The Gainesville-area produced two state champions in softball this season with Trenton and Columbia.
Tuesday, the two Tigers received recognition for their efforts on the dirt in 2026.
Both squads earned the Player and Coach of the Year in Class 4A and the Rural Class.
For the Tigers of Lake City, Alannah Lord was named POY and Joe Sauicer COY. For the Tigers of Gilchrist County, Addison Allaire claimed POY and Kevin Benson COY.
Lord was truly a Swiss Army Knife at the plate. She hit .446 with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 35 RBIs. She scored 41 runs and stole 11 bases. She ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A in homers, RBIs and runs scored.
Saucier, meanwhile, led the Tigers on a remarkable turnaround in 2026. In 2025, the Tigers went 15-12. That record improved to 29-3 in 2026 with five postseason wins, including victories over Baker County to win 4A-Region 1 and Lake Wales to win the title – both top 40 teams.
“They fought for each other every pitch and every out and every swing,” Sauicer said. “I can go through 1-9 in each game and each one of them contributed.”
For Trenton, the journey was a little different. Instead of coming out of “nowhere” like Columbia, the Tigers dealt with a target on their back all season as two-time defending state champion.
Allaire, though, rose to the challenge and delivered another phenomenal season in the circle and at the plate. She held an 18-3 record with a 0.81 ERA in 139 innings. She also blasted 7 home runs, 28 RBIs, 8 doubles and scored 17 runs scored.
Her 295 strikeouts ranked third in Florida. Her ERA and wins are top 20 in the state, and her home runs, RBIs, slugging and on base percentage are top 20 in the Rural Class – making her a truly balanced player.
Benson and the Tigers were, wire-to-wire, the top ranked Rural team all season, despite that pressure. Trenton lost just three games all season – to Columbia, Santa Fe and Gainesville High. Each made it to at least the region final, and the Tigers beat each in their other matchup in Gilchrist County.
“We can’t take pitches off because if we are the talent that we think we are, we got to go out and prove to everyone that we are that good,” Benson said.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Trenton, Columbia softball honored with Florida Dairy Farmers statewide awards
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
