Kayla Bonstrom should be the leading candidate for the player of the year for Arizona and for good reason. Bonstrom is the most feared hitter in the state and she took the circle to lead Canyon del Oro to another state championship even though she is an All-American outfielder by trade.

Bonstrom out pitched most of the state’s top pitchers and beat them at their own game while being intentionally walked and/or intentionally hit-by-pitch when her opponents faced her late in the season, including the state championship game.

Bonstrom is easily the Julie Reitan Southern Arizona Player of the Year regardless of school size or division. Sadly for us in Arizona, she will be playing for Stanford. But, in the world of college degrees, who could blame her?

Reitan was a Tucson Citizen Student-Athlete of the Year recipient in 1994 at Sahuaro where she finished in the top of her class before moving on to play and star for the University of Arizona. Reitan passed away at the age of 21 from complications due to diabetes.

The Division I-II Coach of the Year was split between Sabino’s Jeff Fowler and CDO’s Stephanie Nicholson with a nod to Randy Anway of Ironwood Ridge.

Fowler was one or two errors away from taking the state championship himself with a team that received little recognition but ultimately proved to have a cast of athletes that could stack up against CDO, Ironwood Ridge and Sahuaro for talent at almost every position.

Nicholson took a team that was full of talent at every position but had a shadow cast over them the whole season from ghosts of the past. When CDO won the state championship, the Phoenix media – and one or two local guys – were fixated on who doesn’t play for CDO anymore rather than who played for them now and that was a shame and an insult.

Nicholson was able to get all that current talent to play as a team once they left the dugout and that is a coaching skill that was lacking in one or two other programs over the last four years – programs with more pure talent than CDO.

The attention now shifts to Anway and Ironwood Ridge. They, by far, have the most talent coming into their program and will be the team to beat in the next generation of softball.

As I’ve stated before, Bob Vance has coached Pusch Ridge under the literal shadow of CDO and Ironwood Ridge in Oro Valley.

The school had one title in their history but that came under a different school name (Palo Verde Christian) in 1997. The Lions have come close with two state title appearances since then but they finally got another trophy this year.

Vance did it with two sets of sisters, the Wards and the Majors.

Sarah Majors batted .611 with 44 hits including seven doubles and four triples; Rachel Ward batted .583 with nine doubles, six triples and five home runs with 58 RBIs; Rachel Majors batted .493 and scored 48 runs and Corrie Ward batted .528 with 10 doubles and five triples.

Corrie Ward also finished the year 18-1 with 144 strike outs and a 1.27 ERA.

Corrie’s bat and arm puts her in the same category as Bonstrom. These two are the only dominant pitcher-hitter threats in Southern Arizona. There are others, but they are the most dominant.

We do not have a name for our “small school” player of the year award yet. If anyone knows a former youth or high school softball athlete who has passed away and needs to be recognized with such an award in their name let me know.

So, here they are. I tried to be as fair as possible considering I have seen most of these athletes play this year. I know there will be some measure of disagreement but I am always available to hear your argument.

As always, classifying athletes by position in all-star awards does not work in high school because, if you have been around them long enough, you know the best can play almost anywhere and they frequently do.

Julie Reitan Player of the Year
Kayla Bonstrom, Canyon del Oro

D-I/II Coaches of the Year
Jeff Fowler, Sabino
Stephanie Nicholson, Canyon del Oro

D-III/IV Player of the Year
Corrie Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian

D-III/IV Coach of the Year
Bob Vance, Pusch Ridge Christian

ALL-SOUTHERN ARIZONA

First Team
Kayla Bonstrom, Canyon del Oro
Sammy Nettling, Canyon del Oro
Sammi Noland, Canyon del Oro
Makayla McAdams, Ironwood Ridge
Alexis Clinton, Ironwood Ridge
Robin Landrith, Ironwood Ridge
Erin Satterfield, Ironwood Ridge
Kaitlin Wilson, Buena
Danielle Stensby, Buena
Stephanie Tatham, Cienega
Valerie Luera, Cienega
Alyssa Fletcher, Sabino
Callie McGarrigle, Sabino
Kelsey Jenkins, Sabino
Morgan McKeever, Sahuaro
Taylor Lawson, Sahuaro
Corrie Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian

