GAYLORD ― There’s been a lot of talent on Otsego County softball diamonds over the past few years. Those around the state have taken notice.
Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 high school sports season on June 14, the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) released its annual all-state honorees for all four divisions, and both Gaylord and Johannesburg-Lewiston were yet again well represented.
Gaylord’s Aubrey Jones and JoBurg’s Brittney Fox were first-team selections for Division 2 and 4 respectively, while GHS’s Kennedy Wangler and JL’s Jaeden Briley were both named to the honorable mentions lists.
Jones, an Oklahoma State signee and the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year, was a first-team shortstop for the D2 team, her third-consecutive all-state selection. She led Gaylord with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs while going 7-3 with 140 strikeouts and a 1.62 earned run average in the circle.
She will be known for a long time for her home run power; she finished her four-year high school career with 72 home runs, second all-time in MHSAA history, while winning the inaugural Turnin2 All-Star Game home run derby on Monday, June 16, with 24 home runs over three rounds.
Wangler was an honorable mention outfielder after wrapping her career with another solid season, totaling 41 hits, 31 RBIs, 46 runs scored and 9 home runs. She is signed to play softball at Ferris State next season alongside her sister Addison as well as another former Blue Devil, Alexis Kozlowski. She also joined Jones at the inaugural High School All-Star game in Ann Arbor, Mich., starting at first base for the Stripes team.
In Division 4, Fox was a first-team second base selection after leading JoBurg with a .522 batting average, 45 RBIs, 51 runs scored and four home runs. She is committed to Alpena Community College to play both softball and basketball.
Briley, meanwhile, will be the lone all-state selection returning to high school softball diamonds next year, earning all-state honorable mention honors after a successful junior season. She hit for a .477 average with 44 runs scored, 32 RBI and two home runs.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord’s Jones, Wangler; JoBurg’s Fox, Briley selected to all-state softball teams
Reporting by Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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