USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles girls golf nominees

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Los Angeles Girls Golfer of the Year. The event is May 19, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.

On May 19, 2020, the top athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Here are the 12 nominees for Los Angeles Girls Golfer of the Year.

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Jennifer Cai

School: Sage Hill School (Newport Coast)
Class: 2020
College: Northwestern
Noteworthy: At the state golf championship tournament, Cai shot a 3-over-par 74 to finish in 10th place.

Caroline Canales

School: Calabasas
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Canales claimed the CIF state championship by shooting a one-under 70 for a one-stroke victory over Sherilyn Villanueva of Troy.

Emma Han

School: Diamond Bar
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Han shot an even-par 72 at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the CIF-Southern Section individual championship, as well as the Freelance Tournament earlier in the year.

Angelica Kusnowo

School: Diamond Bar
Class: 2020
College: St. John’s
Noteworthy: Kusnowo capped her career by firing a two-over-par to finish fifth at the CIF state championship. She will take her 4.0 GPA across the country to St. John’s University next fall.

Tiffany Le

School: Walnut
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Le took home her second Hacienda League championship and posted a 71 to lead the Mustangs in the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division title at the Elkins Ranch Golf Club in Fillmore. She also reached the CIF state championship, where she finished tied for seventh.

Irene Park

School: Diamond Bar
Class: 2022
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Her 78 at the CIF state championship tournament provided the depth that Diamond Bar needed to come in third as a team, one shot behind runner-up Troy.

Isabel Sy

School: Troy (Fullerton)
Class: 2020
College: Illinois
Noteworthy: She won Freeway League MVP honors by finishing 6 under par, and helped propel the Warriors to a second-place finish in the state with her 5-over-par 76 at Poppy Hills Golf Club.

Emma Tang

School: Chino Hills
Class: 2022
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Tang’s two-over-par 75 in the SoCal girls regional at Brookside Golf Club was good enough to qualify her for the championship, and she was named team MVP for the Huskies.

Sherilyn Villanueva

School: Troy (Fullerton)
Class: 2020
College: Long Beach State
Noteworthy: Villanueva, a tri-captain, finished second at the state championship match, one stroke behind Caroline Canales of Calabasas.

Kelly Xu

School: Claremont
Class: 2022
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Xu passed a mettle test when she rebounded from bogeying three of his first four holes to finish with a 2-over-par 74 and come in third place at the CIF-Southern Section finals.

 

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles football finalists — defense

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Los Angeles Football Defensive Player of the Year. The event is May 19, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.

On May 19, 2020, the top athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Here are the 12 finalists for Los Angeles Football Defensive Player of the Year.

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Jaylin Davies, Mater Dei (Photo: Logan Newman/USA TODAY High School Sports)

Jaylin Davies

School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Davies came up big often for Mater Dei, especially in the regular-season game against St. John Bosco when he made two crucial plays to help secure the victory.

Raesjon Davis, Mater Dei (Photo: David Chisholm/1550 Sports)

Raesjon Davis

School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Davis can counter opposing wideouts with the best of them. He also gets into receivers’ routes with uncommon aggressiveness when he goes hip to hip.

Jonathan Flowe, Upland (Photo: David Chisholm/1550 Sports)

Jonathan Flowe

School: Upland (Calif.)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Following his brother’s footsteps into opposing backfields, Jonathan had 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks to go with 54 tackles as a junior.

Justin Flowe, Upland (Photo: David Chisholm/1550 Sports)

Justin Flowe

School: Upland (Calif.)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2020
College: Oregon
Noteworthy: Flowe, the most coveted linebacker in the nation, had 123 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and five forced fumbles. His coach, Darryl Thomas, sums him up succinctly: “He is fast, strong, smart and violent.”

Korey Foreman (90), Centennial (Photo: Tre Anthony)

Korey Foreman

School: Centennial (Corona)
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: At 17, Foreman, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs more than 260 pounds, is manhandling mismatches. He blows by and powers through opposing offensive linemen with ease.

Ray Leutele, Mater Dei (Photo: Russ Ronchi/Mater Dei Football)

Ray Leutele

School: Mater Dei
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2020
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Leutele led Mater Dei in tackles (72), tackles for loss (18.5) and interceptions (three) while also posting six sacks and defending eight passes.

Kobe Pepe, St. John Bosco (Photo: EC Sabin/St. John Bosco Football)

Kobe Pepe

School: St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Position: Defensive line
Class: 2020
College: USC
Noteworthy: Pepe led St. John Bosco with 74 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks and also had a forced fumble and deflected five passes.

Clark Phillips, La Habra (Photo: Paul Luna)

Clark Phillips III

School: La Habra
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2020
College: Ohio State
Noteworthy: Phillips did it all at La Habra, contributing on offense and special teams, but it’s the aggressiveness against the pass and run that made him a Buckeye. He had four interceptions and seven passes defended.

