Another exciting week of spring sports has passed, and many of the area’s brightest stars showed up big for their teams when it mattered most. 

The latest pair of Athlete of the Week winners excelled on the soccer field and helped their team improve their odds at positive positioning in the playoffs. 

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@lexingtonchronicle.com.

Photo by Chuck Crumbo

Jack Traub

River Bluff’s Jack Traub helped the Gators earn a crucial win over White Knoll that kept the team in contention for first place in the region and gave them a one-game cushion over third place. 

Traub scored two goals and had an assist as the Gators defeated the Timberwolves 8-0. It was Traub’s third game scoring multiple goals this season. His season-high was four in a game, which was also against White Knoll. 

The Sophomore has been a nice addition to the Gators this season. The team began this week two games behind first-place Chapin. With just three region contests left to go, they will likely have to win out to win the title.

Sam Strait

Hailey Jiminez-Cortez

Brookland-Cayce junior Hailey Jiminez-Cortez helped the Bearcats go 2-1 with a region win over Midland Valley included. 

Jimenez-Cortez leads the Bearcats in goals this year and has been good for at least a goal per game. She scored twice in the team’s region contest over Midland Valley and set her teammate up with an assist. 

The Bearcats' second win came against Manning in a non-region match. Jimenez-Cortez scored seven times in that game for a new season-high. She also had an assist in that game, bringing her point total to 15 for the match. 

Brookland-Cayce sits right in the middle of their region standings. The team still has an opportunity to move up or down, so these final few games will be crucial. More strong outings by Jimenez-Cortez will put Brookland-Cayce in a great position to move up a bit.