As the curtain falls on the 2025-26 academic year, the achievements of several student-athletes continue to stand out. For some athletes, it was a continuation of a dominant high school career, while others are just starting to put their names on the map.
Now, it’s time for the readers to select the Record Searchlight’s 2026 Girls Athlete of the Year.
The list of nominees has been narrowed down to 12 athletes, and each athlete must have competed in at least two sports during the recently completed academic year. Individual stats, accolades, and team success each played a factor in selecting the 12 finalists.
Read about what each nominee accomplished during the 2025-26 year and cast your vote now. Voting is restricted to one vote per person per hour and will remain open until Thursday, June 16.
Vote here
Nominees
Joleen Short, Jr, Central Valley
Joleen Short was a three-sport standout for the Central Valley Falcons, excelling in each. Short was an All-NAL honorable mention for both volleyball and basketball and an All-NAL selection in softball. With the softball team in 2026, Short posted a 2.94 ERA with 175 strikeouts in 119 innings. Short-pitched three hitless outings of at least three innings, including a complete-game no-hitter against Oroville in March. Short also slashed an outstanding .577/.639/.915 with 41 total hits and 25 RBIs. She finished her junior season with over 500 career strikeouts.
Aubrey Caudell, Sr, U-Prep
Aubrey Caudell was an All-NAL selection for both basketball and softball during her senior season with the Panthers. Caudell was one of the Panthers top defenders, scorers, and passers, and helped lead the team to a section championship appearance. Caudell led the Panthers softball team in batting average (0.393) and hits (33) while also helping the team reach the NSCIF Division IV title game.
Kelsey Morton, So, West Valley
After just her sophomore year, Kelsey Morton established herself as one of the top all-around athletes in the North State. It started with volleyball in the fall. Morton led the Eagles in kills, blocks, and hitting percentage and was selected to the All-NAL and All-Section teams. Morton was one of the most dominant frontcourt players in NSCIF basketball and earned an All-NAL selection while helping the Eagles win a section title. In the spring, Morton won an NSCIF title in shotput and placed seventh at the CIF state track and field tournament — becoming the only North State athlete to place at the event in 2026.
Cadynce Gippner, Sr, West Valley
Cadynce Gippner is a two-sport star for the West Valley Eagles, playing soccer and softball. Gippner scored nine goals for a West Valley squad that went undefeated and won a section title. As a softball player, Gippner recorded a 0.473 batting average with 52 hits, 48 RBIs, and 20 extra base hits. She also pitched 57.2 innings and posted a 2.43 ERA on an Eagles team that went 29-2 and won an NSCIF title. Gipper earned All-NAL selections in both sports and a first-team All-Section nod for softball. She was also named as West Valley’s female student-athlete of the year for the 2025-26 academic year.
Kylee Jaramillo, Jr, West Valley
Kylee Jaramillo competed in volleyball, soccer, and softball throughout her junior season at West Valley. Jaramillo was selected to the All-NAL team and the All-Northern Section second team in soccer, and was an honorable mention on the All-NAL softball team. Jaramillo competed in three section championship games and won two (soccer and softball). She scored 20 goals as a midfielder and posted a 0.404 batting average with 40 hits and 26 RBIs as the Eagles’ starting shortstop.
Carly Graham, Jr, Enterprise
Carly Graham is a multi-sport athlete competing in volleyball, basketball and softball for the Hornets. She was selected to the All-EAL softball team and was an honorable mention in both basketball and volleyball. Graham consistently starred on whichever Enterprise team she was competing on. In one academic year, Graham posted a 0.510 batting average, she averaged over 12 points per game and she led the volleyball team in digs and assists.
Weslynn Skinner, Fr, Redding Christian
Weslynn Skinner made her mark on Redding Christian athletics after just her freshman season. Skinner led the Lions basketball team to an NSCIF title and an appearance in the NorCal regional championship game. The offense ran through Skinner, and she showed off her elite court vision, scoring and defensive abilities en route to earning Five-Star League MVP and first team All-Northern Section honors. Skinner also competed with the girls volleyball team and helped the Lions reach the section championship game and was named to the All-Five Star League team for volleyball.
Naia Kristoffersen, Jr, Shasta
Naia Kristoffersen began her impressive junior season with the Shasta volleyball team and led the Wolves in hitting percentage, blocks and aces and ranked second on her team in kills. Kristoffersen was selected to the All-League and All-Section teams. In the spring, Kristoffersen competed in multiple events for the track and field team. She won her third consecutive NSCIF title for triple jump and competed at the state tournament.
Piper Tyler, Sr, Red Bluff
Piper Tyler was a standout on the Spartans basketball and volleyball teams throughout her senior year. She averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and three steals per game and finished as a top 15 three-point shooter in the section. As a softball player, Piper recorded a 0.323 batting average with 20 hits and 14 RBIs. In a softball game against Dayton in April, Piper showed off her hitting abilities by hitting two doubles in one inning.
Daelynn Callegari, Sr, Foothill
Daelynn Callegari competed for Foothill’s volleyball and softball teams during her senior year. Callegari was one of the most all-around skilled players on the section championship-winning Cougars volleyball team and finished the season as the team’s leader in kills, aces, and digs per set. Following the season, Callegari was named to the All-EAL and All-Northern Section first team. While she only had 30 plate appearances with the softball team, Callegari recorded 10 hits, eight RBIs, and posted a 0.370 batting average.
Jaymes Arnold, Sr, Foothill
Foothill’s Jaymes Arnold was one of the top guards in Northern Section basketball during the 2025-26 season. Arnold was named to the All-EAL and All-Northern Section third teams following her senior season, in which she averaged 10.4 points and 4 rebounds per game. She knocked down 55 three-pointers, good for seventh in the section. Arnold also helped the Cougars volleyball team win the section title and finished third on the team in digs.
Renna Shriner, Sr, Anderson
Anderson two-sport standout Renna Shriner capped off her high school career by earning All-Northern Athletic League selections in both volleyball and basketball. As a volleyball player, Shriner led the Cubs in kills, hitting percentage, and blocks. During the basketball season, Shriner led all NSCIF players with 15.8 rebounds per game and finished in the top 10 with 15.5 points per game. Shriner recorded 26 double-doubles in 29 games — good for the 4th-most in California and the 15th-most in the country.
Brett Abrams is a sports reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. He covers high school and local sports in the Redding area. Reach out to Brett with any sports tips or news on X (formerly Twitter) @brabrams_ or by email at Brett.Abrams@Redding.com. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Vote for the Record Searchlight’s 2025-26 Girls Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
