It’s time to unveil the Rockford Register Star’s male and female players of the entire 2025-2026 school year, which encompasses sports from the fall of 2025, the winter of 2025-2026, and the spring of 2026.
It all starts today with our announcement of the Female Player of the Year and the three other finalists.
Jordan Dimke, Hononegah (2025-2026 Female MVP)
Dimke helped lead Hononegah to its first NIC-10 title in flag football in the fall, playing multiple positions and catching passes all over the field. Then, in the winter, she scored her 1,000th point and beyond during another strong girls’ basketball season, which was capped off with a first-team All-Conference nod.
Dimke won the NIC-10 and the sectional title in the high jump this spring, and she then took second to Auburn’s Jaeda Benford at state. It was the fourth time she qualified for state in the high jump, and the fourth time she medaled at state in the event.
“She’s just a battler,” said Auburn’s Jaeda Benford, who took fifth at state two years, second to Dimke last year, but won the high jump state title this year. “We’ve had some great battles, that’s for sure. She’s such a great competitor.”
Dimke also advanced to state for the third time in a row in the 300 hurdles.
The future basketball player for the University of Illinois-Springfield has also been a star in the classroom for most of her life. She closed out her high school career with a 3.97 GPA.
Other finalists
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Meet the Rockford area’s 2025-2026 Female Player of the Year
Reporting by Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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By Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star | USA TODAY Network
