Softball: 2024 Sauk Valley Media all-area team

First team

Brooklyn Brennan, Fulton, sr. IF/P: An Illinois Coaches Association all-state second-team selection in Class 1A and a Northwest Upstate Illini Conference West first-teamer, Brennan batted .500. She also cranked five home runs with 52 hits and 52 runs batted in this season, two of the top single season totals in school history. She was 3-1 in the circle with a 3.86 ERA and 21 strikeouts in six appearances.

Madison Duhon, Newman, sr. OF: An ICA all-state second-team selection in 1A and all-TRAC East first-teamer, Duhon led the team with a .500 batting average, 40 hits, six home runs, and 36 runs scored. She also had 19 RBIs.

Bella Duncan, Morrison, jr. IF/P: An ICA all-state second-team selection in 2A and all-TRAC West first-team pitcher, Duncan also hit .506 with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs. She struck out 232 batters in the circle with a 1.71 ERA in 109 innings pitched.

Jordan Eads, Morrison, sr. SS: An ICA all-state third-team selection in 2A and all-TRAC West first-team infielder, Eads hit .465 with four home runs and 28 RBIs. The Hawkeye Community College commit had only one error this spring.

Resse Germann, Fulton, jr. OF: An ICA all-state third-team selection in 1A and NUIC West first-teamer, Germann hit .439 with a school-record 52 RBIs and eight home runs. She had a 1.313 OPS with 43 hits and 42 runs scored.

Jenna Greenfield, Forreston, sr. utility: An all-NUIC South first-team selection, she hit .532 with a 1.314 OPS. She led the team with 42 hits and 22 runs with 19 RBIs.

Jess Johns, Newman, sr. P/IF: An ICA all-state second-team selection in 1A and all-TRAC East first-teamer, Johns led the team with 27 RBIs while hitting .402. She also hit six home runs and 10 doubles. She was 13-9 in the circle with a 4.4 ERA, striking out 186 in 136.1 innings.

Kendra Kingsby, Milledgeville, so. P/IF: An ICA all-state second-team selection in 1A and all-NUIC South first-teamer, Kingsby was the NUIC South player of the year. She hit .507 with 36 hits, 31 RBIs and five home runs. She posted a 3.23 ERA in the circle with 84 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched.

Zoe Kunau, Fulton, fr. OF: An ICA all-state third-team selection in 1A and all-NUIC West second-teamer, Kunau batted .500 with 47 hits, a .573 OBP, and 1.304 OPS. She scored 61 runs and only struck out six times in 95 at-bats.

Olivia Osborne, Rock Falls, sr. C: Led the team with a .436 batting average, 32 RBIs, 32 runs scored, six home runs and 10 doubles. The Augustana College commit was a first-team All-Big Northern Conference selection. She posted an on-base percentage of .505 and had a .979 fielding percentage behind the plate with 135 putouts.

Olivia Paul, Oregon, sr. DP/C: An all-Big Northern first-teamer, Paul had six home runs (5 in conference), 39 hits (28 in conference) and 38 RBIs (25 in conference). The Sauk Valley CC commit hit .513 overall with a .537 OBP and 1.38 OPS, good for an .842 slugging percentage, in 23 games played.

Maddie Smith, Bureau Valley, jr P/OF: An ICA all-state second-team selection and all-TRAC second-teamer, she was 10-8 with a 2.72 ERA and 154 strikeouts in the circle. She pitched three complete-game wins in the postseason, including a 6-5 win over Princeton to earn the Storm their first regional title since 2006. She was also solid at the plate, hitting .420 with 29 RBIs.

Sienna Stingley, Sterling, sr. P/: An Illinois Coaches Association all-state first-team selection in Class 3A, Stingley was the Western Big 6 Conference MVP for the first-time Big 6 champions in their fourth year in the league. Stingley, also this year’s Sauk Valley Media softball player of the year, set the single season school record of 379 strikeouts in 159 innings pitched while going 21-5 with a 1.12 ERA in the circle. She had her first perfect game against Rock Falls this season and threw three games with 16 strikeouts. She had 10 or more strikeouts in 15 of Sterling’s 30 games and stuck out 15 in a two-hit shutout of Belvidere North in the regional final, Sterling’s 12th straight. The Rock Valley Community College commit was also the top average and power bat in the area, batting her way a whopping .533 average , .614 on-base percentage, and 1.648 OPS (a 1.033 slugging percentage) with 48 hits, 17 walks, 11 home runs, 12 doubles, and 38 RBIS in 90 at-bats.

