Each week, our HomeTeam staffers will nominate male and female Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover, then we turn the voting over to our readers. These nominations span Saturday, Oct. 27 through Friday, Nov. 2. The winners get a free T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on what made our nominees stand out, then vote until noon Monday.
Female nominees
Hannah Brookover, Calvary Christian cross country: Freshman won the Class A-8 district meet at Taylor Park in Largo in 19 minutes, 46.8 seconds. She beat the runnerup by 32 seconds.
Barbara Caraballo, Newsome swimming: Senior won the 100 fly (56.25) and was part of the winning 200 medley relay team that helped the Wolves place second overall as a team in the competitive 3A-2 region meet.
Alex Eaton, Shorecrest cross country: Junior won the A-9 district meet in 18 minutes, 47 seconds and helped the Chargers take five of the top nine spots to win the team title with 24 points, 59 ahead of St. Petersburg Catholic.
Kylee Gorngpratum, Robinson volleyball: Junior had 30 assists, 11 digs, four kills and a block in the Knights’ five-game win over Lakewood in the region quarterfinals.
Nikita Shah, Wiregrass Ranch cross country: Harvard-bound senior won the first district title of her career, taking the 3A-6 crown in 18 minutes, 39 seconds to help the Bulls win the team championship.
Jocelyn Williams, Land O’Lakes swimming: Junior won the 200 individual medley and placed third in the 100 breaststroke at the 2A-2 region meet. She also swam on the 400 freestyle relay team that set a school record.
Male nominees
Tyler Bakich, Newsome golf: Sophomore finished tied for fourth in the Class 2A boys tournament, but had the tournament’s lowest round (5-under 67 on Day 2). Bakich’s mother, former LPGA Tour champion Colleen Walker, was moved to hospice on Monday after the cancer she has been battling spread to her brain.
Nick Buliga, Gulf cross country: Senior made up for last year’s second-place finish by claiming the 2A-8 district title (16:26.58) with a 14-second victory that helped the Buccaneers win the team championship.
Tyler Degen, Fivay football: Senior quarterback threw for five first-half touchdowns and 308 yards to help the Falcons jump ahead for good in a 55-28 win over Ridgewood. The victory puts Fivay in Monday’s 5A-6 district tiebreaker.
Austin Lawrence, Osceola football: Senior was the only Warrior to rush for more than 100 yards, averaging 10 yards a carry, in Friday’s 29-20 win over Bradenton Lakewood Ranch that clinched Osceola’s first playoff spot since 2006. Lawrence also scored on a 22-yard run in the fourth quarter that proved to be the winning touchdown.
Jack Maguire, St. Petersburg golf: Senior fired a second-round 4 under-par 68 at the Class 2A state tournament in Tavares to win medalist honors. He is the first Pinellas County golfer to win a state title since 1996 (Wink Amerman).
Garrett Young, Cambridge Christian football: Sophomore helped his Lancers play district spoilers by completing 21-of-28 passes for a whopping 419 yards and seven touchdowns. The Lancers’ 68-45 victory upset 2A-5 district favorite Admiral Farragut, knocking it from playoff contention.
Give us a shout next week at hometeam@tampabay.com if you have a Hot Shot we should consider.