Sports
Who should be the Sarasota, Manatee Girls Athlete of the Year
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune held its annual Sarasota-Manatee High School Sports Awards Show on May 30 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. During the show, we announced Riverview High’s Allison Cole as our 2024-25 Girls Athlete of the Year.
Did we get it right?
Here’s a chance to have your say. Here are all of our girls athletes of the year for the 2024-25 high school sports year. Who would you select to be the Sarasota-Manatee Girls Athlete of the Year?
Go to www.heraldtribune.com/sports to vote in our poll today.
The poll closes at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Here are the nominees:
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Kali Barrett, Cardinal Mooney Catholic, Senior: A first-team All-Area selection last year, in addition to being the FACA 3A Player of the Year, the future University of Cincinnati Bearcat led the Cougars to a 24-9 record and first state title in program history. The 6-foot-2 Barrett averaged 16 points a team, tied with Madi Mignery for the team high, along with 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting 50% from the field.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Izzy Russell (Senior) and Kelsey Fisher (Junior), Cardinal Mooney Catholic: Russell, a first-team All-Area selection last year, as was Fisher, teamed to go 16-1. Cardinal Mooney finished 13-4, losing in the regional quarterfinals to Bradenton Christian.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Madison Muller, Riverview, Freshman: Won the Lemon Bay Invitational, Lakewood Ranch Invitational, and the Venice Invitational, finished 3rd at the North Port Invitational, won the Tri-County Championships, placed 2nd at the district meet, won the regional meet, and placed 2nd at Class 4A state meet in a PR time of 17:54.2.
FLAG FOOTBALL
Jayna Bowen, Parrish Community, Sophomore: A first-team All-Area selection last season, Bowen totaled 18 touchdowns on offense and 14 interceptions on defense.
GIRLS GOLF
Natalie Angelo, Parrish Community, Sophomore: An All-Area selection last year, Angelo placed 2nd at the Crutchfield/Hawkins Invitational. She went on to win the Bulls’ district meet, then tie for 1st place at the regional meet. At the Class 3A State Championships, Angelo finished tied for 15th place with a two-day total of 148.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Grace Knowles, Manatee, Senior: A first-team All-Area selection last season, Knowles led the area with 103 goals, her second season of 100 or more, and 26 assists for 129 points. Knowles averaged 5.2 goals per game and 6.5 points per game. She had a team-leading 53 ground balls and 126 draw controls, both team highs.
GIRLS SOCCER
Olivia Hadad, Lakewood Ranch Senior: The senior forward was the primary offensive force for the 15-5-2 Mustangs, who reached the Class 6A state semifinals. On a team which scored 76 goals, Hadad potted 36, to go along with 11 assists for 83 match points. She ended her Mustang career with 67 goals and 24 assists for 158 match points.
SOFTBALL
Allison Cole, Riverview, Senior: A first-team All-Area selection last year and this season’s FACA Class 7A District 16 MVP, Cole finished with a record in the circle of 19-3 and an 0.37 ERA for the Rams. The left-hander hurled 152.1 innings and allowed 75 hits with 17 walks and 281 strikeouts. At the plate Cole led Riverview with a .429 batting average, hitting two home runs and driving in a team-high 22 runs.
GIRLS SWIMMING
Brynn Lavigueur, Riverview, Junior: The Rams swimmer placed 1st at the Rams’ district meet in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. At the regional meet, Lavigueur repeated her 1st-place finishes in both events. And at the Class 4A State Meet, the future swimmer at the University of Texas took gold in both, finishing the 200 IM in 1:59.31, and the 100 back in 52.67.
GIRLS TENNIS
Julia Piotrowska, Riverview, Senior: A first-team All-Area selection last year, Riverview’s No. 1 player in singles and doubles finished with a combined record of 13-1. She defeated Venice’s Christine Wu to win the district singles title, and teamed with Kathleen Siddons to defeat Wu and Tess Tchorbadjiev to win the district doubles title. Piotrowska finished runner-up at the Class 4A state tournament in singles and reached the semifinal round with Siddons in doubles.
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
Keymani Dillingham, Saint Stephen’s, Junior: The Falcon finished first in the 100-meter hurdles (15.32) and second in the shot put (35-21/2) at the Manatee County Championships; first in the 100 hurdles (14.76), first in the 400 hurdles (1:02.18), and first in the shot put (40-21/4) at the district meet; first in the shot put (38-41/4), first in the 400 hurdles (1:01.72), and second in the 100 hurdles (14.84) at the regional meet; and first in the 100 hurdles (15.50), first in the 400 hurdles (1:01.42), and third in the shot put (38-31/4) at the Class 1A state meet.
VOLLEYBALL
Riley Greene, Cardinal Mooney Catholic, Senior: An All-Area selection last year, the 6-foot-1 middle hitter was the Cougars’ kills leader with 169. In the first season of head coach Allan Knight, the Cougars went 22-5, losing to Berkeley Prep in the regional final. Greene had an impressive kill percentage of 47.3 while averaging 2.2 kills per set. For Allan Knight’s team, she added 44 blocks and 44 digs.
GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING
Alliana Janeiro, Imagine School at North Port, Sophomore: Janeiro was golden at the Class A state meet, sweeping the 101-pound Traditional (255) and Olympic (235) championships. She was the Region 1A-4 and District 1A-13 champ in both lifts.
WRESTLING
Milana Borrelli, Venice, Senior: The green-and-white 125-pounder finished first at the district meet, first at regionals, and finished first at the Class 1A state meet for the third straight year. Borrelli finished with a record of 20-4.