Robert Regan, Orange Lutheran (Photo: Alexandar Kitano)

Robert Regan

School: Lutheran (Orange)
Class: 2021
Position: Cornerback
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Regan displayed discipline with his hands and the ability to go hip to hip with opposing wideouts of all speeds this season for Lutheran. Recruiters have noted the desired arm length as he collected 43 tackles, three interceptions and defended 20 passes.

Jay Toia, Grace Brethren (Photo: Rob Ruben/Crossview Studios)

Jay Toia

School: Grace Brethren (Simi Valley)
Class: 2021
Position: Defensive tackle
College: USC
Noteworthy: Toia grew up playing rugby, but he has fully transitioned to football as a 300-pounder who relishes leveling opposing linemen. He had 43 tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks.

Victory Vaka, Westlake (Photo: Angel Ziess)

Victory Vaka

School: Westlake (Westlake Village)
Class: 2021
Position: Defensive tackle
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Vaka tips the scales at over 300 pounds but is nimble enough to negotiate his way through defensive lines into quarterback’s faces for sacks and run stuffs.

Kourt Williams II, St. John Bosco (Photo: David Chisholm/1550 Sports)

Kourt Williams

School: St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2020
College: Ohio State
Noteworthy: Williams wrought havoc in the Trinity League as a hard-hitting hybrid — strong safety and outside linebacker — with speed. His style will dovetail with Ohio State’s defensive approach.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles football finalists — offense

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Los Angeles Football Offensive Player of the Year. The event is May 19, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.

On May 19, 2020, the top athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Here are the 10 finalists for Los Angeles Football Offensive Player of the Year.

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Centennial wide receiver Gary Bryant (Photo: Tre Anthony)

Gary Bryant

School: Centennial (Corona)
Class: 2020
Position: Wide receiver
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Bryant is next in the long line of playmaking Huskies. He proved it with seven catches for 166 yards against Mater Dei. He also set a program record with five touchdown catches in Centennial’s win over Liberty (Henderson, Nev.).

Jermaine Burton, Calabasas (Photo: David Chisholm/1550 Sports)

Jermaine Burton

School: Calabasas
Class: 2020
Position: Wide receiver
College: Georgia
Noteworthy: The Georgia transplant will button-hook back to SEC country after a star turn out west with the Coyotes. His Twitter handle, @dbassassin13, makes clear who his targets are.

Kody Epps, Mater Dei (Photo: Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY Staff)

Kody Epps

School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Class: 2020
Position: Wide Receiver
College: BYU
Noteworthy: Epps accumulated 93 receptions, 1,735 yards and 28 touchdowns. His 339 yards and five touchdowns against Mission Viejo pushed the Monarchs past the Diablos and into the CIF Southern Section Division I final.

Ethan Garbers, Corona Del Mar (Photo: Michael Vorhees/Sea Kings Photo)

Ethan Garbers

School: Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach)
Position: Quarterback
Class: 2020
College: Washington
Noteworthy: At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Garbers gobbled up yards through the air (5,035 yards and 71 TDs) and on the ground (573 rushing yards and 12 TDs) as he oversaw Corona Del Mar’s ride to a 16-0 championship season.

D.J. Harvey, Sierra Canyon (Photo: @scanyonsports)

D.J. Harvey

School: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Harvey was the do-it-all dynamo for Sierra Canyon as he totaled 1,465 receiving yards and returned two punts for touchdowns. He will be back for an encore as a senior next season.

John Humphreys, Corona Del Mar (Photo: Michael Vorhees/Sea Kings Photo)

John Humphreys

School: Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2020
College: Stanford
Noteworthy: Humphreys committed to the Cardinal last March, and showed all season what he will bring to Stanford as he totaled 2,001 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Sea Kings in his senior campaign.

Kris Huston, St. John Bosco (Photo: David Chisholm/1550 Sports)

Kris Hutson

School: St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Class: 2020
Position: Wide receiver
College: Oregon
Noteworthy: Shifty enough to create space out of the slot and then spin out of tackles before sprinting into the open field, Hutson, who hauled in 69 passes for 1,290 yards and 15 touchdowns, contributed in the return game as well.

CJ Stroud, Rancho Cucamonga (Photo: All-American Bowl)

CJ Stroud

School: Rancho Cucamongo
Position: Quarterback
Class: 2020
College: Ohio State
Noteworthy: Stroud proved to be adept as a pro-style prospect as he passed for 3,878 yards and 47 TDs while limiting his mistakes with nine interceptions.

DJ Uiagalelei, St. John Bosco (Photo: Logan Newman/USA TODAY High School Sports)

DJ Uiagalelei

School: St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Position: Quarterback
Class: 2020
College: Clemson
Noteworthy: Uiagalelei, the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in his class, led St. John Bosco to the state championship by throwing for 4,225 yards and 48 touchdowns with just two interceptions and rushing for 412 yards and eight more touchdowns.

