The 2024-25 high school sports season has wrapped up, and athletes from the Salem-Keizer area produced countless memorable performances this past school year.
Now it’s your turn to vote for who is the best.
Nominees for Statesman Journal girls Athlete of the Year are:
Tia Allen, Kennedy track and fieldEmma Brewer, Salem Academy basketballMyleigh Cooper, Scio softballSarahi Chavez, McNary wrestling and soccerHadley Craig, Silverton basketballNelida Dalgas, North Salem track and field and cross-countryBrooke Friesen, Sprague volleyballKenzi Hollenbeck, Stayton basketball and softballCelia James, Salem Academy track and field, basketball and soccerBraeli Martin, West Salem softball, basketball and volleyballRunon Muroya, Western Christian basketballHarlow Nelson, Dallas softballEliza Nisly, Amity soccer and basketballPolly Olliff, Dallas wrestlingGretchen Orton, Jefferson basketballAverie Peterson, Santiam track and fieldLillian Pickett, Cascade track and fieldMalia Scanlan, Cascade softballMarley Wertz, Silverton soccer and basketball
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is most deserving at statesmanjournal.com/sports. The poll closes at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4.
Tia Allen, Kennedy track and field
The senior claimed the Class 2A state discus title and took seventh in the shot put. Allen finished the season with a personal-best discus throw of 149 feet, 4 inches, third-best in the state regardless of classification.
Emma Brewer, Salem Academy volleyball
The junior was named the Class 2A state player of the year after leading Salem Academy to the state title.
Brewer, who is committed to play at San Diego, racked up 27 kills in a 25-19, 25-17, 25-14 win over Crosshill Christian in the state title game at Ridgeview High School in Redmond.
Sarahi Chavez, McNary wrestling
The senior captured her second state wrestling title, winning the 6A/5A 100-pound championship by technical fall despite wrestling with a ruptured knee ligament.
Myleigh Cooper, Scio softball
For the third consecutive season, Cooper was named the Class 3A state player of the year. A Cal Poly signee, she led Scio to its first-ever state title.
Cooper was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Oregon. She broke the state record for home runs, ending her career with 75. Cooper finished as the third-winningest pitcher in state history with 83 victories.
Hadley Craig, Silverton basketball
The junior earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors after helping Silverton to a third-place finish at the state tournament at Linfield University in McMinnville. Craig was named to the all-tournament team.
Nelida Dalgas, North Salem track and field and cross-country
The junior took second place at the Class 6A state cross-country meet at Lane Community College. A week later, she took sixth place at the NXR Northwest Regional Championships in Eagle, Idaho. Dalgas’ personal-best time of 16 minutes, 46.3 seconds at the Rose City Championship Invite was the 18th-fastest in the nation this season.
During the spring track and field season, Dalgas placed second in the 3,000 (9:49.45) and seventh in the 1,500 (4:38.82) at the state meet at Hayward Field.
Brooke Friesen, Sprague volleyball
The sophomore was named the Central Valley Conference player of the year and earned Class 6A first-team all-state recognition after helping Sprague reach the state quarterfinals.
Kenzi Hollenbeck, Stayton basketball and softball
The senior was named the Oregon West Conference co-player of the year and earned Class 4A first-team all-state honors after helping lead Stayton to the state title.
In the spring, Hollenbeck earned first-team all-league honors on the softball field.
Celia James, Salem Academy track and field, basketball and soccer
For the third time in her career, the Crusaders’ versatile senior won the Class 2A 400-meter state title (57.69) on the track. She took third in the 800 (2:24.41) and ran anchor legs for Salem Academy’s state title-winning 4×400 relay team (4:04.62) and first-place 4×100 relay team (50.48).
On the basketball court, James earned first-team all-state honors after leading the Crusaders to the 2A state title.
She was a team captain for Salem Academy’s soccer team, which went 11-6 on the year and reached the second round of the state playoffs.
Braeli Martin, West Salem softball, basketball and volleyball
The Titans’ senior was named the Class 6A pitcher of the year and earned first-team all-state honors after helping West Salem reach the state quarterfinals.
On the basketball court, Martin was a first-team all-Central Valley Conference selection.
On the volleyball court, she earned second-team all-league recognition.
Runon Muroya, Western Christian basketball
The senior was named the Class 2A state player of the year after helping Western Christian reach the state title game.
Muroya was named to the all-tournament first team.
Harlow Nelson, Dallas softball and track and field
The freshman took third place in both the 100 (12.28) and 200 (25.05) at the Class 5A state meet at Hayward Field.
She also played third base and hit leadoff for Dallas’ softball team, which reached the state playoffs.
Eliza Nisly, Amity soccer and basketball
On the soccer field, the junior earned Class 3A/2A/1A first-team all-state recognition and was named 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 co-player of the year after leading Amity to the second round of the state playoffs.
On the basketball court, Nisly earned honorable mention all-state honors while helping the Warriors win the 3A state title.
Polly Olliff, Dallas wrestling
The senior won her third consecutive 6A/5A wrestling title, this time capturing the 115-pound championship by 10-3 decision.
Olliff won the 105 title as a sophomore before winning the 110 crown as a junior.
Averie Peterson, Santiam track and field
The versatile senior won the Class 2A 800-meter state title with a state meet-record time of 2:15.71. She took second at state in the 1,500 (4:41.94) and triple jump (36-4 3/4).
Peterson, a St. Mary’s College track and field commit, finished the season with 2A top-10 marks in the 200, 400, 800, 1,500, long jump and triple jump.
Gretchen Orton, Jefferson basketball
The senior was named the Class 3A state player of the year after leading Jefferson to the state semifinals.
Lillian Pickett, Cascade track and field
For the second consecutive season, the senior won the Class 4A 400 state title. She clocked a personal-best time of 55.77 — the sixth-fastest time in the state this season, regardless of classification. Pickett’s time was also the third-fastest ever for a 4A girls runner in the state of Oregon.
She also finished as runner-up in the 200 (25.25).
Malia Scanlan, Cascade softball
The Cougars’ senior was named the Oregon West Conference player of the year after helping the Cougars reach the state playoffs.
A Western Oregon University signee, Scanlan hit .543 on the year and ranked among the state leaders with 11 home runs, 18 doubles and 62 RBIs.
Marley Wertz, Silverton soccer and basketball
The Foxes’ sophomore was named the Mid-Willamette Conference player of the year and earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors after helping lead Silverton to the state quarterfinals.
On the basketball court, Wertz received honorable mention all-league recognition.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Vote for Statesman Journal high school girls Athlete of the Year
