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These 31 Section V softball players earned all-state honors
These 31 Section V softball players earned all-state honors
Section V produced 31 all-state high school softball players in 2026.
The New York State Sportswriters Association recently released its 2026 all-state softball teams by classification.
Section V garnered six first team selections, including the Class D Co-Player of the Year in Oakfield-Alabama sophomore Savannah Durham. Durham shared the award with Windber-Ashland-Jewett's Hannah Tuttle, whom she out-dueled in the NYSPHSAA Class D final.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSee below a full list of Section V softball players on 2026 all-state teams.
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Section V players on Class AAA all-state teams
Lizzie Rinella, senior, Rush-Henrietta — 5th team, catcher
Section V players on Class AA all-state teams
Ella Maley, sr., Penfield — 1st, centerfield
Kinsley Keil, junior, Webster Schroeder — 2nd, shortstop
Cara Orlando, sophomore, Pittsford Sutherland — 3rd, utility
Jalissa Crittenden, sr., Eastridge — 4th, pitcher
Maddie Murphy, jr., Hilton — 5th, shortstop
Section V players on Class A all-state teams
Leah Sperry, jr., Our Lady of Mercy — 3rd, pitcher
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementElizabeth Grazioplene, sr., Batavia — 4th, centerfield
Arianna Almekinder, jr., Batavia — 5th, pitcher
Savanna Biehler, center, got off to a fast start in 2026 when the senior ran what was then the fastest 55-meter dash among girls in Section V during the indoor track season. Biehler was voted Athlete of the Week after the following week.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Readers selected Olivia Botoni as Athlete of the Week back in September after the Webster Thomas senior scored two soccer goals and an assist to help the Titans pick up an early-season win.
(Submitted by Olivia Bottoni)Harley Allendale Columbia's Cadence Brecker won Athlete of the Week in December 2025 after the senior became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. She finished her high school career with 1,451 points.
(Provided by Cadence Brecker)Evelyn Buttaccio won the Faber Builders Girls Athlete of the Week during the after the Rush-Henrietta senior was the all-around winner at gymnastics meet inside the Henrietta Recreation Center.
(Provided by Evelyn Buttaccio)Readers voted Alivia Cartwright Athlete of the Week in late December. The Keshequa senior finished her high school wrestling career with three Section V titles, a third place finish at the NYS Championships and 137 wins over her five--year career.
(Submitted by Alivia Cartwright)Webster Schroeder's Kylie Clement, left, won Athlete of the Week in March after the senior posted 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Warriors beat Penfield for the Section V Class AA-1 girls basketball title.
(Justin Ritzel/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Readers selected Julia Gaffney, center, of Churchville-Chili as the Faber Builders Athlete of the Week this winter. The senior scored 29 points, including five 3s, as the Saints beat Eastridge in early February.
(Provided by Julia Gaffney)Penfield’s Olivia Lanning won Athlete of the Week during spring state playoffs after the senior scored three goals and had an assist as the Patriots defeated Lancaster in state regional play.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Penfield's Sidney Moore won Athlete of the Week in early October after the volleyball player put down 17 kills during an October win.
(Justin Ritzel/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Pittsford's Lily Orlando took home Athlete of the Week after she won the 500- and 200-yard freestyle races at the Section V Class A Swimming and Diving Championships last fall. Orlando was named swimmer of the meet after also swimming with the first-place 400 free and runner-up 200 free relays.
(Justin Ritzel/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Aquinas' Ajaya Orr won Athlete of the Week after the senior quarterback finished with three touchdown passes, two touchdown runs, an interception for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown during two April wins.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Readers voted Penfield quarterback Sophia Puccia as Athlete of the Week in May after the senior threw six touchdown passes and ran for four touchdowns during wins in the Section V Class A tournament final and semifinal.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Webster Schroeder quarterback Emma Rascoe was recognized as Athlete of the Week after the senior lit up the scoreboard with 11 touchdown passes, while completing 81 of 114 pass attempts for 708 yards, ran for four touchdowns and pulled 15 flags in three wins.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)Readers handed Mercy's Ella Rogala, left, Athlete of the Week after the senior hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds to send the Monarchs to the state semifinals.
(Justin Ritzel/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Livonia-Avon-Geneseo’s Lily Rowe, left, won Athlete of the Week in June after the Livonia senior posted five goals and four assists to push the Lakers past Geneva to her team’s first Section V championship game.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)Penfield's Reegan Sercu won Athlete of the Week in early February after she scored 17 points, including seven in overtime, as the Patriots rallied to beat Fairport.
(Justin Ritzel/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)We salute the 2026 seniors from Section V
We salute the 2026 seniors from Section V
We salute the 2026 seniors from Section V
Section V players on Class B all-state teams
Jessie Crye, sr., Avon — 1st, pitcher
Ava Senka, so., Wayland-Cohocton — 2nd, pitcher/third base
Teagan Burke, sr., Wellsville — 2nd, shortstop
Gwyn Panek, jr., Waterloo — 2nd, shortstop
Kyah Lajewski, sr., Mynderse — 3rd, catcher
Makayla Smith, jr., Bath-Haverling — 4th, first base
Kylie Wilson, so., LeRoy — 4th, shortstop
Section V players on Class C all-state teams
Colleen Talty, sr., Caledonia-Mumford — 2nd, catcher
Kylee Whiting, so., Bolivar-Richburg — 2nd, pitcher
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCharity Scott, sr., Letchworth — 3rd, outfield
Calla McCombs, sr., Bloomfield — 3rd, outfield
Grace Beach, jr., Caledonia-Mumford — 4th, pitcher/third base
Adalyn Tham, sr., Dundee/Bradford — 4th, pitcher
Addy McDonald, so., Geneseo — 4th, pitcher
Section V players on Class D all-state teams
Savannah Durham, so., Oakfield-Alabama — 1st (Co-Player of the Year), pitcher
Morghyn Ross, sr., Fillmore — 1st, catcher
Meyah Putnam, so., Avoca/Prattsburgh — 1st, pitcher/infield
Raine Denny, jr., Oakfield-Alabama — 1st, second base
Arnie Sturtevant, so., Lyndonville — 2nd, pitcher/outfield
Olivia Waters, sr., Andover/Whitesville — 2nd, shortstop
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEmma Thompson, so., Oakfield-Alabama — 3rd, shortstop
Lola Rivera, jr., Northstar Christian — 3rd, pitcher
Jeff Uveino joined the USA Today Network in 2023 and began covering Rochester-area high school sports in 2026. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University's Jandoli School of Communication and native of Perry. Contact him at juveino@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @realjuveino and on Instagram @jeffusports.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: These 31 Section V softball players earned all-state honors
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