MONROE – Alana Aulph wants to be a nurse.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave much time for her to be a college athlete.
The recent Monroe High graduate has been named The Monroe News 2024 Girls Athlete of the Year after a stellar, three-sport career came to an end. The winner was determined for the first time this year by combining votes by fans and The Monroe News sports staff.
She plans on attending Michigan State University in the fall and will apply to nursing school after her freshman year.
“I think I am going to miss it,” she said about sports. “I just want to focus on becoming a nurse and getting my degree. I might do something for fun, like intramural sports.”
Playing softball in college was on the table at one point, with good reason. She pitched, played shortstop and third base for the Trojans, batting .511, tied a school record with nine homeruns and drove in 39 runs. She had 15 doubles and had a fielding percentage above .900.
“I talked to a few college coaches and all of them said nursing is a very hard major to do with softball,” she said. “I decided it would be best for me to go to college and get my degree. Eventually sports would end, and I want to have that degree.”
Monroe softball coach Jim Davis called Aulph one of the best athletes he’s coached.
“She has done it all for four years at the plate, in the field, and on the mound,” he said. “Her four home runs against Dexter is something I'll never forget.”
Aulph hit three homers against Dexter in the first game of the doubleheader at Dexter, then slugged another one in game two.
“That was a pretty amazing memory for me,” Aulph said. “It just kind of happen. Things really worked out that day.”
Davis, who has coached a lot of great players in his 10 seasons as head coach of the Trojans including Division 1 talents Ellie Sieler and Amanda Arnett, says Aulph is one of the best players he has ever coached.
“She can play anywhere and is just willing to do whatever it helps to help the team,” he said. “There were so many times when we just needed a groundball to short. She is the one player you want the ball hit to.”
Aulph was walked or hit by a pitch more than 30 times this season. Opponents didn’t want to pitch to her.
“She been a great hitter really all along in the middle of our lineup,” Davis said. “This year she hit with a little more power. … She is such a clutch player. When we needed a hit, you almost expected her to come through.”
Aulph doesn’t take pitching lessons, but still was one of Monroe’s top hurlers.
“If it was up to her, she wouldn’t pitch at all, but she’s one of the players who will do whatever it takes to win,” Davis said.
Softball has long been Aulph’s No. 1 sport.
“I’ve played softball longer than I’ve played the other two,” she said. “I put more of my time in that than the other two.”
She was All-Region in volleyball with 197 digs and 112 assists.
“Alana has the heart of a champion,” said Monroe volleyball coach Angela Tedora. “Her hard work in everything she does – school, sports, 4-H, -- personifies the statement, ‘Hard work pays off.’
“Alana served as our team captain and is the epitome of an unselfish leader. As a sophomore and junior, Alana trained as a setter, but coming in as a senior, additional tasks were assigned to her. There were times throughout her senior year when she was tasked to run our offense as our setter, playing only three rotations, while other times she was our libero playing all six rotations and anchoring our defense... sometimes changing mid-match. No matter what request was made of her, she tackled it head-on, without complaint, and gave it her all.”
Tedora loves that Aulph stood out in three sports.
“I consider myself lucky to have had Alana as a member of the Monroe varsity volleyball team for three years, as well as being able to watch her participate in basketball and softball,” she said. “Alana's ability to succeed in three sports is just another testament to giving it her commitment and competitive nature.”
“I created so many friendships in volleyball,” Aulph said. “That made it an amazing thing.”
Basketball coach Trent Moody was in his first season at Monroe this year. He appreciated having Aulph to help him install his system. She was the only senior on the roster.
“She was a really good leader,” Moody said. “She was accepting of what we were trying to do. She went along with it and made sure everyone was on the same page.”
Aulph averaged 5.3 points per game and rarely came off the floor.
“She probably averaged 30 minutes a game, if not 32,” Moody said. “She was so good at understanding what we were trying to do out there. I couldn’t take her off the floor because she wasn’t making mistakes.”
She also was a vocal leader.
“She was very encouraging to her teammates,” Moody said.
In an era of athletes who specialize in a sport, Aulph played three.
“The only sport that I played travel ball in was softball, though,” she said. “The others I only played basically in-season.”
The daughter of Bill and Shelly Aulph said sports came somewhat naturally for her.
Both her parents played sports – her dad played basketball and baseball while her mom was a volleyball player.
“I am a competitor,” she said. “I’m very active. I don’t like to sit around and do nothing. It’s always been an outlet for me.”
She said she’ll miss the competition of sports but is happy with the relationships athletics have brought her over the years.
“I’ve created so many friendships that I wouldn’t have had without sports,” she said. “It’s always been something to fall back on and keep me busy.”
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2023-24 VOTING
Alana Aulph, Monroe 44
Jessica Schrader, Ida 40
Victoria Gray, Bedford 36
Malea Wourman, Milan 30
Brenna Baker, Airport 23
Elizabeth Sweeney, Erie Mason 19
Addison Dolencic, New Boston Huron 17
Payton Pudlowski, Bedford 16
Nyah Mullins, Bedford 15
Kennedy Irwin, Dundee 13
Sarah Giroux, Flat Rock 10
Jessica Costlow, SMCC 8
Jaeli Jones, Summerfield 4
Jenna Pilachowski, Jefferson 2
Makenna Payne, SMCC 1
PAST WINNERS
2024: Alana Aulph, Monroe
2023: Malea Wourman, Milan
2022: McKenna Salley, Dundee
2021: Ryley Osentoski, Flat Rock
2020: Taylor Wegener, Ida
2019: Amy Jackson, Flat Rock
2018: Kaylyn Carsten, Ida
2017: Payge Salenbien, Dundee
2016: Payge Salenbien, Dundee
2015: Janie Bunge, Whiteford
2014: Janie Bunge, Whiteford
2013: Morgan Kaiser, Flat Rock
2012: Morgan Kaiser, Flat Rock
2011: Jaclyn Sawasky, Ida
2010: Abby McCollum, Monroe
2009: Heather Carlson, Summerfield
2008: Chae Small, Monroe
2007: Ashley Gilson, Summerfield
2006: Ashley Gilson, Summerfield
2005: Alyssa Eppler, Jefferson
2004: Katie Loosvelt, Carlson
2003: Jenifer Sulewski, Bedford
2002: Jen Hurst, Erie Mason
2001: Kelly Upchurch, Erie Mason
2000: Breanne Chany, Whiteford
1999: Carrie Schroeder, Mason
1998: Krissy Montague, Monroe
1997: Meghan Peregord, Monroe
1996: Wendy Adams, Whiteford
1995: Amy Laboe, SMCC
1994: Amy Wilson, Ida
1993: Tanya Potcova, Jefferson
1992: Jennie Bringman, Bedford
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