Bailey Tegeler, Dixon, jr. OF: An ICA all-state third-team selection in 3A and all-Big Northern first-teamer, Tegeler led the team with a .437 average, .520 OBP, and 1.244 OPS. She had 38 hits with one home run, 14 doubles, four triples, 22 RBIs, 36 runs scored and a whopping 40 stolen bases.

Ady Waldschmidt, Sterling, sr. IF: An ICA all-state third-team selection in Class 3A and Big 6 first-teamer, she hit a strong .468 average, .573 OBP, and 1.244 OPS (all three behind only Stingley) with 28 runs scored, a team-high 20 walks and 14 doubles to go with 22 RBIs for the Big 6 champions.

Second team

Izzy Ames, Eastland, fr SS.: An all-NUIC South first-team selection, she batted .422 with a .493 OBP. She had one home run and 18 RBIs.

Ella Dannhorn, Oregon, jr. SS: An all-Big Northern second-team selection, Dannhorn batted .462 with a .533 OBP and 1.29 OPS. The Rock Valley Community College commit had 36 hits, including 13 doubles, with 17 RBIs and 33 runs scored.

Karlea Frey, Polo, sr. IF/P: An all-NUIC South first-teamer, she led the team with six home runs, 28 RBIs, and a .474 batting average.

Addison Hartman, Fulton, jr. P: An ICA all-state third-team selection in 1A and NUIC West first-teamer, Hartman went 13-2 with 129 strikeouts and a 2.66 ERA in a team-high 20 games played.

Ella Ingram, Forreston, sr. 1B: An all-NUIC South second-team selection, she hit .452 with a 1.148 OPS. She had 33 hits with 21 RBIs and a team-high 16 stolen bases.

Kiera Karlson, Amboy, so. OF: An all-NUIC South second-teamer, she led the team with 35 hits and batted .479 with a .519 OBP and 1.259 OPS. She led the team with 19 RBIs and scored 23 runs.

Olivia Klinefelter, Eastland, jr. 3B: An all-NUIC South first-team selection, she hit .397 with a .420 OBP. She had three home runs and 29 RBIs.

Lesleigh Maynard, Bureau Valley, jr SS: An ICA all-state first team selection in Class 2A and TRAC East first-teamer, she hit .438 with 38 runs scored and 17 stolen bases.

Olivia Melcher, Sterling, sr. OF: The Western Big 6 second-team selection batted .340 with six home runs and 30 RBIs. She led the team with 39 runs scored and had 35 hits.

Kylie Mershon, Ashton-Frankin Center, sr. 3B/C: An all-NUIC South second-teamer, she led the team with five triples and 14 RBIs while batting .524.

Gracen Pitts, Oregon, sr. 2B/3B: An all-Big Northern second-team selection, Pitts batted .396 with a .500 OBP. The Kishwaukee College commit hit five home runs with 33 RBIs and a whopping 43 runs scored.

Sydnei Rahn, Polo, sr. OF: An all-NUIC South second-teamer, she led the team with a .525 batting average and 42 hits. She had two home runs, 10 doubles, scored 28 runs and had 13 RBIs.

Sydney Schwartz, Erie-Prophetstown, sr. SS: An all-TRAC West second-team selection, she hit .438 with a 1.134 OPS. The Sauk Valley CC commit earned the team’s MVP award.

Cheyenna Wilkins, Polo, jr.: An all-NUIC South first-teamer, she led the team with 32 runs scored and 14 doubles. She had 40 hits and batted .430.

Emily Wright, Bureau Valley, so. C: An ICA all-state third-team selection in Class 2A and all-TRAC East second-teamer, she hit .418 with three home runs and 28 RBIs.

Honorable mention

AFC: Claire Freeman

Amboy: Ellie McLaughlin, Peyton Payne, Tyrah Vaessen

Bureau Valley: Olivia Eckberg, Carly Reglin

Dixon: Allie Abell, Elly Brown, Ava Valk

Eastland: Vanessa Allen, Kennidee Bryant

E-P: Paezleigh Hudgin, Lily Swatos

Forreston: Ayla Kiper, McKenna Rummel, Bailey Sterling

Fulton: Emily Kane, Maddy Luskey, Kylie Smither, Jessa Read, Kira Wilson

Milledgeville: Maliah Grenoble, Addison Janssen, Loren Meiners, Olivia Wooden

Morrison: Allie Anderson, Kiyah Wolber, Elle Milnes, Ava Duncan

Newman: Brenleigh Cook, Lucy Oetting, Amiya Rodriguez

Oregon: Abree Barker

Polo: Camrynn Jones

Rock Falls: Jeslyn Krueger, Maddison Morgan, Ari Reyna, Nicolette Udell

Sterling: Mya Lira, Marley Sechrest, Kaity Taylor

West Carroll: Karissa Andrews, Bella Smith