Heritage High School Athletes of the Week: March 23

Back row, from left: Kyle Tolle, Justin Kushner, Andrew Johnson, Jack Bowler, Gilbert Hernandez. Front row, from left: Alina Ponce de Leon, Sara Pearson, Kaleigh Giannone. Menifee 24/7 photo: Kristen Spoon

Each week, Menifee 24/7 honors top student-athletes at Heritage High School. The coach of each varsity sport is allowed to select athletes based on the previous week's performances or on potential shown by the athlete. Today we feature Heritage High School Athletes of the Week from the last two weeks:

Pitcher Kyle Tolle has a 1.83 ERA for the baseball team and is hitting .500 in the early going this season.

Softball standout Alina Ponce de Leon is batting .429 with a home run and is 2-1 with a save on the pitching mound.

Last week, Kaleigh Giannone of the girls track team took second place in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles at the Beaumont Cougar Classic, which featured athletes from 32 schools. This week, she finished second in the 100 and 300 hurdles against Elsinore and ran a leg of the Patriots' winning 4x100 relay team.

Sara Pearson took first place in the mile and 800 vs. Oak Hill two weeks ago. Gilbert Hernandez of the boys track team took first place in the discus at the Beaumont Cougar Classic.

Andrew Johnson, the No. 1 singles player for the boys tennis team, started the season with a 14-4 record, even while playing four teams ranked in the top 10 in the Inland Empire.

The tennis doubles team of Justin Kushner and Jack Bowler won seven out of nine sets last week against Vista Murrieta, Arlington and Chaparral.

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