Bryce Young, Mater Dei (Photo: Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY Staff)

Bryce Young

School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Class: 2020
Position: Quarterback
College: Alabama
Noteworthy: After decommitting from USC, Young audibled to Alabama. He dominated a tough schedule, averaging 348.3 yards per game and completing 71.9% of his passes while throwing for 58 touchdowns.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles girls cross country finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Los Angeles Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. The event is May 19, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.

On May 19, 2020, the top athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Here are the eight finalists for Los Angeles Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

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Hana Catsimanes, San Clemente (Photo: Gene Leon-Guerrero/PrepCalTrack)

Hana Catsimanes

School: San Clemente
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: Catsimanes’ PR of 16:44.9 came at the Dana Hills Nike Invitational in September, and she continued to push the pace with first-place finishes at the Orange County Championships (17:02.8) and the Sea View League Finals (16:53.1).

(Photo: Chiara Caldarola via Pexels)

Maddie Coles

School: Claremont
Year
: Sophomore
Noteworthy: Coles built upon her sterling freshman season – second place in 17:44.8 at the state championship — to win the Crystal Springs Invitational with a 17:25 in October. Since then, she set her PR at 16:30 to win the Palomares League title.

Dalia Frias, Mira Costa (Photo: Bill Leung)

Dalia Frias

School: Mira Costa
Year
: Sophomore
Noteworthy: Frias announced herself when she finished in second with a 17:01.1 at the Sundown Showdown in September and followed up with a PR of 16:34.7 at Woodbridge.

Emma Hadley, Canyon (Photo: Heston Quan)

Emma Hadley

School: Canyon
Year
: Sophomore
Noteworthy: Hadley’s 18:18.5 at the Pat Hadley Memorial Invitational was good for first place. She returned atop the podium at the Century Conference League Finals with a 17:01.6 time, as well. In between, she set her PR of 16:49.9 at Woodbridge.

Madeleine Locher, Ventura (Photo: Jim Locher)

Madeleine Locher

School: Ventura
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: In a two-week stretch, the senior won the Ventura County Championship with a 17:43.0 and ran a new PR of 16:52 to win the Apache Invitational.

Amber Rios, Colony (Photo: Juan Ordaz)

Amber Rios

School: Colony
Year
: Junior
Noteworthy: After running a 16:59.3 in the Asics/Cool Breeze Invite, Rios dropped another 18 seconds off her time at Woodbridge to break the Colony school record.

(Photo: Chiara Caldarola via Pexels)

Savannah Scriven

School: Palos Verdes
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: Scriven got things going with a second-place finish at the 2019 ‘Iolani Cross Country Invitational at Kualoa Ranch before putting up her PR (16:28.9) at the Woodbridge HS Cross Country Classic.

Jill Walker, Simi Valley (Photo: Mike Kort)

Jill Walker

School: Simi Valley
Year
: Junior
Noteworthy: Walker went low at Woodbridge with a 16:49.7 and won the Coastal Canyon League Cross Championships with a time of 18:24.5.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles boys cross country finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Los Angeles Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. The event is May 19, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.

On May 19, 2020, the top high school athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Here are the eight finalists for Los Angeles Cross Country Boys Runner of the Year.

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Jace Aschbrenner, Newbury Park (Photo: Joe Lumaya/Special to the Star)

Jace Aschbrenner

School: Newbury Park
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: Aschbrenner has been comfortable picking through the carnage that star teammate Nico Young has left behind. His PR (14:04.8) came in the same race as Young’s.

Matthew Casillas, Redlands East (Photo: Camille Andreas)

Matthew Casillas

School: Redlands East Valley
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: The Wildcat made his presence felt at Woodbridge when he posted a 14:25.7 to come in eighth place and then added the Citrus Belt League title at 15:11.6.

Jai Dawson, Dana Hills (Photo: P. Corsinita)

Jai Dawson

School: Dana Hills
Year
: Sophomore
Noteworthy: He wasn’t planning on running cross country this season until September. That makes Dawson’s 14:41.1 at the Orange County Championships for second place even more impressive. He continued to shed time as he clocked in at 14:17.2 to win the South Coast League finals.

Carrick Denker, Dana Hills (Photo: P. Corsinita)

Carrick Denker

School: Dana Hills
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: The veteran finished third behind teammate Jai Dawson at the Orange County Championships and clocked his PR (14:23.7) at the South Coast League finals.

Nicholas Goldstein (back), Newbury Park (Photo: Joe Lumaya/Special to the Star)

Nicholas Goldstein

School: Newbury Park
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: His best time – 14:25.6 – came at Woodbridge, and his speed has only added more depth to the best team in the region.

