Athletes of the Week

BOYS

Steve Howard

School: Buena

Sport: Football

Year: Junior

Season at a glance: Howard has caught six passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He also has converted 22 of 23 conversion kicks and three of four field goals. He is the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer.

Week at a glance: Howard, who entered last week with one catch for five yards, had five receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-32 upset over San Marcos. He also kicked field goals of 27 and 32 yards, converted three of four extra points and booted six of his eight kickoffs into the end zone.

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GIRLS

Natalie Stein

School: North Hollywood

Year: Sophomore

Sport: Cross-country

Season at a glance: Stein, the defending City Section champion, has won three of four races and finished second in the other to Canyon senior Lauren Fleshman, the runner-up in the 1997 West region championships.

Week at a glance: Stein ran a City record of 17:56 over the three-mile course at Pierce College in a Valley Pac-8 Conference meet against Poly and Sherman Oaks CES. The time trimmed one second off her previous best at Pierce and should bolster her confidence heading into the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational on Saturday.