Double-doubles from two basketball players among top prep sports performances of the week

With just about a week remaining in some winter sports seasons, this week's lineup saw several Pueblo-area athletes locking into playoff form and strengthening their team's positions in the league standings.

This week's top performers list includes some career-high numbers on the court, a couple of clean sweeps on the wrestling mat, a few fancy assists on the ice, and more.

Each week, the Chieftain will list the top student-athletes from area schools to highlight those who have performed at a high level. The Chieftain sports staff selects the top high school performers. Coaches can nominate players by emailing cabdelmalek@gannett.com.

Here are this week's top prep performers (all stats and standings are through Thursday, Feb. 2):

Grace Helzer, Pueblo East basketball

Helzer dropped 20 points and added five rebounds and five assists in a 54-44 victory over Pueblo Centennial, earning the Eagles a 4-2 record in league play and a third-place standing in the South-Central League after the first round of games. But it’s not just her scoring that’s helping the Eagles, Helzer is among the top 15 Class 5A players in the state in steals, and is ranked in the top three in blocks.

Trinity Martin, Pueblo West basketball

Martin recorded her fourth double-double on the season in a 62-33 victory over Pueblo County. Her 11 points and 10 rebounds not only helped secure the victory for the Cyclones but also sole possession of first place in the S-CL standings. Her 10.3 rebounds per game are second in the league and 10th overall in Class 5A.

Ray J Aragon, Pueblo South basketball

Aragon had a solid week for the Colts, putting in 6 points and 7 rebounds against the Wildcats and then following that up with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals against the Eagles, both victories for South. In doing so, Aragon surpassed 1,000 career points, joining teammate Maurice Austin who achieved that mark earlier this year.

Braxton Vail, Pueblo County basketball

Vail dropped 12 points and had 15 rebounds in a 58-48 Hornets victory over Pueblo West. He is averaging 10 rebounds per game, which is the best in the S-CL and the third most in Class 5A in the state. The Hornets sit in third place in the league standings with a 4-2 record.

Trevor Simon, Pueblo County hockey

Simon had two assists in the Hornets' 3-3 tie with the Palmer Terrors, bringing his point total to seven on the season, which is fifth best on the team. The Hornets are still in fourth place in the CHSAA 4A Varsity South Division and will need some wins over their next few games if they hope to move up the standings and sneak into a playoff spot.

AJ Jaramillo, Dolores Huerta Prep wrestling

Jaramillo had a perfect week on the mat, scoring three wins via pinfall and one win by way of decision over the fourth-ranked wrestler in the state in Class 2A. Jaramillo is the third-ranked wrestler in Class 2A in the 106-pound division.

Maunel ‘Pocky’ Amaro, Pueblo East wrestling

Amaro also had a perfect week on the mat for the top-ranked Eagles squad. He went undefeated in a recent tournament in Kansas, taking first place in the 113-pound division, and then went on to best Oliver Wojciechowski of Pueblo West later in the week to go 5-0 and remain the No. 3 wrestler in Class 4A for his weight class.

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter @chowebacca

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Here are Pueblo's top prep sports performances for the week of Jan. 30