Marlatt wins Ski Valley Player of the Year, headlines six All-SVC JoBurg softball players
JOHANNESBURG — There were high hopes for what Johannesburg-Lewiston softball could accomplish in the Division 4 playoff bracket in 2024, but it wasn't in the cards for the Cards'.
Still, after winning a fourth-straight league title and an undefeated record against Ski Valley opponents, the top players for the SVC's top team were recognized with six total players earning all-conference honors, headlined by senior Jayden Marlatt winning the league's Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive season.
Marlatt, a Miss Softball finalist for D4 and first-team all-state honoree, put up some historic numbers in the 2024 season, posting a 15-3 overall record in the circle with a 1.52 ERA and 198 strikeouts while leading the Cardinals in nearly every offensive category, including hits (56), batting average (.639), doubles (14), triples (4) and home runs (11).
The senior Ferris State signee wraps her high school career as one of the Ski Valley Conference's best female athletes of all time, sweeping the Player of the Year Award in all three sports she played during the 2023-24 seasons (volleyball, basketball, softball).
Four other Cardinals were on the first team along with Marlatt, including Reagan Sides, Cassie Tallman, Brittney Fox and Mady Peppin, while Jaeden Briley was the team's lone second-team member.
Sides, the team's starting catcher, was also a first-team all-state honoree for D4, finishing with a .470 batting average with 39 total hits, 13 doubles and two home runs. She was second on the team with 43 runs scored and fourth on the team with 25 RBI.
Tallman, a senior and first-team outfielder, had a .422 average and was second on the team with 47 runs scored. Fox, a junior and first-team infielder, had a .402 average and was fourth on the team with 35 hits. Rounding out the first-team honorees was freshman Mady Peppin who had the fourth-best batting average (.466), logging 34 hits in just 73 at-bats.
Sophomore Jaeden Briley, the lone second-team member for the Cardinals, hit .349 with 30 total hits and 40 runs scored.
Gaylord St. Mary had four members on the honorable mentions list (Payton Glasby, Kaylee Jeffers, Emery Blust, Omanii Switalski), part of an improving young team looking to improve as the conference evolves in the coming seasons.
All-Ski Valley Conference Softball
First Team
Jayden Marlatt, Pitcher, Johannesburg-Lewiston
Brooklyn Fischer, Pitcher, Bellaire
Reagan Sides, Catcher, Johannesburg-Lewiston
Ella Schramm, Infield, Mancelona
Brittney Fox, Infield, Johannesburg-Lewiston
Erica Taglauer, Infield, Inland Lakes
Charlotte Box, Infield, Onaway
Cassie Tallman, Outfield, Johannesburg-Lewiston
Alex Sawson, Outfield, Bellaire
Brooklyn LaBrecque, Outfield, Inland Lakes
Ella Jones, First Base, Mancelona
Maggie Grant, At Large, Inland Lakes
Mady Peppin, At Large, Johannesburg-Lewiston
Second Team
Catcher, Madi DePew, Catcher, Bellaire
Abi Yuhaus, Infield, Bellaire
Lauren MacConnell, Infield, Forest Area
Eva Carper, Infield, Inland Lakes
Alexa Belongia, Infield, Mancelona
Natalie Lenhart, Outfield, Forest Area
Jaeden Briley, Outfield, Johannesburg-Lewiston
Lanie Irwin, Outfield, Pellston
Sadie Decker, First Base, Onaway
Jenna Stubbs, At Large, Inland Lakes
Addy Patton, At Large, Bellaire
Sarah McGuire, At Large, Central Lake
Honorable Mention
Gen Massey, Bellaire
Ema DeMaestri, Onaway
Marley Szymoniak, Onaway
Peyton Glasby, Gaylord St. Mary
Kaylee Jeffers, Gaylord St. Mary
Emery Blust, Gaylord St. Mary
Omanii Switalski, Gaylord St. Mary
Ella Klungle, Pellston
Breanna Willis, Pellston
Joelyssa Hayden, Central Lake
Claire Shocks, Central Lake
Abby Miller, Central Lake
Alexia Brandt, Forest Area
Taylor Belongia, Mancelona
Izzy Lanning, Mancelona
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: Marlatt wins Ski Valley Player of the Year, one of six All-SVC JoBurg softball players