The Tom Shields-Riley Sullivan reader poll matchup has attracted more than 42,000 votes. FILE PHOTOS BY CINDY YAMANAKA AND GARY KAZANJIAN |
OCVarsity Voice: Thanks for voting. Now, what were you thinking?
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You, the public has spoken. ...I'm just not sure what you said.
By now, OCVarsity readers (or at least those in the Tom Shields and Riley Sullivan fan club) have checked out – and voted several times – for the county's best athletes in our online poll.
Some of the results so far have left me scratching my head.
In the first round, Shields (Edison swimmer) trounced Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley, by 52 percentage points. Sullivan (Trabuco Hills runner) "edged" Blake Ayles (Orange Lutheran football, track and field) by 54 percentage points, and Dominique Williams (Savanna football, basketball, track and field) beat Hunter Steffien (St. Margaret's football, basketball, lacrosse) 68 percent to 32 percent.
I'm not even going to get started on how Woodbridge's Christine Babcock lost in the first round. That was as shocking as a No. 16 seed beating a No. 1 in the men's NCAA basketball tournament. (It happens every year in the women's tournament).
(Click here to see all first round results)
If that wasn't enough to drive me over the edge, then the semifinals voting has.
The Shields-Sullivan match has garnered 42,856 votes. (As of 11:39 p.m. Wednesday night while I watch "The Real World.")
In another shocking development, the Shields-Sullivan post has received 37 comments on the blog. That number hasn't been seen on our blog since Miguel A. Melendez (A.K.A. M and M, or M& M or Double M or Miguelito) did his Pregame, Halftime, Postgame, After Party soccer blog.
The Jerime Anderson-Dominique Williams battle is up to 9,614 votes.
On the girls side of the contest, Jamia Reid has a 5,221-1,189 lead on Alison Ramos. Then there is the Melissa Bates-Emily Klug tilt. That contest has only 684 votes!!! How is that possible??
Everybody has a voice and you did a great job of expressing your thoughts. Congratulations.
The numbers will increase by the time the polls close at 6 p.m. Thursday (May 15). The finals will be set and eventually, the people will crown a winner.
However, the staff here at OCVarsity.com will make its selections next month – and we're not going to let you vote.
The frontrunners have to be Newport Harbor's Kyle Caldwell (basketball and volleyball) and Woodbridge's Babcock.
Caldwell was the Sunset League MVP in basketball and will likely repeat the feat in volleyball, or at least he should. He's headed to UCLA on a volleyball scholarship, but with everybody from Jack Haley to Lorenzo Mata graduating this year, he should get a look on the basketball court too. (Are you listening Ben Howland?)
He's a dual threat on the volleyball court, hitting and setting for the Sailors. His leadership skills have led the Sailors to the top of the county and CIF rankings, and the Sailors are a favorite to advance to the CIF-SS Division I finals on March 24.
On the girls side, the award has to go to Babcock. I've never seen her run in person, but from everything that my main man and track/cross country guru Jason Eichelberger says, she is top-notch.
She's in the midst of another record-setting year, she's the Cross County Athlete of the Year and the reigning Register Athlete of the Year.
You can't go wrong with these two. While the others (Shields, Sullivan, Williams, Bates, etc.) have all had sensational seasons, Caldwell and Babcock have proved to be the best of the best.
Voting in our semifinals round has ended. Click here to see the results.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
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