Anthony Grover, JSerra (Photo: Edna Ermisch)

Anthony Grover

School: JSerra
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: After winning the Mt. Carmel/Asics Cross Country Invite and the Orange County Championship as an individual (14:34.3), the senior will travel across the country to compete for Wake Forest in college.

Michael Mireles, Thousand Oaks (Photo: Joe Lumaya/Special to the Star)

Michael Mireles

School: Thousand Oaks
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: Mireles went out fast to run 14:17.6 at Woodbridge, continued on to win the Ventura County Championship at 14:57.2 and crossed the finish at 14:33.3 to come in third at the Marmonte League finals.

Nico Young, Newbury Park (Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Nico Young

School: Newbury Park
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy: The national star became the first high school boy to ever go under 13:40 in cross country for three miles when he ran 13:39.70 at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in September.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles girls volleyball finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Los Angeles Girls Volleyball Player of the Year. The event is May 19, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.

On May 19, 2020, the top high school athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

Here are the eight finalists for Los Angeles Girls Volleyball Player of the Year of the Year.

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Kelly Belardi, Marymount High School (Photo: Kenneth Kilroy)

Kelly Belardi

School: Marymount
Year
: Sophomore
Noteworthy
: Belardi is an adept passer who finished the season with 759 assists as she distributed the ball to devastating hitters for the Sailors.

Meg Brown, Mater Dei (Photo: Lisa Marocco)

Meg Brown

School: Mater Dei
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy
: Headed to Pepperdine after originally committing to Alabama, the 6-foot-3 middle blocker provided senior leadership and 88 total blocks and 313 kills.

Mele Corral-Blagojevich, Redondo (Photo: Thomas Beucler)

Mele Corral-Blagojevich

School: Redondo Beach
Year
: Freshman
Noteworthy
: She has proven a quick study with strong decision-making skills and a taste for the quick kill. Against Mira Costa, she stitched together a stat line of 17 kills, three blocks and two aces.

Nalani Iosia, Redondo (Photo: Thomas Beucler)

Nalani Iosia

School: Redondo Beach
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy
: A four-time captain, the converted libero was named MVP of the Power Classic early in October, and she proved versatile as a setter when necessary to help defeat fellow Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei in an epic. She is committed to the University of Texas.

Allison Jacobs, West Ranch (Photo: Rob Arimoto/Arimotophoto)

Allison Jacobs

School: West Ranch
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy
: At 5-foot-11, the senior outside hitter is headed to UCLA after tallying 939 kills and 515 digs in her high school career.

Kami Miner, Redondo (Photo: Jonathan Wang)

Kami Miner

School: Redondo Beach
Year
: Junior
Noteworthy
: She helped the Team USA Girls’ Youth National Team win the gold medal in the FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship for the first time ever this year in Egypt.

Casi Newman, San Juan Hills (Photo: Camille Andreas)

Casi Newman

School: San Juan Hills
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy
: The setter plans to attend UC Davis after an All-American season with the Stallions. She posted 780 assists this season.

Mia Tuaniga, Mater Dei, (Photo: Lisa Marocco)

Mia Tuaniga

School: Mater Dei
Year
: Senior
Noteworthy
: Bound for Long Beach State, the senior setter proved a steady stroke for the Monarchs as a team captain. At 5-foot-11, Tuaniga had 721 assists and 205 kills this season, and her back-to-back blocks in the fourth set against Redondo proved crucial for Mater Dei’s victory.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

Nominate a Southland high school athlete for USA TODAY’s ‘I AM SPORT’ Award

Know a high school athlete in the Los Angeles area who dedicated time and effort to volunteer work in the community? Nominate him or her for USA TODAY’s “I AM SPORT” Award.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, which celebrates the top high school athletes in the Los Angeles area, will include a category for community service.

The I AM SPORT Award honors high school student-athletes who are dedicated to volunteering their time to benefit others in their community.

The award process includes an online nomination period and voting period.

High school student-athletes from schools in the Los Angeles area and surrounding communities can be nominated at this website until Jan. 21. (Please see rules on contest page to make sure your school is eligible to participate.)

Voting begins Jan. 22 and runs through March 2.

All nominees will be invited to the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus on May 19, 2020, and the three finalists will be announced live. The winner will be honored and receive a trophy at the event.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

Save the date for inaugural USA TODAY High School Sports Awards in Los Angeles

USA TODAY has announced the date and location for the inaugural USA TODAY High School Sports Awards in Los Angeles.

USA TODAY Sports has announced the date and location of the inaugural USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event. The event will take place next May in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is one of three cities around the country that will play host to such an event. The others are Atlanta and Dallas.

On May 19, 2020, the top athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus. Featured sports include soccer, golf, volleyball, football, basketball, softball, baseball, cross country, track and field, lacrosse and wrestling.

The first round of fall sports nominees will be announced later this month.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.