RVC soccer: Whippets' Navejas caps career by winning Player of the Year award

Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle’s Mayte Navejas won the Rock Valley Conference girls soccer Player of the Year award in voting held recently.

Navejas, a senior midfielder, earns first team all-league honors in three straight seasons.

Mayte exemplifies everything I look for in a top player,” Whitewater girls soccer coach Madeleine Blain said. “She has been an all-conference player since her freshman year, team MVP and high scorer all four years, and varsity captain as a junior and senior.

“What sets Mayte apart is what she does with her tremendous talent. She works harder than anyone in every single game: attacking, defending, covering for her teammates and setting up nearly every chance we have on goal. She has been instrumental in the growth of the Whitewater soccer program through the last four years.

“Her exceptional skill on the ball combined with her team-focused attitude and sportsmanship make her an all around excellent player.”

Navejas scored 12 goals, adding seven assists on the season. She tallied nine goals along with six assists in conference games.

“She masterfully creates space and regularly takes on multiple defenders at once–she is so often under heavy pressure that it’s even more impressive when she dribbles through them,” Blain said.

Whippets senior defender Jayden Sontag also earned first-team accolades in back to back seasons.

“Jayden is a center back who can chase down every attacker,” Blain said. “She’s a powerhouse and a ball winner in the back, she uses her physicality in a positive way to win the ball and clean up defensive mistakes. She’s also incredibly fast and capable of keeping up with most attackers we faced.”

Whitewater-Palmyra-Eagle senior goalie Marina Linos also garnered first-team honors after being a second-team selection in 2023.

Linos made 134 saves this season.

“In regular conference play, she conceded to only three teams for a total of 10 goals and maintained clean sheets against five conference opponents,” Blain said.

Whippets forward Belle Peterson and defender Emma Valadez-Morales along with Jefferson midfielder Addison Barden were second-team honorees.

Area honorable mention selections included Whitewater-Palmyra-Eagle’s Sophia Garcia and Madysen Stevens plus Jefferson’s Addison McMahon and Leslie De La Portilla.

Evansville won the Rock Valley with a record of 10-0-0, followed by Delavan-Darien at 8-2-0, Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle and Big Foot/Williams Bay at 6-4-0, Edgerton at 4-4-1, Monroe at 3-5-1, East Troy at 3-6-0, Jefferson at 1-8-0 and Clinton at 0-8-0.

2024 Rock Valley Girls Soccer All-ConferenceFIRST TEAM

Name School Position

Jayden LeRoy Evansville Forward

Jacki Rambatt Big Foot/Williams Bay Forward

Anna Smith Delavan-Darien Forward

Mayte Navejas Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle Midfielder

Mya Gonzalez Big Foot/Williams Bay Midfielder

Brooke O’Grady Delavan-Darien Midfielder

Gabby Smith East Troy Midfielder

Tateum Speich Evansville Midfielder

Harlie Seuser Delavan-Darien Defense

Addy Acker Evansville Defense

Robyn Sonderegger East Troy Defense

Jayden Sontag Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle Defense

Marina Linos Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle Keeper

Molly Andersen Big Foot/Williams Bay Utility

Riley Fitch East Troy Utility

RVC Placer of the Year: Mayte Navejas Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle

SECOND TEAM

Belle Peterson Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle Forward

Joliette Thompson East Troy Forward

Megan Markley Delavan-Darien Forward

Alyssa Kosmicki Edgerton Midfielder

Kara Brice Evansville Midfielder

Mayline Reynoso Delavan-Darien Midfielder

Ella Samuelson Evansville Midfielder

Addison Barden Jefferson Midfielder

Emma Valadez-Morales Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle Defense

Ryann Grunow Big Foot/Williams Bay Defense

Jillian Barber East Troy Defense

Mackenzie Bowen Edgerton Defense

Kaelyn Welch Monroe Keeper

Natasha Wallace Edgerton Utility

Samantha Aleson Edgerton Utility

HONORABLE MENTION

Lucia Martinez Big Foot/Williams Bay

Annabelle Pearce Big Foot/Williams Bay

Bethany Johnson Clinton/Turner

Carly Castellanos Clinton/Turner

Yaricel Aranda Soto Delavan — Darien

Jade Angeles Gallegos Delavan — Darien

Lilly Aleckson East Troy

Elliot Van Buren East Troy

Claudia Jenny Edgerton

Holly Hazeltine Edgerton

Abigail Elmer Evansville

Brynlea Crull Evansville

Addison McMahon Jefferson

Leslie De La Portilla Jefferson

Mary McKenzie Monroe

Addison Bartholf Monroe

Sophia Garcia Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle

Madysen Stevens Whitewater/Palmyra-Eagle