VOTE: Who is The Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week for Jan. 17-23?
As the winter sports season rolls on, high school basketball teams are starting to separate themselves as championship contenders, local gymnastics teams are getting to know each other fairly well, and a couple of Portsmouth freshmen are proving they're ready for the big time.
Here are the nominees for The Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week for Jan. 17-23 and what they accomplished. You can cast your votes below. The poll closes Thursday at 7 p.m. Find all of the Stars of the Day from the past week here.
Rowan Snyder and Jordan Burnley, Portsmouth gymnastics
Choosing between these two Patriots was a near impossibility, so they both got the nod. On Jan. 22, Burnley turned in an all-around score of 34.45 to lead Portsmouth to wins over Mount Hope, Middletown and the Rogers/East Providence co-operative team at the Newport County YMCA.
A day later at the same location, it's was Snyder's turn. She posted a 34.45 all-around score as the Patriots topped Middletown, Barrington and Rogers/East Providence.
Nate Sama, Tiverton boys basketball
Trailing by two with under a minute left, Sama and Luke Del Deo each hit a pair of free throws to put Tiverton ahead 44-42 against host Toll Gate on Jan. 22.
The Titans' last-second 3-point attempt to win the game was off the mark, and Sama grabbed the rebound, fell to the ground, kept his dribble and was able to hold possession until the final whistle. The forward finished with six points, 10 rebounds and three assists as the Tigers won their first game of the season.
More: Cut from his middle school team, Tiverton's Tristan White put in the work — and it shows
Addison Mau, Portsmouth girls track
Just a freshman, Mau won the 1,500 meters, beating out three teammates, at the World Trophies Invitational on Jan. 22 in Providence. She recorded a time of 5 minutes, 42.89 seconds to best fellow Patriots Gabby Sparks, Maria Chytka and Katie Yalanis. She also placed 12th in the 400.
Izayah King, Rogers boys basketball
King tallied a game-high 28 points and snared 15 rebounds as the host Vikings easily dispatched Toll Gate 70-43 on Jan. 20. One night later, King had eight points and the Rogers defense got it done in a 46-43 home win over Burrillville to climb to 7-1 in the Division II standings. King started his week with a 14-point effort as the Vikings easily moved past Tiverton 81-37 on the road.
More: Winning trumps all for Rogers High trio of Izayah King, Darian Piker and Elijah Neal
Kyle Bielawa, Portsmouth freshman boys basketball
In two games, Bielawa averaged 28 points, including a game-high 34 for the Patriots in a 62-34 win over Woonsocket on Jan. 20. Earlier in the week, Bielawa added 21 in Portsmouth's 60-28 triumph over North Kingstown. During the two-game stretch, Bielawa went 14-for-16 from behind the 3-point line while shooting 80% overall from the field.
Ashley Ney, Middletown girls basketball
Ney averaged 13 points in two games for the Islanders, with her biggest contribution coming in a tight victory over Burrillville on the road Jan. 17. She had six 3-pointers, including five in the second half, and 20 points to send the Islanders to a 46-43 triumph.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Who is The Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week for Jan. 17-23?
