Sam Ivins Won Shreveport Athlete of the Week

The Benton athlete secured the first weekly poll win of the 2026 season with over 21,000 votes.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Track & Field

Expressive sports illustration of a high school track athlete at the starting line, captured with brush-stroke motion and vibrant colors. — Sam Ivins, a student-athlete at Benton, was named the Shreveport Times Athlete of the Week for the first week of the 2026 season. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Sam Ivins emerged as the winner of the Shreveport Times Athlete of the Week poll for Week 1. Ivins outperformed the competition to secure the victory in the regional contest, which excludes football players.

Why it matters

The poll serves as a community-driven recognition for high school athletes across Northwest Louisiana based on nominations and recent game performance. It provides local competitors with public acknowledgment for their achievements on the field or track.

Ivins captured 47.4% of the total vote count, finishing ahead of Jaliyah Brown, who earned 40.2% of the ballots cast.

The players

Sam Ivins

An athlete based in Benton who was selected as the Week 1 winner in the regional reader poll.

Jaliyah Brown

A local competitor who finished in second place during the inaugural week of the reader-voted poll.

The details

The competition is hosted online at shreveporttimes.com and highlights top-performing athletes in the region. Following the win, Ivins received a backpack and a lunch combo as a prize for the achievement.

The weekly online poll closes at midnight each Thursday.

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Season Trajectory

This win marks the first milestone in a season-long series of regional recognition for Northwest Louisiana student-athletes. The results track early-season momentum across local sports programs as competitors vie for continued community support.

Readers continue to influence regional sports coverage by participating in the weekly voting process. The results highlight the most active fanbases supporting student-athletes in the Northwest Louisiana area.

The takeaway

Participating in regional athlete polls offers fans a direct way to support high school programs and honor individual hard work. Consistency in community voting remains the primary driver for athletes looking to secure a weekly win.