Online vote winner: Fabian Santiago
Oakcrest, senior
Track and field, football
Santiago received 62 percent of the 513 votes cast in our online poll for the Male Athlete of the Year.
The fastest male in New Jersey high school sports. He won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the outdoor track and field Meet of Champions. He also anchored the Falcons' 4x100 relay team to victory, becoming just the third male to win three gold medals at one MOC in the meet's 44-year history. Santiago also won the state Group III 100 and 200 dashes to help the Falcons win a state team championship. In indoor track and field, he won the state Group III 55 dash. Santiago also played football, rushing for 292 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Santiago said he is undecided about college.
Other finalists:
Zak Barrett
Wildwood, senior
Football, basketball and baseball
Averaged 21.6 points in basketball and led Wildwood to a 20-6 record. He was a second-team Press All-Star. In football, he played quarterback and threw for 603 yards and four touchdowns. Barrett was 4-2 on the mound for the Warriors' baseball team.
Braheme Days Jr.
Bridgeton, junior
Track and field
Days is one of the best scholastic shot putters in the nation. Days won the indoor Meet of Champions. He won the indoor Eastern States Championship in February with a put of 70 feet, 8 inches – the best throw in the country last winter.
He was the Press indoor track Athlete of the Year and a first-team All-Star. In the spring, he won the shot put at the Penn Relays Carnival and the state Group II championship. Days missed the outdoor track and field Meet of Champions with a knee injury.
Domenic LaFragola
Holy Spirit, senior
Football and wrestling
LaFragola excelled at football and wrestling for the Spartans. He was a dominant offensive lineman for a Spirit team that won state titles in 2011 and 2010. He was a second-team Press All-Star. In wrestling, he won the District 32 285-pound title and was a Press first-team All-Star. He will play football for the University of Albany on a partial scholarship.
Roy Lucas
St. Joseph, junior
Football and wrestling
A standout in football and wrestling for the Wildcats. Lucas finished third in the state at 220 pounds and won the Region 8 wrestling title.
In football, Lucas helped the Wildcats finish undefeated and win the state Non-Public I championship.
The offensive and defensive tackles made 27 tackles and had two sacks. He was a Press first-team All-Star in both sports.
