Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week: Kimball's Jaden Ryan
The votes are in and the first Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week of the Year is Jaden Ryan of Kimball boys basketball. In an online poll that closed on Friday, Ryan received over 60% of votes cast for a total of 1,040 votes.
Standing at 6-foot-1, the junior combo guard has been leading the Jaguars on and off the court helping them to an 11-9 overall record so far. He is averaging close to 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals leading his team in all three stats. With Kimball losing some players to transfer, Ryan has stepped up to be the go-to guy when the Jaguars need a bucket.
In Kimball's most recent game against East Union on Jan. 10 Ryan played a key role in the Jaguars' 58-43 victory. He finished the game with nine points, six rebounds, and three steals helping his team to its first Valley Oak League victory. He will look to continue to be a key contributor for his team as they get deeper into league play.
Here’s a look at the past winners:
Aug. 26: Samson Hunkin, St. Mary's football
Sept. 2: Eliana Williams, St. Mary's girls' volleyball
Sept. 9: Landen Ly, Linden, football
Sept. 6: McKenna McIntosh, St. Mary's girls' volleyball
Sept. 23: Matthew Schallberger, Linden, football
Sept. 30: Sophia Martin, Escalon, girls' volleyball
Oct. 7: Keely Hummel, St. Mary's, girl's volleyball
Oct. 14: Taylor Zalunardo, Sierra, girls' flag football
Oct. 21: Katie Martin, Ripon, girls' golf
Oct. 29: Kaydence Bispo, St. Mary's, girls' volleyball
Nov. 5: Dax Weber, Linden, football
Nov. 12: Reyna Biedermann, Ripon, girls' water polo
Nov. 19: Asante Carter, St. Mary's, football
Nov. 26: Emma Gilmore, Sierra, girls' basketball
Dec. 3: Nylah Dyson, East Union, girls' basketball
Dec. 10: Ricardo Velasquez, Weston Ranch, boys' soccer
Dec. 17: Mario Rodriguez, Linden, boys' soccer
Editor's Note: Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week for every sport. Nominate next week’s ballot through email. Readers can email nominations to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@recordnet.com. Please include the player's stats and a photo if possible.
Original story: The Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week poll is back and filled with a new host of top athletes across San Joaquin County.
From breaking school records to reaching 100 wins in wrestling, these players have shined this past week in their respective sports. Despite cold weather and dusting off the rust of winter break, teams have come back ready to compete against the top teams in the area.
This week’s poll will include athletes from the following winter sports: girls' basketball, boys' basketball, girls’ soccer, and wrestling. The poll can be found at the bottom of the story and closes on Friday.
More: Stockton-area soccer: Fan's Choice Player of the Year ballots - 30 choices
Here are the candidates for Jan. 1-7 (athletes listed in alphabetical order):
Alessandra Barajas, girls’ soccer, St. Mary’s: Barajas found the back of the net twice in St. Mary’s league matchup against rival Lincoln on Jan. 4. The striker led her team offensively to a big victory over the Trojans to extend the Rams overall record to 5-2 and 2-0 in Tri-City Athletic League play.
Kyle Holtberg, wrestling, St. Mary’s: In just two and half seasons on the mat, Holtberg has completed a milestone earning his 100th career varsity win in the 126-pound weight class. Last week at the Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno, he placed fifth in his medal match to earn his 100th win.
Jameelah Pharms, girls’ basketball, Stagg: Pharms has been breaking records as the senior star guard for the Delta Queens. She set a single-game scoring record by dropping 44 points against Lodi on Dec. 21. Against Edison on Jan. 4 she continued her shooting frenzy scoring 41 points to help her team win 75-34.
Shakara Porter, girls’ basketball, Lathrop: In a close matchup against Ceres on Jan.4, Porter was out-hustling everybody. The sophomore finished the game with a double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Spartans would go on to win the game 45-40.
Mateen Rafiq, boys’ basketball, Weston Ranch: The Cougars traveled to Edsion to open up San Joaquin Athletic Association play on Jan. 3 and Rafiq shined during the league matchup. He drained six threes to rally up a game-high 31 points. Weston Ranch took the game with ease beating the Vikings 94-67.
Jaden Ryan, boys’ basketball, Kimball: Leading Kimball so far this season is Ryan, a 6-foot-1 combo guard. He is currently averaging 9.6 points per game, six rebounds, and two steals per game leading the Jaguars in all three statics. They currently hold a 10-9 overall record and are in search of their first league win of the season.
Athlete of the Week nominations are based on information available to The Record about all high school varsity players from San Joaquin County. Nominations must be received for consideration by Monday morning following that week's games.
Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week for every sport. Nominate next week’s ballot via email. Readers can email nominations to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@recordnet.com. Please include the player's stats and a photo if possible.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week: Kimball's Jaden Ryan
