Columbia River’s Neftali Menendez is The Columbian Week 24 prep athlete of the weekFree

Columbia River track and field athlete Neftali Menendez is the The Columbian 2022-23 Week 24 high school athlete of the week, presented by Heavy Metal Pizza in Vancouver.

Menendez picked up 388 of the 1,528 votes cast this week to earn the honor.

The junior won the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters at the John Ingram Twilight meet at Columbia River.

Winners of the athlete-of-the-week may not be nominated again during the regular season, and no athlete may be nominated in consecutive weeks.

Nominees are posted and voting begins each Monday and runs through Wednesday.

FINAL VOTE TOTAL

1. Neftali Menendez, Columbia River, 388
2. Katy Kutch, Seton Catholic, 346
3. Andrew Howard, Skyview, 344
4. Sydnee Boothby, Washougal, 242
5. Dylan Osborne, Union, 208

Here are the accomplishments of the other Week 24 nominees:

SYDNEE BOOTHBY, WASHOUGAL GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD: Boothby won the the 1,600 meters and the 800 meters at the John Ingram Twilight meet at Columbia River.

ANDREW HOWARD, SKYVIEW BOYS SOCCER: Howard scored four goals and added one asists in two league wins for the Storm.

KATY KUTCH, SETON CATHOLIC SOFTBALL: Kutch went 7 for 9 with five extra-base hits and 10 RBI and allowed no earned runs in 8 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts in three league wins.

DYLAN OSBORNE, UNION BASEBALL: Osborne went 4 for 9 with three runs and threw five shutout innings with six strikeouts in three league wins for the Titans.