Second Team
Kayla Green, Cienega
Briana Dohogne, Canyon del Oro
Alexis Aguirre, Canyon del Oro
Hannah Sullivan, Canyon del Oro
Mackenzie Sullivan, Canyon del Oro
Jordan Rocker, Ironwood Ridge
Sara Rodriguez, Ironwood Ridge
Robyn Porter, Ironwood Ridge
Jordyn Binnion, Marana
Victoria Mariscal, Douglas
Shelby Mendoza, Sabino
Haley Scheib, Sabino
Rochelle Talamantes, Tucson
Stephanie Vejar, Tucson

Rita Diaz, Tucson
Brooklyn Beardshear, Sahuaro
Janese Timmons, Palo Verde
Rachel Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian

Third Team
Mickaela Keiser, Cienega
Sarah Andrews, Cienega
Makena Brawley, Cienega
Rachel Synkelma, Ironwood Ridge
Kayleigh Leblanc, Buena
Mikayla Osterman, Buena
Brooklyn Misenhimer, Sahuaro
Amanda Nicholas, Sahuaro
Amy Bergeson, Sahuaro
Olivia Harden, Sahuaro
Araselly Vargas, Tucson

Nikki Dunlap, Willcox
Kendra Behr, Benson
Stacie Ramirez, Benson
Mariah Rodriguez, Mountain View
Brittany Wooldridge, Empire
Tazia Hernandez, Empire

DIVISION I

Player of the Year
Kaitlin Wilson, Buena

Coach of the Year
Eric Tatham, Cienega

First Team
Danielle Stensby, Buena
Kaitlin Wilson, Buena
Kayleigh Leblanc, Buena
Mikayla Osterman, Buena
Stephanie Tatham, Cienega
Valerie Luera, Cienega
Kayla Green, Cienega
Mickaela Keiser, Cienega
Sarah Andrews, Cienega
Makena Brawley, Cienega
Rochelle Talamantes, Tucson
Araselly Vargas, Tucson

Rita Diaz, Tucson
Monique Marquez, Sunnyside
Jordyn Binnion, Marana
Mariah Rodriguez, Mountain View

Second Team
Erica Zaborac, Buena
Jade Allee, Buena
Shelby Kennedy, Cienega
Allie Subia, Cienega
Stephanie Vejar, Tucson
Jaelyn Romo, Tucson

Adrianna Rosthenhausler, Sunnyside
Shayna Adelstein, Mountain View
Kailey Mellen, Mountain View
Ashley Rivera, Mounatin View
Sierra Cuestas, Marana
Hailey Oesterling, Marana
Casey Cadenhead, Marana
Gabriela Trejo, Desert View

Third Team
Salana Thomas, Buena
Maddie Bachelier, Buena
Lindsay Romo, Buena
Cindy Chon, Buena
Alyssa Guevara, Cienega
Melanie Cross, Cienega
Bailey Pavlich, Cienega
AJ Hervey, Cienega
Brianna Quiroz, Tucson
Larissa Rodriguez, Tucson
Alexis Ayala, Sunnyside
Bailey Benson, Desert View
Bianca Urbina, Desert View
Kayla Ugatafia, Mountain View

DIVISION II

Player of the Year
Kayla Bonstrom, Canyon del Oro

Coaches of the Year
Jeff Fowler, Sabino
Stephanie Nicholson, Canyon del Oro
Randy Anway, Ironwood Ridge

First Team
Kayla Bonstrom, Canyon del Oro
Sammy Nettling, Canyon del Oro
Sammi Noland, Canyon del Oro
Briana Dohogne, Canyon del Oro
Alexis Aguirre, Canyon del Oro
Hannah Sullivan, Canyon del Oro
Makayla McAdams, Ironwood Ridge
Alexis Clinton, Ironwood Ridge
Robin Landrith, Ironwood Ridge
Erin Satterfield, Ironwood Ridge
Alyssa Fletcher, Sabino
Callie McGarrigle, Sabino
Kelsey Jenkins, Sabino
Morgan McKeever, Sahuaro
Taylor Lawson, Sahuaro
Brooklyn Beardshear, Sahuaro

