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, headlines six All-SVC JoBurg softball players