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 Jan. 23-28. 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. Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@ bayareanewsgroup.com. We accept nominations until 11a.m. each Monday.

Here are the nominees:

GIRLS

Surina Castro, Encinal basketball: Castro was a key player in Encinal's 61-26 win over Arroyo. She scored a team-high 20points, grabbed seven rebounds and gave out three assists. The freshman later scored five points in a win over St. Joseph-Notre Dame later in the week. Quinn Godfrey, Branham basketball: Godfrey, a junior post, scored 20points and had seven blocks during a 57-51 win over Evergreen Valley on Thursday. That was a season-high in blocks for the rim-protector who averages 3.4 blocks per game.

Ariel LaQua, Terra Nova soccer: The junior standout has scored three goals according to stats inputted into MaxPreps, and helped the Tigers win a 3-2 matchup with San Mateo. LaQua can play defensive and central midfielder, and can also fill in at forward when needed.

Ruiqi Liu, Menlo School basketball: The sophomore averaged 24 points and eight rebounds a game in the Knights' three wins last week. She had 32points against Riordan; put up 21 points and 13 rebounds at Harker, and 18 and 10 boards against Notre Dame-Belmont.

Makena Nitao, Hillsdale basketball: Nitao has been one of the best players on a Hillsdale team that is 8-1in league play and 18-3 overall. In wins over Burlingame and Capuchino, she compiled 47 points, hit six 3-pointers and had 10rebounds, 11assists, and 10steals.

Kailyn Oldham, James Logan basketball: The junior forward scored 11points and grabbed 11rebounds in a win over Irvington. A few days later, Oldham scored eight and corralled another 11boards in a 65-51victory over Newark Memorial.

Karena Shah, Mountain View soccer: Shah has had an exceptional junior season, scoring 20 goals and giving out seven assists for a Mountain View team that is first in their league. Last week, she scored two goals against Saratoga and one against Santa Clara.

Caitlyn Smith, Heritage basketball: The Patriots' senior guard scored 10points against Deer Valley in her final regular season home game. Smith has averaged 5.3 points, 2.5assists and 2.5steals per game for a Heritage team that is 8-0 in the BVAL.

Erika Upson, College Park soccer: The senior goalkeeper had several key saves in the Falcons' 1-0 win over Campolindo. Upson, who is credited with five shutouts, is a key part of a defense that has given up only 12goals in league play.

Naomi Van Zandt, Sacred Heart Cathedral wrestling:

The sophomore repeated as a WCAL champion last week. Van Zandt won the 150lb category and will go onto the Central Coast Section North regionals.

BOYS

Ryan Beasley, Dougherty Valley basketball: The USFbound senior returned from a high-ankle sprain to lead top-ranked Dougherty Valley to a 69-55victory at home over De La Salle and an 80-65 win at Dublin, securing the No. 1seed in the East Bay Athletic League tournament. Beasley had 22points against De La Salle and 29points and nine rebounds against Dublin.

Brennan Dew, Monte Vista soccer: The junior headed in three goals and had an assist as Monte Vista improved to 16-1-3overall and 9-1-1in the East Bay Athletic League. Dew scored one goal in a 4-0victory over De La Salle and had two goals in a 6-0win over Dublin.

Gavin Leypon, Liberty soccer: The senior scored four goals in his team's 5-0victory over Antioch in a Bay Valley Athletic League match. Last month, he scored all of his team's goals in a 5-0 win over Deer Valley and a goal in a 2-1victory over Pittsburg. Liberty began this week 9-6-1, 5-3.

Leimana Makasini, Sequoia soccer: The senior had three goals and four assists as Sequoia cruised past El Camino 11-0 in a Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division match. Makasini then had three goals and an assist in a 4-0 league victory over Capuchino. Sequoia ended the week 12-3-1 overall and 7-1 in the league.

Brooks Mead, Menlo School basketball: The senior scored 23points in an 86-54victory over Pinewood in West Bay Athletic League play. In a 61-57win over The King's Academy, he made big defensive plays down the stretch and then added a layup to clinch the outcome. Loyal Morris, Ygnacio Valley basketball: Finished with 19 points and nine rebounds as Ygnacio Valley defeated first-place Benicia 72-58in a Diablo Athletic League Valley Division game. Earlier in the week, he had 11 points and seven rebounds in a 77-50victory over Concord. YV is 18-5, 6-2.

Fedrick Pernell, Sacred Heart Cathedral basketball:

Scored 18 points and made the decisive free throw with eight seconds left in overtime as the Fightin' Irish upset Archbishop Mitty 62-61in West Catholic Athletic League play. One night later, the junior had 28 points in a 63-59 victory over Serra.

Elijah Perryman, Clayton Valley basketball: Moved his team one step closer to the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division title, scoring 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting as the Ugly Eagles bounced back from a loss to Campolindo to win at Acalanes 60-45. Clayton Valley began this week 21-3, 9-1.

Mike Wood, Las Lomas basketball: In a stunning 59-39 victory at Campolindo in Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division play, the senior had 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 14 rebounds as Las Lomas improved to 15-9, 7-3. Earlier in the week, he had eight points and five rebounds in a 94-67 rout of Miramonte.

Nathan Yousif, Silver Creek soccer: Accounted for both of his team's goals in a 2-1victory over Gunderson in Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division play. The junior also scored a goal in a 3-0victory over San Jose earlier in the week. Silver Creek began this week 9-4-3, 7-0-1.