Picking the top softball player in the Gaylord area may be tougher than ever before.
In years before, a couple of elite players dominated the top individual spots on the Gaylord Herald Times All-Area softball teams. This year, picking a Player of the Year is not so easy. So, let’s hear what the fans have to say.
Check out the candidates and vote for your choice for the GHT Fan’s Choice Softball Player of the Year. All POY polls conclude at the end of June.
Nora Bethuy, Gaylord – Bethuy finished 2026 with a .395 batting average, 39 RBIs and 50 runs scored. She was also Gaylord’s No. 1 pitcher, going 10-7 overall with 105 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched.
Makayla Kozlowski, Gaylord – Kozlowski hit .411 with four home runs, 43 RBIs and 47 runs scored in the middle of Gaylord’s lineup.
Lily Ryckman-Hall, Gaylord – Ryckman-Hall was the area’s top power hitter, accounting for nine home runs while hitting .450 with 40 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
Ashlynn Burke, JoBurg – JL’s top hitter and pitcher, Burke hit .542 with four home runs, 61 runs scored and 42 RBIs. She finished 12-6 in the circle with 93 strikeouts in 94 innings.
Emery Lawes, JoBurg – One of the top catchers in the area, Lawes hit .443 with 38 RBIs and 46 runs scored.
Payton Glasby, St. Mary – The top hitter for GSM finished the year with a .476 batting average, 21 runs scored and 17 RBIs.
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: Vote for the GHT Fan’s Choice Softball Player of the Year, 2026
Reporting by Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
