High school athletes across Ohio have the opportunity to be recognized for their outstanding performance each week through the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center High School Athlete of the Week program. This initiative highlights student-athletes from all sports and encourages community engagement by allowing fans to vote for their favorite performers.

How to Vote

Dispatch.com readers can participate in the voting process by accessing the ballot on their desktop, mobile web, or the Dispatch app. Voting is available once per hour, making it easy for fans to support their favorite athletes throughout the week. The voting window opens each week during high school sports competitions, providing a consistent platform for recognition.

Important Deadlines

The deadline for voting for the boys’ Athlete of the Week is 4 p.m. on Friday, January 23. For the girls’ Athlete of the Week, the poll will be published on Tuesday, January 20. These dates ensure that the recognition aligns with the ongoing sports season and allows enough time for nominations and voting.

Previous Winners

Last week’s winner for the boys’ Athlete of the Week was JR Bates from Pickerington North. His performance throughout the season earned him this prestigious honor, showcasing the level of talent and dedication among local high school athletes.

Voting Tips

If readers encounter issues viewing the ballot at the bottom of the story, they are advised to refresh the link or clear their browser’s cache. It is important to note that voting does not require a subscription, making the process accessible to all fans.

Key Information

It is crucial to understand that nominations and votes are separate processes. While athletes may be nominated over the past few weeks starting from January 19, only the votes cast through the official ballot will count toward the final selection. Emailing votes is not an accepted method, as these submissions will not be considered.

About the Program

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center High School Athlete of the Week program is designed to celebrate the achievements of student-athletes in Ohio. By recognizing excellence in various sports, the program encourages healthy competition and supports the development of young athletes. The initiative also fosters a sense of community by involving fans in the recognition process.

Athletes are on this week’s ballot based on information made available to The Dispatch and nominations.

Once athletes win during the regular season, they’re not eligible to be back on the ballot until the postseason. If athletes haven’t won in the regular season, they can be nominated more than once. 

The Dispatch staff reserves the right to remove ballots or athletes from the ballot where voting irregularities have occurred.

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Have any questions? Email sports editor Brian White at bwhite1@dispatch.com. 

Please do not email your votes; they will not count. Nominations and votes are not the same things.

Here are this week’s Boys Athlete of the Week candidates:

Quinn Dean, Reynoldsburg bowling: Took first place for the all-tournament team with scores of 247, 234, 279 for a 760 series. He has a 230.3 average.

Jackson Mangham, Olentangy basketball: Capped a 17-point, nine-rebound night by making the game-winning basket as time expired in a 64-62 win over Olentangy Berlin. He also totaled 27 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in wins over Central Crossing and Berlin.

Lee’Sean Saunders, Walnut Ridge basketball: Had 83 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and seven steals in 3 games. Against Marion Franklin, he scored 42 points.

Ian St. John, Worthington Christian basketball: Had29 points, eight rebounds, four 3-pointers and two steals in a 67-55 win over Bexley.

Levi Wolfe, Westerville South swimming: Recorded a time of 4:40.47 in the 500 freestyle at the Northeast Classic to break the school record of 4:41.03 set by Kevin Kissing in 1995. Wolfe also swam the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay team broke the school record for the second time this season.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Vote for Dispatch Boys Athlete of the Week presented by Wexner Medical Center