Help us select our high school Athletes of the Week

Welcome to the Bay Area News Group (Mercury News & East Bay Times) boys and girls Athlete of the Week poll.

For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner.

This week, we consider performances from Nov. 21-26.

Polls close at 5p.m. Wednesday. Vote as many times as you'd like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting. Votes by email are not counted.

Winners are announced each Friday online and in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections.

Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com. We accept nominations until 11a.m. each Monday. We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps by coaches/team statisticians.

Here are the nominees:

GIRLS Soo-Jin Berry, Clayton Valley Charter basketball:

After grabbing 20boards in a scrimmage against Antioch, Berry repeated the accomplishment in the regular season opener vs. Pittsburg. 12of her 20 rebounds were on the offensive glass, and Berry also scored 15points and had two steals.

Kinga Czajkowska, Palo Alto cross country: The sophomore was the fastest finisher among Bay Area runners in the D-II CIF State cross country championship, running a 17.54.3. Palo Alto finished fourth among 24teams in the division. Tatum Olesen, Menlo-Atherton cross country: The junior from M-A was the fastest finisher among Bay Area runners in the Division I women's 5K event at the CIF State cross country championships. She ran a 17.45.9, which was the seventhfastest overall.

Meher Pereira, Cupertino basketball:

After a lowkey and solid sophomore season, Pereira started her junior year with a career-high 15points and one three-pointer made against James Lick. Cupertino won 66-5in its season opener.

Taya Scott, Leland basketball: The junior combo guard started her season with an excellent all-around game on Tuesday against Piedmont Hills. She scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists and had the team's only block of the game in a 77-48 win.

Erin Sellers, Oakland Tech basketball:

The defending Division III state champions started its title defense with a convincing 63-44 win against McClatchy. Coach Leroy Hurt said Sellers was the team's best player after she scored 16points, had two steals, and accrued one assist, a steal and a block.

Emily Soobrian, Los Altos cross country:

The Los Altos team finished first in the D-II CIF State cross country championship, and Soobrian ran the team's fastest time in the 5K. The junior ran an 18.03.9, which was only four seconds off her personal record.

Antonia Vlahos, Castilleja basketball:

Vlahos put Castilleja on her back in the team's opening 43-30win against Oceana. She scored 29of those points and hit 12-23 shots. The sophomore also notched a triple-double, grabbing 10 rebounds and putting up a combined 10 blocks and steals.

Shea Volkmer, Campolindo cross country: Campolindo's team dominated the D-III CIF State cross country championship, netting 63points while second place Cathedral Catholic of San Diego scored 128. Volkmer ran the fourth-fastest time of 212competitors with a 17.56.3time.

BOYS Jayden Arevalo, Santa Teresa football:

In a 23-15victory over Branham for the Central Coast Section Division IV championship at San Jose City College, Arevalo passed for 158yards and two touchdowns and ran for 101yards. The section title was Santa Teresa's first. The Saints will play at Palo Alto in a NorCal regional on Friday night.

Jake Bianchi, Menlo School football:

The senior threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns as Menlo won its first Central Coast Section championship with a 42-6 victory over Hollister in the Division III final on Saturday night in Salinas. The Knights will play at San Marin on Saturday night in a NorCal regional.

Jaden Green, Serra football:

Ran for 89 yards and a touchdown in seven carries, caught one pass for 21yards, intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and had four tackles to help lift Serra to a 41-14victory over Archbishop Mitty in the Central Coast Section Division I final on Friday night at San Jose City College. Serra (130) will play St. John Bosco-Bellflower for the Open Division state title on Dec. 10in Mission Viejo.

Kamani Jackson, El Cerrito football: The junior had two interceptions, including one with 1:08left to clinch the victory, as El Cerrito defeated Windsor 34-27in the North Coast Section Division III final last Benicia High on Friday. El Cerrito will play host to Grant-Sacramento in a NorCal regional on Friday night.

Sean Morello, Albany cross country: Finished second in the Division IV race and ninth overall at the California Interscholastic Federation state championships, running the 3.1-mile course at Woodward Park in Fresno in 15:08.8.

Odera Okaka, Pittsburg football: The senior defensive end had 10tackles, a sack and four quarterback hurries to help lead the Pirates to a 13-3victory over Clayton Valley in the North Coast Section Division I championship game on Friday night at Heritage High. Pittsburg will play host to Manteca in a NorCal regional on Saturday night.

Elijah Perryman, Clayton Valley basketball:

The 6-foot-2sophomore scored 23 points on 50% shooting (8 of 16) and had six rebounds to help lead the Ugly Eagles — last season's NCS Division I champs — to a 64-49season-opening victory over Pittsburg on Saturday.

Angel Ramirez, South San Francisco soccer: In a 5-2victory over Mills, the striker had four goals as South San Francisco improved to 1-1. The Warriors are coming off a season in which they finished second in the Peninsula Athletic League's Ocean Division.

Jae'Von Reels, Bellarmine football: Had 3.5sacks, including one on the game-sealing possession, and forced a fumble in a dominant performance as Bellarmine captured the Central Coast Section Division II championship with a 21-14victory over St. Ignatius at San Jose City College. The Bells will play Vanden-Fairfield on Saturday night in a NorCal regional at SJCC.

Jon Taylor, The King's Academy basketball: The senior scored 28points on Saturday to lead the Knights to a 64-55 victory over Lynbrook. Earlier in the week, he had 11points in a 62-33win over Aptos.