The562’s Athletes of the Week is sponsored by the Long Beach Century Club.
Congratulations to our Athletes of the Week and thanks to the Long Beach Century Club and Naples Rib Company for their support.
HIGH SCHOOL
Mandy Oliveros and Mikki Sakai, CAMS Girls’ Tennis
CAMS dominated the Moore League Girls’ Tennis finals with sweeps across the board. Mandy Oliveros defeated teammate Mikki Sakai to claim her third straight singles title. Oliveros then teamed up with Sakai to take down 2-time league champion teammates Sara Rodriguez and Saya Nagae to claim the doubles title.
Cheeky Talaga, Long Beach Poly Girls’ Volleyball
Cheeky Talaga had a big showing in the Jackrabbits’ playoff win against San Marcos. The freshman libero led a dominant serving effort with six aces and a team-high 14 digs.
Mack Cooper, Wilson Football
Wilson capped off their season as the 2025 undefeated Moore League champions with a win over Lakewood. Senior quarterback Mack Cooper threw two touchdowns on 115 yards in the 23-0 victory.
Zackariah Salcedo, Wilson Football
Zackariah Salcedo was huge on defense for the Wilson Bruins in their 2025 undefeated championship season. The senior recorded two sacks in the win against Lakewood, tying the Bruins single-season record at 13.
Kamarie Smith, Long Beach Poly Football
Kamarie Smith had some highlight touchdowns in Long Beach Poly’s final game in the historic Veterans Memorial Stadium, which resulted in a 55-22 win for the Jackrabbits. Smith had two TDs, including a punt return and a touchdown on a 56-yard play where he broke through a handful of tackles before taking it to the house.
COLLEGE
Madi Maxwell, LBSU Women’s Volleyball
Madi Maxwell recorded her second triple-double of the week in Long Beach State’s sweep over UCI. The sophomore notched 10 kills, 11 digs, and 27 hits for the Beach against the Anteaters. In a sweep over Fullerton, Maxwell had 35 assists and five kills while hitting .455.
Caleb Francisco, LBSU Men’s Water Polo
Long Beach State Men’s Water Polo defeated No. 15 UCI in a close 13-12 final score. Junior attacker Caleb Francisco notched four goals for the Beach in this road win.
Cameron Rhone, Long Beach State Cross Country
The Beach had their best finish since the 2021 season at the Big West Cross Country Championships, taking fifth place overall. Junior Cameron Rhone led Long Beach State, placing 14th with a time of 25:01.8.
