How to add names to Cincinnati Enquirer's high school athletes of the week ballots in 2022

Melanie Laughman, Cincinnati Enquirer
·3 min read

The Cincinnati Enquirer again will conduct its popular high school athlete of the week voting during the 2022-2023 athletic year.

Voters can choose their favorite athletes from each sport and teams of the week throughout each season.

A nomination week runs from Monday through Sunday, with nominations due the next morning.

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Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week or team of the week in a variety of ways - through Twitter using the sports' hashtags or tagging @mlaughman or @EnquirerShelby, through the Enquirer's Facebook group, Enquirer Preps Plus, or through email to mlaughman@enquirer.com. To be clear, you may NOT email votes. You may only suggest players for the ballot.

St. Xavier tight end Joey Wassler (88) and wide receiver Jamaal Sharp (82) celebrate after a touchdown during their scrimmage against Colerain Friday, Aug 12, 2022.
St. Xavier tight end Joey Wassler (88) and wide receiver Jamaal Sharp (82) celebrate after a touchdown during their scrimmage against Colerain Friday, Aug 12, 2022.

Winter hashtags: Bowling, #cincybowling; Swimming and diving, #cincyswimdive; Basketball, #cincyhoops; Wrestling, #cincywrestling; Ice hockey, #cincyicehockey and Gymnastics, #cincygymnastics.

Other sources for ballot nominations: League websites and information reported to the Enquirer at prepsports@enquirer.com for the nightly cincinnati.com high school scores file.

Here are the basic rules:

  • Deadlines: Send nominations for any fall sport by Monday mornings at the latest for the late-Monday ballot post.

  • The varsity-level athlete should have made a significant impact on a game within the nomination time frame, which is the week prior to the voting period (Monday through Sunday). It's performance-based, not character-based or academics-based.

  • Send stats to support the nomination for these performance-based ballots. Photos and videos are welcome.

  • Once athletes win during the regular season, they're not eligible to be back on the ballot until the postseason. If athletes haven't won in the regular season, they can be nominated more than once.

  • Nominations do not guarantee placement on the ballot. The editor will have discretion on the number of times a particular team's athletes can be nominated. With there being only a certain number of weeks in a season, making sure a variety of schools is represented will be a consideration.

  • Voting is one vote per device per hour. Devices include tablets, phones and desktop computers. The Enquirer's software will count only one vote per hour from any WiFi connection so briefly remove your phones from WiFi to make sure your vote counts. In short, it's a free article so people can vote as often as they want.

  • Nominations and votes are two different things. You nominate someone to be on the ballot. You vote for them once they're there using the ballots at the bottom of each voting story file. You may email nominations by Monday from the previous week. You may NOT email votes. They do not count.

  • Remember the values of sportsmanship and fair play when voting. The editor reserves the right to remove athletes with voting irregularities from the ballot any time up to and after the voting closes. Please note: Leading the ballot by a lot isn't necessarily an irregularity. We can tell which is which. Once removed for just cause, the athlete or team won't be allowed back on the ballot for the rest of the season. 

  • Have fun with this. Just being on the ballot ensures athletes' achievements from any division and school are recognized by an extremely large number of viewers. The point is for fans to show their support and school spirit. Our all-stars at the end of the season recognize the best of the best. Our athletes of the week show individuals at their best during a specific period.

Winners will receive a certificate and inclusion in a story about that week's winners. The Enquirer will send these certificates to athletic directors by the end of the season.

Families and schools are welcome to send a photo of winners with their certificates to the Enquirer at mlaughman@enquirer.com or tag her on Twitter, @mlaughman.

Have any questions? Email Melanie Laughman at mlaughman@enquirer.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How to nominate Cincinnati Enquirer high school athletes of the week