Statesman Journal Sports Awards
Big-time athletes earn great reputations.
The Statesman Journal will honor those athletes. In addition to these finalists, all Athletes of the Week have earned a ticket to the 2017 Sports Awards.
These are the Player of the Year finalists for Fall Sports for the Statesman Journal Sports Awards.
The winners will be presented at the June 6 Statesman Journal Sports Awards at the Salem Convention Center.
If you are an honoree, click here to reserve your spot at the Sports Awards.
Fans cheer as runners compete in the Greater Valley Conference championship boy’s 5K race at the Crystal Lake Sports Park in Corvallis on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. West Salem’s Ahmed Muhumed finished first.
Boys cross country
Jefferson junior Hassan Ibrahim
West Salem senior Ahmed Muhumed, Jefferson junior Hassan Ibrahim and Jefferson freshman Ahmed Ibrahim are the finalists for the boys cross country athlete of the year.
This season Muhumed won his third consecutive Greater Valley Conference district championship and followed that up by winning his second consecutive OSAA Class 6A state championship.
Hassan Ibrahim, a junior, continued his exciting career by winning the 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 championship for the second year in a row then went on to place second at the state meet for the second straight year.
Jefferson freshman Ahmed Ibrahim
His younger brother, Ahmed Ibrahim, made a sterling debut by placing third in the district meet with a personal record then went on to place third at the Class 3A/2A/1A state meet.
Announcing the All-Mid-Valley boys cross country team
Girls cross country
Kennedy’s Kaylin Cantu
Kennedy junior Kaylin Cantu, Sprague sophomore Ginger Murnieks and Sprague junior Kaylee Mitchell are the finalists for the girls cross country athlete of the year.
Sprague’s Kaylee Mitchell crosses the finish line in the Greater Valley Conference championship girl’s 5K race at the Crystal Lake Sports Park in Corvallis on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. Sprague’s Ginger Murnieks finished first.
In Mitchell’s first season at Sprague and second ever running cross country, she placed second in the GVC district meet and went on to place 12th at the Class 6A state meet.
Cantu won her third consecutive district cross country championship and went on to place third at the 3A/2A/1A state cross country meet.
Sprague runners prepare to compete in the Greater Valley Conference championship girl’s 5K race at the Crystal Lake Sports Park in Corvallis on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. Sprague’s Ginger Murnieks finished first.
Murnieks focused on cross country for the first time this fall and won the GVC district championship then went on to place 14th at the 6A state meet despite breaking her foot.
All-Mid-Valley girls cross country team announced
Boys soccer
South Salem’s Sebastian Ruelas (17) celebrates with his team after a goal in the Central Catholic vs. South Salem boy’s soccer game in the second round of 6A playoffs at South Salem High School on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Central Catholic won the game 9-8 after 11 rounds of penalty kicks.
The finalists for boys soccer player of the year are Woodburn senior Reggie Reyes, South Salem senior Sebastian Ruelas and West Salem senior Stuart Aeschliman.
Ruelas scored 16 goals and had five assists this season and concluded his high school career as South Salem’s all-time scoring leader with 41 goals and 93 points and was named first-team 6A all-state.
West Salem’s Stuart Aeschliman (9) competes for possession with Grant’s Philip Quinton (7) on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, at Grant High School in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant.
Aeschliman, an All-American selection, scored 18 goals, contributed six assists and was named first-team all-league for the fourth time and 6A first-team all-state.
Woodburn’s Reggie Reyes
Reyes was the Mid-Willamette Conference player of the year and was first-team 5A all-state after scoring 12 goals.
Announcing the All-Mid-Valley boys soccer team
Girls soccer
Emily Collier is a defensive center midfielder for Blanchet Catholic School on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016.
Blanchet junior Emily Collier, Sprague senior Sarah Teubner and Silverton freshman Paige Alexander are the finalists for the girls soccer player of the year.
Silverton’s Paige Alexander and the Foxes fall to La Salle 3-2 in overtime during the OSAA Class 5A State Championship game on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, at Hillsboro Stadium.
Alexander made a sterling debut by scoring 33 goals and having 10 assists and was the co-5A state player of the year.
Sarah Teubner signs to play soccer for Clark College at Sprague High School in Salem on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
Teubner was the Greater Valley Conference player of the year and was first-team 6A all-state after scoring nine goals and recording 11 assists.
Collier was the 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 player of the year and was first-team 3A/2A/1A all-state by scoring 14 goals and having 18 assists.
Announcing the All-Mid-Valley girls soccer team
Volleyball
McNary’s Sydney Hunter goes up for a spike in a game against South Salem on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016, at West Salem High School. The South Salem Saxons won the match-up 3-0.
The volleyball player of the year finalists are Sydney Hunter, a senior from McNary, Selbie Christensen, a junior from South Salem, and Paige Whipple, a senior from West Salem.
South Salem junior Selbie Christiensen
Christensen, a 6-3 outside hitter, had 369 kills and 217 digs and was named first-team all-Greater Valley Conference.
Hunter, a 6-1 outside hitter, had 347 kills and 124 digs and was honorable mention 6A all-state.
West Salem’s Paige Whipple (12) spikes the ball past Clackamas’ Calla Meyer (6) and Kayley Andersen (3) in the OSAA Class 6A quarterfinal volleyball match of Clackamas vs. West Salem at Liberty High School in Hillsboro on Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. West Salem lost in four sets.
Whipple, a 6-2 outside hitter, had 517 kills and 268 digs and was 6A first-team all-state and was the GVC player of the year.
Announcing the All-Mid-Valley volleyball team
Football
Bishop Mitchell speaks before signing to play football with Portland State University at Kennedy High School in Mt. Angel on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
Kennedy senior Bishop Mitchell, Central senior Marlon Tuipulotu and Dallas senior Tanner Earhart are the finalists for football player of the year.
Central’s Marlon Tuipulotu (51) and his teammates shake hands with Wilsonville players following the Central vs. Wilsonville OSAA Class 5A semifinal football game at Hillsboro Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. Wilsonville won the game 56-34.
Tuipulotu was the 5A defensive player of the year after making 62 tackles with 14 for loss including six sacks.
Dallas’ Tanner Earhart (24) rushes in the first half of the Dallas vs. Lebanon OSAA Class 5A semifinal football game at Hillsboro Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. Lebanon won the game 10-7.
Earhart was the 5A offensive player of the year after rushing for 2,068 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Mitchell was the 2A co-offensive player of the year after rushing for 2,217 yards and 28 touchdowns.
2016 All-Mid-Valley Football team
The finalists, as well as athletes of the week, will receive a complimentary ticket for the event. They can register at http://stjr.nl/Nominee
Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.statesmanjournal.com/sportsawards
Tickets to the dinner/awards event are $50 if purchased by March 12. General admission tickets will cost $65 and be available through May 27.