Scheduling note: We are pausing the athlete of the week poll until after the holidays. The next poll will be posted on Jan. 9.
Benicia soccer player Nicholas Ruiz is the Bay Area News Group’s boys high school athlete of the week for Dec. 12-17 after he had received 39.22% of the vote at the 5 p.m. deadline Wednesday.
Dublin basketball player Mehki Thomas (36.72) finished second and Santa Teresa basketball player Adam Nakai (10.80%) took third.
Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition.
Ruiz, a senior, scored two goals to lift his team to a 3-2 non-league victory over Armijo. He began this week leading the team with five goals and four assists as Benicia had won five of its seven matches.
To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com by Monday, Jan. 9, at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results.
We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration.
Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and, starting Sept. 30, in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.
Past winners
Dec. 5-10: Eli Roth, Acalanes soccer
Nov. 28-Dec. 3: Austin Shelton, San Ramon Valley football
Nov. 21-26: Jae’Von Reels, Bellarmine football
Nov. 14-19: Dashiell Weaver, Campolindo football
Nov. 7-12: Nate Bell, Liberty football
Oct. 31-Nov. 5: Angel Barraza, Dublin football
Oct. 24-29: Zachariah Norton, Hayward football
Oct. 17-22: Shane Timmons, Saratoga football
Oct 10-15: Owen Neitzel, Leigh water polo
Oct. 3-8: Salvador Espinoza, Lincoln-San Jose football
Sept. 26-Oct. 1: Antonio Arenas, El Camino football
Sept. 19-24: Nic Austen, College Park water polo
Sept. 12-17: John Ben Pau Mendoza, San Ramon Valley football
Sept. 5-10: Luke Baker, San Ramon Valley football
Aug. 28-Sept. 3: Luke Llabres, Willow Glen water polo
Aug. 22-27: Mikhail Popov, College Park water polo
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