Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week: Ripon's Marcus Madoski
The final Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week for the 2023-24 winter sports season is Marcus Madoski of Ripon boys' basketball. In an online poll that closed on Friday, Madoski received close to 74% of votes cast for a total of 65 votes.
The junior forward earned this recognition after he left it all on the court in the Indians' final game of the season. They had advanced to the CIF State Boys Basketball Championships in the Division V bracket and they traveled to Palo Alto for the first round.
It was a back-and-forth match with Madoski doing his all to keep Ripon in the game. He finished the night with 10 points but the Indians would go on to lose a heartbreaker to the Vikings, 60-58. At the close of his junior campaign, he scored a total of 223 points while shooting close to 50% from the field. Madoski was also a big body in the paint for Ripon grabbing 122 rebounds this season. He will be a key returner for next year.
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
Jan. 7: Jaden Ryan, Kimball, boys' basketball
Jan. 14: Landon Gillespie, Ripon, boys' basketball
Jan. 21: Donez Lindsey, Lincoln, boys' basketball
Jan. 28: Mateen Rafiq, Weston Ranch, boys' basketball
Feb. 4: Destiny Martinez, Stagg, girls' basketball
Feb. 11: Morgan Reihl, Linden, gymnastics
Feb. 18: Natalin Hout, Chavez, wrestling
Feb. 25: Jace Beidleman, Ripon Christian, boys' basketball
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: Winter sports have just one week left and spring sports officially are underway here in San Joaquin County. This means a new host of athletes are up for the Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week for the week of Feb. 26-March 3.
From softball and baseball season openers to CIF State playoff victories, these athletes have shown out this past week in their respective sports. No matter the result of their efforts, they have shined for their teams in hopes of representing the 209 sports scene.
This week’s poll will include athletes from the following winter and spring sports: girls' basketball, boys' basketball, softball and baseball. The poll can be found at the bottom of the story and closes on Friday.
Here are the candidates for Feb. 26- March 3 (athletes listed in alphabetical order):
Taylor Blank, softball, Lodi: Blank was the Flames' hot bat against Beyer on March 1 helping them beat the Patriots 6-2. The sophomore went 3-for-3 during her at-bats picking up two hits, two RBIs and one run. Lodi is ranked No. 12 in the Sac-Joaquin Section and holds a 4-1 overall record so far.
Hayden Fell, softball, Tracy: This freshman pitcher has shown zero nerves opening up the 2023-24 season on the mound for Tracy. She currently holds a 2-0 record on the mound and an ERA of 0.00 the third highest in the SJS. Against Ceres on Feb. 28, she picked up a season-high seven strikeouts helping the Bulldogs win 4-0.
Marcus Madoski, boys basketball, Ripon: Ripon did everything it could during its CIF State Division IV first-round matchup against Palo Alto on Feb. 27. Madoski ended the close matchup with 10 points but it wasn’t enough as the Indians would go on to lose 60-58. The junior big man closes out the season averaging 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
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Dominik Makinano, baseball, Weston Ranch: Makinano had a solid outing in the Cougar's Feb. 29 matchup against Kimball. The junior outfielder led his team with hits, three and crossed home plate twice for two runs. Weston Ranch beat the Jaguars 7-4 pushing its record to 3-1 on the young season.
Kori Rogers, girls basketball, St. Mary’s: The Rams rising star all season long has been Rogers. The freshman guard scored 22 points to lead her team offensively past a tough San Ramon Valley team on Feb. 28. Her lights-out shooting helped St. Mary’s beat the Wolves 67-61 and become the only SJ County team to advance in the CIF State Girls Basketball Championship tournament.
Adrian Zuniga, baseball, Lathrop: Edison batters couldn’t get much off of Zuniga’s pitches during the Feb. 29 matchup. The senior pitcher held the Vikings scoreless picking up 13 strikeouts and leading Lathrop to a 2-0 victory. His defensive prowess earned the Spartans its first 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: Ripon's Marcus Madoski