Second Team
Mackenzie Sullivan, Canyon del Oro
Jordan Rocker, Ironwood Ridge
Sara Rodriguez, Ironwood Ridge
Robyn Porter, Ironwood Ridge
Rachel Synkelma, Ironwood Ridge
Victoria Mariscal, Douglas
Shelby Mendoza, Sabino
Haley Scheib, Sabino
Brooklyn Misenhimer, Sahuaro
Amanda Nicholas, Sahuaro
Amy Bergeson, Sahuaro
Heather Cooper, Sahuaro
Olivia Harden, Sahuaro
Janese Timmons, Palo Verde
Monique Salazar, Cholla
Sigi Sanchez, Sahuarita

Third Team
Niki Gonzalez, Canyon del Oro
Katelin Vaughn, Canyon del Oro
Merrilee Miller, Ironwood Ridge
Ashlen Vega, Sabino
Miranda Riesgo, Sabino
Krystina Koepnick, Sabino
Shannon Shields, Sabino
Hannah Gradillas, Sahuaro
Andie Larkins, Sahuaro
Gina Snyder, Sahuaro
Secret Schellenberg, Sahuaro
Silena Guana, Cholla
Ashley Curtis, Salpointe
Jessica Gradillas, Nogales
Alexis Veigel, Santa Rita
Arryanna Bracamonte, Flowing Wells

DIVISION III

Players of the Year
Stacie Ramirez, Benson
Kendra Behr, Benson

Coach of the Year
Manny Ellsworth, Benson

First Team
Nikki Dunlap, Willcox
Kendra Behr, Benson
Haley Choate, Benson
Stacie Ramirez, Benson
Stephanie Ramirez, Benson
Shauna Judd, Benson
Brittany Wooldridge, Empire
Kaelyn Smith, Empire
Tazia Hernandez, Empire
Kelsey Smith, Empire
Sabrina Tebou, Empire
Bailey Rominger, Empire
Esenyia Molina, Safford

Second Team
Kady East, Benson
Kasey Fenn, Benson
Lauren Lamm, Empire
Amanda Allread, Empire
Gracie Taber, Empire
Micaella Lopez, Santa Cruz
Adreanna Lopez, Safford
Adriana Sinohui, Willcox
Kaitlyn Patterson, Willcox
Iliana Rosas, Rio Rico
Amanda McGinnis, Bisbee
Shannon Brock, Tombstone

DIVISION IV

Players of the Year
Corrie Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian
Rachel Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian

Coach of the Year
Bob Vance, Pusch Ridge Christian

First Team
Corrie Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian
Rachel Ward, Pusch Ridge Christian
Rachel Majors, Pusch Ridge Christian
Sarah Majors, Pusch Ridge Christian
Paige Shepperd, Pusch Ridge Christian
Felicia Medina, San Manuel
Emmy Lou Clark, San Manuel
Alyssa Cuellar, San Manuel
Natalie Jones, St. David
Rylie Vargas, St. David
Mylee Mayberry, St. David
Lauren Pernu, Tanque Verde
Emily Cooper, Desert Christian
Sarah Chavez, Desert Christian
Ariana Zamora, Valley Union
Marissa Romero, St. Augustine

Second Team
Kailey Rohne, Pusch Ridge Christian
Maddie Dowdle, Pusch Ridge Christian
Mireya Tamayo, San Manuel
Kadi Monfred, San Manuel
Kayla Bradford, St. David
BreAnne Webb, St. David
Courtney Tyra-Sanchez, Desert Christian
Kayln Kovacs, Desert Christian
Jillian Buell, Desert Christian
Lauren Radtke, Desert Christian
Lauren Sherzinger, St. Augustine
Kortney Haines, Valley Union
Katelyn Landwerlen, Valley Union
Jaime Price, Duncan
Savannah Gates, Tanque Verde
Tanisha Hill, Tanque Verde

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