Vote: Who Should be High School on SI National Girls Athlete of the Week? (3/2/2026)

Which athlete had the best performance in the nation from Feb. 23-March 1?

Center Grove guard Gracyn Gilliard. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Each week during the high school sports season, High School on SI will gather the best performances across the country with the help of fans, readers and staff.

Now, it’s your turn to choose a standout among the pack, the best of the best.

Here are the nominees for High School on SI’s National High School Girls Athlete of the Week for Feb. 23-March 1. Voting closes on Sunday, March 8 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time). The winner will be announced in the following week’s National High School Girls Athlete of the Week post. 

The poll is below the write-ups on each athlete.

Congratulations to Ariel Tobeck of Vista Ridge (Texas) softball for winning last week’s National High School Girls Athlete of the Week poll. Tobeck whirled a no-hitter in a 9-1 victory over Rouse. 

Want to nominate an athlete? Email Bob Lundeberg at bob.lundeberg@gmail.com

High School on SI National Girls Athlete of the Week nominees

1. America Cazares, sr., Pueblo (Arizona) basketball

Cazares became the all-time leading scorer in Arizona girls basketball history during a 63-62 loss to North. The senior had 39 points in the game, giving her 2,932 and counting for her career. The previous record of 2,913 points belonged to Julie Brase of Catalina Foothills, the granddaughter of former Arizona coach Lute Olson. 

2. Kennedy Clark, fr., Webb Schools (California) soccer

Clark netted all four goals in a 4-0 shutout of Buckley in the Division 8 girls soccer championship game. 

3. Lucy Dessert, jr., San Marcos (California) softball

Dessert threw all eight innings for San Marcos, allowing an unearned run on five hits with 12 strikeouts in a 3-1 victory over Santa Clara. 

4. Keira Dougherty, sr., Crestwood (Pennsylvania) basketball

Dougherty scored 18 points—including the 1,000th of her prep career—in a 57-32 win over North Pocono that clinched the District 2 Class 5A crown. 

5. Gracyn Gilliard, sr., Center Grove (Indiana) basketball

Gilliard, a Davidson signee, led the way with 23 points as Center Grove stormed back to complete a perfect 29-0 season with a 56-53 victory over Norwell in the Class 4A state championship game. The Trojans went on a 15-0 fourth-quarter run to take the lead. 

6. Hadli Gillum, so., Fisher Catholic (Ohio) basketball

Gillum buried nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 36 points—matching the Fisher Catholic single-game record—in a 73-30 win over Patriot Prep.

7. Oshauna Holland, sr., Stuart Cramer (North Carolina) basketball

Holland became the leading scorer in North Carolina girls basketball history during a 66-24 rout of Foard. The Wake Forest signee had 34 points, seven rebounds, seven steals and five assists in the win, giving her 3,230 career points and counting. The previous record of 3,225 points belonged to Clinton’s Danyel Parker. 

8. Allie Jenkin, fr., Colfax (Washington) basketball

Hours after her father and Colfax head coach Reece Jenkin passed away from pancreatic cancer, Allie Jenkin netted a career-high 41 points in a 61-48 victory over Okanogan. Her brother, Adrik Jenkin, scored 34 points on the same day in a 96-47 win over Liberty Bell. Both teams advanced to the 2B state tournament. 

9. Carter Jones, jr., West Ridge (Tennessee) basketball

Jones netted 33 points in a 66-62 comeback win over Maryville. 

10. Karina Natale, jr., Newark (New York) basketball

Natale scored 28 points—including the 1,000th of her Newark career—in an 80-41 rout of Batavia. 

11. Haydn Paul, sr., Nordonia (Ohio) basketball

Paul had 34 points and 10 rebounds as Nordonia claimed its first district title with a 61-55 overtime win over Perry. 

12. Grace Riley, sr., Pelham (New Hampshire) basketball

Riley surpassed the 1,000 career points mark in a 56-19 rout of ConVal. 

13. Emerson Weaver, so., Jacksonville (Alabama) soccer

Weaver notched six goals and two assists in a 10-0 shutout of Saks. 

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting

High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports

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