The PNJ’s spring sports previews continue today with girls lacrosse.
Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Catholic maintained their positions as the area’s top programs in 2025, with the Dolphins winning their third straight district title and the Crusaders winning their fourth straight.
Catholic also advanced to the regional finals for the first time, where it fell to Episcopal School of Jacksonville. Gulf Breeze and Navarre qualified for the Region 1-2A playoffs but were eliminated in the regional quarterfinals. It was the Raiders first ever state playoff appearance.
This year, district tournaments will run April 8-16. 1A Regional quarterfinals will be April 21, while 2A regional quarterfinals will be April 24. Regional semifinals will be April 28 and regional finals will be May 1.
The state championships will be held May 7-9 at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples.
To get started, here are 26 Pensacola area girls lacrosse players to watch for the 2026 season.
Ella Adams, Pensacola Catholic
A returning all-PNJ midfielder, Adams made a tremendous impact despite playing in just eight games in 2025. She totaled 19 goals, 19 assists and 28 draw controls.
Jenna Bauridel, Navarre
A senior, Bauridel was solid for the Raiders while splitting time in goal with Kaylin Gonzalez a year ago. She recorded 109 saves and a .527 save percentage, and has been the Raiders lone goalie so far in 2026.
Kira Bigalow, Tate
A junior, Bigalow made a big impact in the nine games she played in 2025, scoring 17 goals and picking up 48 groundballs.
Becca Bradley, Pensacola Catholic
A senior and returning all-PNJ attacker, Bradley is the Crusaders leading returning scorer from 2025, when she accumulated 42 goals, 11 assists, 26 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers.
Kaleyah Bussing, Gulf Breeze
A senior and returning all-PNJ midfielder, Bussing scored her 100th career goal in the Dolphins’ 17-0 win over St. Augustine on Feb. 13. As a junior, she totaled 49 goals, seven assists, 70 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers and 173 draw controls.
Lily Campus, Pensacola Catholic
A junior, Campus made an impact all over the field in 2025. She recorded 20 goals, six assists, 28 ground balls, 14 caused turnovers and 22 draw controls.
Caroline Creedon, Booker T. Washington
A junior and returning all-PNJ midfielder, Creedon does it all for the Wildcats. She led Booker T. in goals (32), assists (17), ground balls (23), caused turnovers (15) and draw controls (62).
Marialys Dekom, Navarre
A senior and returning all-PNJ midfielder, Dekom did it all for the Raiders in 2025. She finished with 54 goals, 20 assists, 22 ground balls, 49 caused turnovers and 74 draw controls, leading her team in caused turnovers and draw controls.
Madelyn Dove, Milton
A senior, Dove contributed all over the field for the Panthers in 2025. She recorded seven goals, two assists, 22 ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Lainey Durden, Navarre
The reigning PNJ Newcomer of the Year and an all-PNJ midfielder, Durden was a force in her first varsity season in 2025. She totaled 29 goals, 26 assists, 25 ground balls, 49 caused turnovers and 37 draw controls.
Kaitlyn Fuller, West Florida
A senior, Fuller is a weapon for the Jaguars on offense and in the draw circle. She recorded 13 goals, an assist, 17 ground balls and 28 draw controls in 2025.
Aria Goodpaster, Gulf Breeze
A junior, Goodpaster is another player on this list that does a little bit of everything. She finished with 14 goals, seven assists, 32 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and 28 draw controls for the Dolphins in 2025.
Carly Helmig, Tate
A junior goalie, Helmig returns after an excellent 2025. She stopped 165 shots and had a .548 save percentage.
Cooper Hinze, Gulf Breeze
A junior and returning all-PNJ attacker, Hinze was the Dolphins leading scorer a year ago. She recorded 62 goals, seven assists, picked up 48 ground balls and caused six turnovers.
Alana Hunsberger, West Florida
A senior, Hunsberger did a little bit of everything for the Jaguars in 2025. She totaled 19 goals, five assists and 11 ground balls.
Jill Lacour, Pensacola Catholic
A returning all-PNJ selection, Lacour returns to lead the Crusaders defense for her senior season. She recorded 18 groundballs and 14 caused turnovers as a junior as part of a defense that allowed just six goals per game.
McKinley Larrieu, Gulf Breeze
A junior and returning all-PNJ defender, Larrieu recorded 10 ground balls and seven caused turnovers as part of a defense that allowed only 7.7 goals per game in 2025.
Kerra Mavity, Navarre
A junior, Mavity is another talented returner on a Raiders team full of them. She recorded 22 goals, 12 assists, 22 ground balls, 30 caused turnovers and 30 draw controls in 2025.
Aubrey McMillion, Gulf Breeze
A junior, McMillion is another cog of a deep offensive group for the Dolphins. She finished with 24 goals, 28 assists and 20 groundballs in 2025.
Lilah Odom, West Florida
A junior, Odom totaled 101 saves and had a .426 save percentage in 2025.
Ann Pair, Gulf Breeze
A transfer from Pensacola Catholic, Pair recorded 29 goals and four assists, 16 ground balls and five caused turnovers as a freshman for the Crusaders in 2025. She’s already making an impact for the Dolphins, including a hat trick in their 12-7 win over Catholic on Feb. 17, marking Gulf Breeze’s first win over Catholic in four years.
Rozlyn Palmer, Gulf Breeze
A junior and returning all-PNJ midfielder, Palmer was a force for the Raiders in 2025 but has moved west along state highway 98 for 2026. She led Navarre in points (77), scoring 55 goals and dishing out 22 assists. Palmer also accumulated 29 ground balls, 46 caused turnovers and 46 draw controls.
Lacey Riley, Navarre
A junior attacker, Riley is the final Raider on this list. She recorded 31 goals, 35 assists, 19 ground balls and 42 caused turnovers as a sophomore.
Ashley Saiter, Gulf Breeze
A senior and returning all-PNJ attack, Saiter totaled 25 goals and 29 assists in 2025.
Tori Sappington, Tate
A senior, Sappington was the Aggies engine a year ago. She finished with 31 goals, three assists, 91 ground balls and 60 draw controls.
Morganne Whitesell, Gulf Breeze
A junior and returning all-PNJ goalie, Whitesell saved 106 shots and had a .438 save percentage in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area girls lacrosse: 26 players to watch in the 2026 season
Reporting by Justin Fitzgerald, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
