Notre Dame basketball player Julia Mingus won the fans’ choice for 2025 Journal Star Female Athlete of the Year, winning a vote of five players of the year across the 2024-25 school year.
The 2025 Journal Star girls basketball player of the year was the catalyst for the Irish during their run to back-to-back Class 2A state title game appearances. Mingus, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, averaged 15.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for PND, which won 33 games and were the state runner-up. She scored a team-high 11 points in the state championship game. Mingus was named the Big 12 Conference player of the year and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state second team. She’ll continue playing next season for Division-II Illinois-Springfield.
This is the fourth poll in a series the Journal Star will roll out this summer, asking readers to select various superlatives across the 2024-25 season — including top team, coach, plus male and female athlete.
The poll closed at noon Friday. Information about the nominees is below. If you have a nominee for next week’s top high school basketball gym, email us at sports@pjstar.com or tag us on Twitter @pjstarsports. Last week, Lane Wheelwright of the Farmington football team was named the fans’ choice for 2025 Journal Star Male Athlete of the Year.
Mia Lamberti, Limestone
The 2024 Journal Star volleyball player of the year helped take Limestone to uncharted territory last season. Lamberti, a 6-foot sophomore setter/outside hitter, guided the Rockets to a 32-win season and a Class 3A state runner-up finish, while nearly recording a triple-double in the state title match. She went for 16 kills, 14 assists and six digs as Limestone lost to Mahomet-Seymour in three sets. For the season, Lamberti finished 455 kills, 451 assists, 180 digs, 64 aces and 11 blocks. She gave her verbal commitment last month to play volleyball for Illinois.
Kaidance Till, Metamora
The 2025 Journal Star softball player of the year put made the most of her final prep season. Till, the senior shortstop, became the first softball three-time POY. This came following a campaign that saw her bat .648 on 59 hits with 18 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 40 RBIs for the 28-win Redbirds, who made a run to the Class 3A Sweet Sixteen. Till also added 52 runs and was walked 43 times. She was named Class 3A Illinois Coaches Association all-state first team for an unprecedented fourth time. Till will continue her playing career at Mississippi.
Aubrey Phillips, El Paso-Gridley track & field
The 2025 Journal Star girls track and field athlete of the year turned in one of the most impressive performances at the Class 1A state meet. In leading the Titans to the Class 1A state championship, the senior won two state titles highlighted by clearing 5 feet, 5.75 inches to claim the high jump crown. Phillips also anchored the winning 4×200-meter relay (1:41.96). Her other points came in the form of the runner-up 4×400-meter relay (3:59.63) and a fifth-place shot put finish of 40 feet, 0.5 inches. She will compete as a heptathlete at DePaul next season.
Ava LaFollette, Peoria Notre Dame soccer
The 2025 Journal Star girls soccer player of the year put on an offensive showcase for the Class 2A state runner-up Irish. LaFollette, a junior forward, scored 57 goals — most in school history for the boys and girls programs — to land herself as 15th on the IHSA single-season goalscoring list. In 74 career varsity contests, LaFollette has 108 goals, needing 38 next season to crack the all-time list. She added nine assists across 29 matches as PND won 26 times and achieved its highest finish in program history. LaFollette is currently uncommitted to play college soccer.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Notre Dame basketball player voted 2024-25 Journal Star Female Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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