Vote: Who should be Register-Guard high school girls Athlete of the Year?

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Jun 29, 2025 - 12:00

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Vote: Who should be Register-Guard high school girls Athlete of the Year?

The 2024-25 high school sports season is in the books, and athletes from the Eugene-Springfield area delivered no shortage of electric performances throughout the year.

Now, we want you to decide which local star was the best of the bunch.

Nominees for Register-Guard girls Athlete of the Year are:

Brooklyn Anderson, Thurston track and field
Payton Buschelman, North Eugene soccer
Claire Crawford, Pleasant Hill volleyball and basketball
Madelyn Del Castillo, Thurston swimming
Giana Elgarico, Marist Catholic volleyball
Syren Ferguson, Thurston softball
Eva Kato, South Eugene soccer
Vanessa Keller, Oakridge wrestling
Addison Kleinke, Churchill track and field
Libby McLaughlin, Marist Catholic soccer
Nyah Mitchell, Churchill volleyball
Chantell Noffsinger, Creswell wrestling
Cricket Phipps, North Eugene track and field
Kendall Quinney, Sheldon soccer
Brynn Smith, Willamette basketball
Francesca Tomp, North Eugene golf

Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is most deserving at registerguard.com/sports. The poll closes at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4.

Thurston’s Brooklyn Anderson competes in the 5A girls 100 meters during the third day of the OSAA State Track and Field Championships on May 31 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Brooklyn Anderson, Thurston track and field

Anderson won the 5A 100-meter hurdles state title in thrilling fashion and clocked a personal-best time of 14.40 seconds during the season. She also placed third at state in the long jump (17 feet, 7 inches) and fourth in the 100 (12.37).

North Eugene midfielder Payton Buschelman, right, and South Eugene defender Julia Martin battle for the ball. Buschelman was the Midwestern League player of the year and made the 5A all-state first team.

Payton Buschelman, North Eugene soccer

Buschelman, a sophomore for the Highlanders, earned 5A first-team all-state honors and was named the Midwestern Conference player of the year while helping lead North Eugene to the second round of the state playoffs.

Pleasant Hill’s Claire Crawford sets against Elmira. Crawford was an all-state volleyball and basketball player.

Claire Crawford, Pleasant Hill volleyball and basketball

The Billies senior earned 3A first-team all-state honors after helping lead the school's volleyball team to the state semifinals. Crawford also earned third-team all-state basketball honors.

Thurston’s Madelyn Del Castillo celebrates winning her heat in the girls 200 yard freestyle at the 5A Midwestern League Championships at Willamalane Pool Feb. 14.

Madelyn Del Castillo, Thurston swimming

The Colts' freshman won the 5A title in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:52.91 at the OSAA state championships at Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center. Del Castillo also placed third in the 100 breaststroke with a personal-best time of 1:05.5.

Marist’s Giana Elgarico hits as the Marist Catholic Spartans defeated North Eugene 3-1 Sept. 5, 2024 at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene.

Giana Elgarico, Marist Catholic volleyball

The Spartans senior earned 4A first-team all-state honors after helping lead Marist Catholic to the state title game. Elgarico has signed to play beach volleyball at the University of Oregon.

Thurston’s Syren Ferguson celebrates after a walk in a state semifinal against Crater. Ferguson made the 5A all-state first team.

Syren Ferguson, Thurston softball

The Colts junior outfielder earned 5A first-team all-state honors after helping lead the Colts to the state title game.

South Eugene’s Eva Kato chases down the ball during a match against the North Medford Black Tornado Sept. 10, 2022, in Eugene.

Eva Kato, South Eugene soccer

The Axe junior earned 6A first-team all-state honors and was named the Southwest Conference co-player of the year while helping lead South Eugene to the first round of the state playoffs.

Vanessa Keller, Oakridge wrestling

The Warriors' junior captured her third consecutive 4A/3A/2A/1A state title, this time claiming the 110-pound crown at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Addison Kleinke, of Churchill, clears the bar in the U20 women’s pole vault on the first day of the Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 Championships on June 19 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Addison Kleinke, Churchill track and field

The Lancers junior won her third consecutive 5A pole vault title, and also captured the long jump title at the OSAA state meet. Kleinke's personal-best mark of 14 feet, 3/4 inch at the May 9 Oregon Twilight was a new state record, breaking her own mark, and the third-best vault in the nation this season among high school athletes.

She went on to finish third at the USATF U20 National Championships at Hayward Field on June 19.

Marist Catholic’s Libby McLaughlin scores as the Marist Spartans defeated Scappoose 4-0 in the semifinal round of the OSAA state championships at Marist High School in Eugene Nov. 12, 2024.

Libby McLaughlin, Marist soccer

The Spartans sophomore was named 4A player of the year and earned first-team all-state honors after leading Marist Catholic to the state title.

Churchill’s Nyah Mitchell hits as the Churchill Lancers fell in four sets to Summit in the first round of the OSAA state volleyball tournament Oct. 28, 2023, at Churchill High School in Eugene.

Nyah Mitchell, Churchill volleyball

The Lancers' senior earned 5A first-team all-state honors and helped lead Churchill to a third-place state finish. There, she earned first-team all-tournament honors. Mitchell has committed to compete at the University of Portland next season.

Chantell Noffsinger, Creswell wrestling

The Bulldogs senior won the 4A/3A/2A/1A 145-pound state title at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

North Eugene’s Cricket Phipps sprints down the homestretch to win her heat of the girls 1 mile during the Oregon Relays April 4 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Cricket Phipps, North Eugene track and field

The Highlanders' junior won the 5A state title in the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 33.23 seconds at the OSAA state championships. She also took seventh in the 800 (2:19.71).

At the state cross-country championships last fall, Phipps was 22nd (19:21.1).

Sheldon’s Gwyneth Seilo, left, and Kendall Quinney battle West Linn’s Caitlyn Schreck for control of the ball during the first half in Eugene.

Kendall Quinney, Sheldon soccer

The Irish junior earned 6A first-team all-state honors and was named the Southwest Conference co-player of the year while helping lead Sheldon to the state quarterfinals.

Willamette's Brynn Smith celebrates as the Willamette Wolverines host the South Medford Panthers Jan. 17 at Willamette High School in Eugene.

Brynn Smith, Willamette basketball

The Wolverines senior earned 6A second-team all-state recognition and helped lead Willamette to fifth place at the state tournament. Smith is a University of Portland signee.

Francesca Tomp from North Eugene competes in the OSAA 5A girls golf state championship at Emerald Valley Golf Club.

Francesca Tomp, North Eugene golf

The Highlanders senior won her fourth consecutive Class 5A state title when she took first with a two-day score of 149 at the state championship tournament at Emerald Valley Golf Club.

Tomp is just the second girls golfer in state history to win four state titles, joining Summit's Madison Odiorne (2012-15). She is a Portland State signee.

Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at jdenney@gannett.comor on X @jarrid_denney

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Vote for Register-Guard high school girls Athlete of the Year