger, La Salle – The senior won a state championship in the 138-pound weight class at the OHSAA Division I state tournament March 13.
Boys archer: Jacob Klette, Ryle – The sophomore shot a 285 in the NASP state tournament to finish 78th out of 4,628 boys and help the Raiders finish 33rd in the team standings.
Girls archer: Nichole Alspach, Scott – The sophomore shot a 291 in the NASP state tournament to finish fifth out of 4,064 girls and help the Eagles finish 45th in the team standings.
Readers can join the Enquirer's Preps Plus Facebook group to get into the high school sports conversation.
There is also a group, Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Sports Parents, for related topics.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Enquirer names high school athletes of week for March 18
