Vote now for the 2025-26 Akron-area high school girls athlete of the year

With the Akron-area OHSAA 2025-26 sports season complete, we're going to spend the next several weeks looking back at the best of high school sports during the school year.

Your votes will determine the Akron-Area Best of the School Year for teams, coaches and athletes.

We continue this week with who you think was the best high school girls athlete of 2025-26. Each athlete's credentials are listed above the poll, which will be live until 5 p.m. Thursday, July 30. The winners will be announced Friday morning, July 31, on BeaconJournal.com.

Now, let's meet the candidates, which were selected by the Beacon Journal sports staff.

Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on the NFHS Network all season

Here's a look at the nominees, in alphabetical order:

Ja'Niyah Carter, Ellet

A four-sport standout for the Orangemen, starring in basketball, volleyball, flag football and track and field.

Kayla Cellura, Twinsburg

A three-sport standout for the Tigers, starring in soccer, basketball and softball.

Lauren Decker, Wadsworth

Named second-team All-Ohio in volleyball and first-team All-Ohio in basketball for the Grizzlies.

Reese Gallagher, Archbishop Hoban

The All-America soccer player led the Knights to a state semifinal and was named Ohio's Division III Player of the Year.

Allison Hay, Tallmadge

Starred in both cross country and track and field for the Blue Devils, winning the Division III state title in the 800 meters.

Emma Liu, Hudson

Finished singles runner-up at the Division I state tennis tournament.

Evelyn McKnight, Copley

A first-team All-Ohio basketball selection and the All-Northeast Ohio Inland District Player of the Year in Division III, she was a finalist for Ms. Basketball in Ohio and a two-time Suburban League American Conference Player of the Year.

Haydn Paul, Nordonia

Also a standout in basketball and softball, she was named Ohio Player of the Year and led the Knights to the inaugural state championship in flag football.

Sarah Schueler, Firestone

A standout in both cross country and swimming for the Falcons, earning four letters in each during her high school career.

Grace Shondel, Highland

Starred in both soccer and basketball for the Hornets.

Also considered: Chloe Bigham, Hudson; Melania Cornute, St. Vincent-St. Mary; Katie England, Hudson; Sydney Ferguson, St. Vincent-St. Mary; Ella Girard, Walsh Jesuit; Danzi Jones, Stow; Kathleen Jones, Hoban; Laine Lewis, Hudson; Katie Lippencott, Walsh Jesuit; Lola Mullen, Woodridge; Claire Orazen, Hudson; Hailey Otradovec, Wadsworth; Niera Stevens, Archbishop Hoban; Taylor Dye, Twinsburg; MacKenzie Sweeney, Twinsburg; Shaye Tepley, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy

A look at the 2025-26 Akron-Area High School Athlete of the Week winners

Date - girls winner | boys winner

Sept. 6 - Abby Alden, Archbishop Hoban soccer | Buddy Willig, Norton football

Sept. 12 - Ava Brooks, Norton tennis | Donevan Noah, Tallmadge cross country

Sept. 19 - Addison Hovey, Woodridge tennis | Angelo Gotto, Barberton football

Sept. 26 - Gabriela Iler, Revere tennis | Atticus Sloan, Woodridge cross country

Oct. 3 - Bree Carpenter, Ellet soccer | Marlin Engram Jr., East football

Oct. 10 - Maggie Gerschutz, Wadsworth cross country | Phil Partin, Manchester football

Oct. 17 - Makayla Martuccio, Tallmadge cross country | Anderson Seredick, Nordonia cross country

Oct. 24 - Elizabeth Coleman, Highland golf | Crew McDaniel, Hudson cross country

Oct. 31 - Brooklynn Hampton, Archbishop Hoban soccer | Nick Myers, CVCA soccer

Nov. 7 - Allison Hay, Tallmadge cross country | Sam Hopp, Twinsburg cross country

Nov. 14 - Samantha Dehrmann, Archbishop Hoban volleyball | Marty Tobin, Walsh Jesuit football

Dec. 12 - Anna Anzevino, Hudson basketball | Mason Massouh, Revere wrestling

Dec. 19 - Melania Cornute, St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball | George Marshall, Firestone swimming

Dec. 27 - Sarah Schueler, Firestone swimming | Dalton Keith, Coventry wrestling

Jan. 3 - Leannah Swiger, Springfield wrestling | Chad Rusinko, Tallmadge basketball

Jan. 9 - Rylee Kulick, Copley swimming | Tony Canfora, Wadsworth swimming

Jan. 16 - Haydn Paul, Nordonia basketball | Percy Robinson, Streetsboro basketball

Jan. 23 - Ashli Pearson, Hudson basketball | Reggie Edwards, Garfield basketball

Jan. 30 - Shaylah Jones, Buchtel basketball | DeCarlo Prince, St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball

Feb. 6 - Sydney Ferguson, St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball | John Johnson, Archbishop Hoban basketball

Feb. 13 - Dakota Graham, Norton basketball | Rayshawn Hamilton, Garfield basketball

Feb. 20 - Kayla Munn, Coventry basketball | Derrick Kruger, Firestone basketball

Feb. 27 - Stella Oliverio, Firestone swimming | Dante Kimble III, Ellet basketball

March 6 - Rylee Jackson, Archbishop Hoban swimming | Andrew Gerstenmaier, Walsh Jesuit swimming

March 13 - Niera Stevens, Archbishop Hoban basketball | Ian Bee, Tallmadge wrestling

March 20 - MaKenzie Grant, Archbishop Hoban basketball | Arri Caporaletti, Archbishop Hoban basketball

March 27 - Gianna Terlop, Walsh Jesuit softball | Owen Anderson, Wadsworth lacrosse

April 3 - Ella Girard, Walsh Jesuit softball | Preston Davis, Wadsworth lacrosse

April 10 - Cassidy Piotrowski, Ellet softball | Will Tober, St. Vincent-St. Mary baseball

April 17 - Chloe Kroslak, CVCA flag football | Ronnie Ammons, Norton baseball

April 24 - Caitlyn Carter, Tallmadge softball | Harrison Drvenkar, Revere track and field

May 1 - Sophia Paonessa, Tallmadge softball | Aidan Reynolds, St. Vincent-St. Mary baseball

May 8 - Chloe White, Manchester softball | Anthony Cardarelli, Green baseball

May 15 - Brynn Mineard, Walsh Jesuit softball | Connor Hons, Woodridge track and field

May 22 - Ava McLendon, Nordonia flag football | Elijah Myers, Firestone volleyball

May 29 - Caitlyn Eland, Tallmadge softball | Zachary Karhoff, Archbishop Hoban baseball

June 5 - Katie Lippencott, Walsh Jesuit softball | Anthony Bontempo, Tallmadge track and field

June 12 - Allison Hay, Tallmadge track and field | Colt Andrews, Archbishop Hoban baseball

June 19 - Zac Anderson, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy baseball

June 26 - Girls Team of the Year: Walsh Jesuit softball

July 3 - Boys Team of the Year: St. Vincent-St. Mary volleyball

July 10 - Girls Coach of the Year: Charlie Schrader, Walsh Jesuit softball

July 17 - Boys Coach of the Year: Jeff Howard, Woodridge cross country

July 24 - Boys Athlete of the Year: Rylan Hurley, St. Vincent-St. Mary

Editor's note: Winners of the Akron-Area Athlete of the Week in the spring are not eligible to win it again until the fall sports season begins. Coaches and athletic directors: Submit nominees for Akron-Area High School Athlete of the Week at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Vote now for the 2025-26 Akron-area high school girls athlete of the year