The winter sports season is back to its regularly scheduled program after a brief break for the holiday season. While many teams participated in tournaments over the break, last week was the return of ordinary non-region competition.

Many athletes were able to rest and reset over the break, allowing them to start 2025 strong. 

This week’s Athlete of the Week winners excelled on the basketball court and led their teams to a regular season win.  

Voting for Athlete of the Week runs from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Monday each week at lexingtonchronicle.com/athleteoftheweek. To submit a nominee for consideration, email a photo and short bio to sports@lexingtonchonicle.com.

John Berned

Pelion senior John Berned helped his team claim a 53-34 victory over Swansea in the Panthers’ first game since Dec. 19. 

Berned finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win. He shot 60% from the floor and made his only three-point attempt of the game by splashing in a shot from the corner. 

The senior has been a big part of Pelion’s 10-2 start to the season. The Panthers are off to one of their best starts ever as Berned averages seven points, four rebounds and two steals a game. 

Berned and Pelion will look to continue the momentum into next week as the team begins region play. 

Abby Livingston 

Irmo’s Abby Livingston earned Athlete of the Week after another exceptional performance. She helped her team pick up a dominant win against Newberry in their second-to-last game of 2024. 

Livingston scored 32 points and added three rebounds, three assists and seven steals in the win. She made 52% of her shots, including three three-pointers and 73% of her two-point attempts. 

The Yellow Jackets began this week 8-5 and were scheduled to play another game against Newberry on Jan. 7 after the Chronicle’s press deadline. The team begins region play this week on Jan. 10 against Lexington.