By Jennifer Stultz

Tri-County Tribune Editor

jstultz@cherryroad.com

The Tri-County Tribune continues a fall sports project naming one male and one female as our Athletes of the Week now for the 2024-25 Winter Sports Season. Winners of this weekly recognition will be picked from high school students in the five schools in our coverage area: Pratt High School, Skyline High School, Macksville High School, Stafford High School, St. John High School, and Kiowa County High School. At the end of the season, readers will vote on their favorite High School Fall Athlete of the season. Watch our website at www.tricountytribune.news for more information on this end-of-season award.

Anyone may nominate a player for an Athlete of the Week award, simply email stats and other important information from the schools in our coverage area only to Tri-County Tribune Editor Jennifer Stultz at jstultz@cherryroad.com.

In week two of our local student-athlete recognition program we honor the following:

Kooper Wesley

The Tri-County Tribune female Athlete of the Week, for Winter 2024, is Kooper Wesley of Skyline High School who was named the 4th Annual Kiowa County Shootout Girls Free Throw Champion. Wesley made 22 out of 25 free throws to claim the title this year.

Diego Esparza

Macksville High School’s Diego Esparza, the Tri-County Tribune male Athlete of the Week, for week 2 of 2024-25 has completed three consecutive games in which he scored at least a third of Macksville’s points. The senior point guard is averaging 30 points per game and is ranked in the top 2 in Kansas for 2 stats, top 1 in Division 1A I for 3 stats, and top 1 in Central Prairie for 4 stats.