With the Akron-area OHSAA 2024-25 sports season complete, we’re going to spend the next several months 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.
This week we want to know who you think was the best high school girls athlete for the 2024-25 school year. Each athlete’s credentials are listed above the poll — which will be live until 5 p.m. July 17. The winners will be announced in the morning July 18 on BeaconJournal.com.
Now, let’s meet the candidates, who were selected by the Beacon Journal sports staff.
Here’s a look at the nominees for the Akron-Area Girls Athlete of the Year, in alphabetical order:
Naomi Benson, Streetsboro
Benson was selected as the Ohio Division IV Girls Basketball Player of the Year by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association after averaging a double-double of 19.1 points and 11.4 rebounds. Benson, an Illinois recruit, led the Rockets to a second consecutive district title and regional final appearance, the program’s first two district championships. She finished her career with more than 1,600 points, more than 1,200 rebounds and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Olivia Brown, Lake
Brown hit .609 as a senior in 2025 with 44 runs and 27 steals and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Softball Player of the Year. She had 56 hits in 92 at-bats and, over the last three seasons, totaled 147 hits and 60 steals, hitting .533 since her sophomore year. Brown helped Lake to a 20-win season and a share of the Federal League title this season. She is a University of Akron softball recruit.
Elizabeth Coleman, Highland
Coleman finished her high school girls golf career by tying as the Division I state runner-up last fall, helping the Hornets finish fourth as a team. The Ball State recruit helped Highland win its fifth consecutive Suburban League American Conference team title and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Golfer of the Year. Coleman began the postseason by shooting a high school career-best 4 under to win the sectional championship at Fox Den and lead the Hornets to the team title. She added a fourth-place finish in the district tournament.
Emma Liu, Hudson
Liu qualified for the state tournament in her first year of high school tennis and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Tennis Player of the Year. She won the first singles title in the Suburban League National Conference, leading Hudson to the tournament championship. Liu began her postseason by winning the Division I sectional singles championship before placing third at the district tournament.
Reagan Pentz, Walsh Jesuit
Pentz is Ohio’s Division I state player of the year in girls soccer and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She led Walsh to a state runner-up finish as a senior after winning a state title with the Warriors as a junior. Pentz is a three-time All-Ohioan and is a Vanderbilt recruit. She scored 15 goals and added 23 assists, and was named an All-American by the United Soccer Coaches Association.
Madison Perrine, Green
Perrine won a sectional championship on her way to finishing fourth at district and 17th at the state tournament and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Bowler of the Year. She led the Stark County High School Bowling League’s Federal Division with a 204.5 average to earn its player of the year honors.
McKenna Shane, Walsh Jesuit
Shane won the state championship in the uneven parallel bars in March with a score of 9.525 and was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Gymnast of the Year. She finished eighth all-around and also placed 10th in the floor exercise. She also won a district title in the uneven parallel bars to qualify for the state tournament.
Daniela Scheffler, Lake
Scheffler ended her high school running career in both cross country and track by winning her final race at the state championship meet. She won the Division I cross country state title last fall and followed that by winning the Division I 3,200 meters state championship earlier this month. She also was the Division I state runner-up in the 1,600 at the state track meet. The North Carolina State recruit is Stark County’s all-time record holder in the 3,200 meters, a high school All-American in cross country and a two-time gymnastics team captain at Lake. She was the Gatorade Ohio Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year last fall after winning all nine of her races, giving her 16 cross country wins the last two seasons. She was also named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Athlete of the Year, Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year and Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Lexie St. Pierre, Hudson
St. Pierre is a two-time first-team All-Ohio selection and was named the Northeast Ohio Field Hockey League Player of the Year last fall as a senior and the the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Field Hockey Player of the Year. She also was the North Region Player of the Year and led Hudson to a regional runner-up finish, highlighted by an 11-1 league record. She helped Hudson knock off eventual state champ Thomas Worthington during the regular season, and finished the season with seven goals and six assists.
Mackie Stickler, Hudson
Stickler is a repeat pick as the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year after leading Hudson to a return trip to the state semifinals for the third straight year and a 21-1 record. An Ohio State recruit, the senior scored more than 100 goals and won more than 200 draws during her career.
A look at the 2024-25 Akron-Area High School Teams, Athletes and Coaches of the Year winners
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 for the 2024-25 Akron-area high school girls athlete of the year
Reporting by Richard Stallsmith, Michael Beaven, Brad Bournival and Michael Leonard, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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