Sports

Cincinnati Enquirer's High School Athletes of the Week: May 18, 2026 Voting Now Open

The Cincinnati Enquirer, in collaboration with Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, is currently hosting its weekly poll for High School Athlete of the Week, recognizing outstanding performances up to May 17th. Community members are encouraged to participate by casting their votes across various digital platforms, including desktop, mobile web, and the official Cincinnati.com application. Voting is permitted once every hour and will conclude promptly on Friday at 4 p.m. In a move to streamline the process, all commendation certificates for the winning athletes will now be distributed digitally, accessible through a dedicated Dropbox link.

This initiative spans all high school sports seasons, ensuring that exceptional athletic achievements are consistently acknowledged. It is crucial for voters to use the designated online platforms, as emailed submissions will not be tabulated. Additionally, users sharing a Wi-Fi network should temporarily disconnect from the network to ensure their hourly votes are registered accurately, as the system identifies Wi-Fi networks as single IP addresses. This measure is in place to maintain fairness and prevent multiple votes from a single user within the hourly limit. Digital certificates will be made available to families by 8 AM on the Monday following each Friday's announcement of winners, and photos of printed certificates can be submitted for inclusion in the online gallery.

Recognizing Outstanding High School Athletic Achievements

The Cincinnati Enquirer, in partnership with Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, has initiated the voting period for its High School Athlete of the Week program, celebrating remarkable accomplishments from high school athletes across all sports disciplines through May 17th. This weekly recognition highlights individual excellence and dedication within the local high school sports scene. The community's active participation is vital, with voting available on multiple platforms—desktop, mobile web, and the Cincinnati.com app—allowing for convenient and frequent engagement. A key aspect of this year's program is the transition to digital certificates, making the recognition process more efficient and accessible for the recipients and their families.

This program is designed to cover the entirety of the high school sports calendar, ensuring a continuous spotlight on emerging talent. To uphold the integrity of the voting process, it is important to note that only votes submitted through the official online channels will be counted, explicitly excluding email submissions. Furthermore, a technical consideration for voters on shared Wi-Fi networks involves temporarily switching off Wi-Fi for each hourly vote to ensure proper registration, as the system treats a single Wi-Fi connection as one IP address to deter voting irregularities. Following the weekly Friday deadline, digital copies of the certificates will be promptly provided to families via a secure Dropbox link by the subsequent Monday morning at 8 AM, and families are invited to share photographs of their printed certificates for publication in the online gallery.

Voting Guidelines and Digital Certificate Distribution

The Cincinnati Enquirer, in collaboration with Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, has opened its weekly poll for High School Athlete of the Week, honoring standout performances by high school athletes up to May 17th. This initiative encourages widespread community involvement in celebrating local sports talent. Individuals can cast their votes hourly across various platforms, including desktop computers, mobile web browsers, and the official Cincinnati.com application. The voting window closes on Friday at 4 p.m. All certificates for weekly honorees will be provided in a digital format, accessible through a public Dropbox link, marking a modernized approach to athlete recognition.

The Athlete of the Week program is a continuous effort throughout the high school sports seasons, ensuring that all deserving athletes have the opportunity to be recognized. To maintain the fairness and accuracy of the voting results, voters must utilize the specified online platforms, as votes sent via email will not be considered. Additionally, users connected to shared Wi-Fi networks should temporarily disable their Wi-Fi for each hourly vote. This step is necessary because the system identifies a single Wi-Fi connection as a singular IP address, and temporarily disconnecting ensures that each individual vote is accurately recorded. Digital versions of the certificates will be distributed to the families of the winners via the designated Dropbox link by 8 a.m. on the Monday following the Friday deadline, and families are welcome to submit photos of their printed certificates for inclusion in the online gallery.