Wichita Eagle honors top high school softball players on 2024 All-Metro team

The Wichita Eagle announced its annual All-Metro softball team on Wednesday, recognizing some of the best high school players in the state of Kansas from the 2024 season.

The All-Metro features the top players and the top coaches from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties based on statistics, team success, postseason recognition and area coaches’ feedback.

Eisenhower senior catcher Karlee Ford, a two-time All-Metro selection and Iowa State commit, was named the Softball Player of the Year.

2024 WICHITA EAGLE ALL-METRO SOFTBALL TEAM

Emery Benson-Hladik, Andale-Garden Plain junior designated player

The leading hitter who spurred Andale-Garden Plain to a Class 4A state championship appearance, Benson-Hladik finished with a .500 batting average with 20 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, 39 RBIs and 28 runs. The standout catcher was named first team all-state in 4A and also first team all-league in AV-CTL Div. IV.

Andale-Garden Plain coach Erin Carney on Benson-Hladik: “We graduated eight seniors from last year’s team, so she was really the only one back with any kind of experience. She really stepped up and led our team from the very beginning of the season. She was a steady catcher, a leader behind the plate and she has an easy-going attitude that allows her to hold her teammates accountable. You don’t see a catcher hit lead-off very often, but I was so confident all year that every time Emery was at the plate she was going to get a hit.”

Addy Canfield, Derby senior pitcher

A two-time All-Metro selection, Canfield once again was a dominant ace in the circle for a Panthers team that won 24 games and reached the Class 6A state tournament. The McLennan Community College commit finished with a 17-2 record as a pitcher with a 1.35 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 109-plus innings, while also playing first base and hitting .402 with a team-high 34 RBIs. Canfield was named a first team all-state pitcher in 6A and also voted the Player of the Year in AV-CTL Div. I.

Derby coach Christy Weve on Canfield: “What has always impressed me about Addy is how much time she puts into her craft. She spent so much time this off-season trying to improve herself and work on her game and the mental side of the game. She’s so tough in the circle and always wants the ball in big games. And then on top of all of that, she was a really great hitter for us at the plate. She was a big part of our success this year.”

Kyler Demel, Derby senior outfielder

No one set the table better than Demel for a 24-win Derby team that reached the Class 6A state tournament. She finished with a .451 batting average, 22 extra-base hits, 33 RBIs and a team-high 34 runs, as the Butler Community College commit was voted a second team all-state outfielder in 6A and a first team all-league player in AV-CTL Div. I.

Derby coach Christy Weve on Demel: “Kyler has always been one of our leading hitters because she has such a tough mentality at the plate. She’s led us in batting average for a few years now and she’s also really great defensively in the outfield. She has a really strong arm and threw out three runners at home plate this year. She was always talking, always brought good energy and was a really good leader for us this year.”

Karlee Ford, Eisenhower senior catcher

A two-time All-Metro selection, Ford was widely considered the state’s best catcher in her final year at Eisenhower. A rare lead-off hitter for a catcher, the Iowa State commit hit .456 with a .524 on-base percentage with 11 home runs, 28 RBIs, 40 runs and 27 stolen bases. She was voted a first team all-state catcher in Class 5A, while also being named the Player of the Year in AV-CTL Div. II.

Eisenhower coach Amber Brunswig on Ford: “Karlee was such a great team leader for us. She was always working on her game in practice and in the offseason. She spent a lot of time working on her hitting and you can tell by the results. She’s a strong, strong kid. She almost always was putting the ball in play as our lead-off hitter and she really used her combination of power and speed to her favor this year. She was always making things happen for us.”

Kaylee Hampton, Clearwater junior infielder

A breakout season saw Hampton be named the MVP of AV-CTL Div. IV and earn first team all-state honors in Class 4A after helping Clearwater reach the state tournament. The shortstop finished with a .594 batting average and .617 on-base percentage with 60 hits, six home runs, 54 RBIs and 44 runs.

Clearwater coach Tyler Hampton on Hampton: “What really stood out about Kaylee this year was her consistency. That’s what made her so good this year. She was very reliable for us in every single game. She played the whole year at a very high level and there was never a drop-off. She worked incredibly hard in the offseason, so that translated for her this year. Her hand-eye coordination and her ability to get her barrel on the ball in any situation is what made her so dangerous.”

Natalie Klenda, Goddard senior pitcher

A two-way standout for the Lions, Klenda was superb in the circle with a 1.51 ERA in 102-plus innings with 105 strikeouts on top of leading the team in hitting with a .398 batting average, 18 RBIs, 20 runs and 15 stolen bases as the lead-off hitter and outfielder. The McLennan Community College commit was voted Pitcher of the Year in AV-CTL Div. II and also received honorable mention all-state honors in Class 5A.

Goddard coach Kaitlyn Barrientos on Klenda: “What really stood out about Natalie this year was her laser-focus mentality. When she steps out there, she is ready to compete and to dominate whoever she is facing at the plate. And then another incredible thing about her season was that she didn’t strike out a single time at the plate. You want to talk about an incredible leader, she was someone that was really hard to get out, she battled for everything and she threw so hard in the circle. She just fought for everything.”

Peyton McCormick, Cheney senior outfielder

A two-way star who helped Cheney return to the Class 3A state tournament, McCormick was named Player of the Year in the Central Plains League. The Barton County Community College recruit finished with a .691 batting average, four home runs and 36 RBIs while playing superb defense in the outfield, then also held a 12-2 record and 2.78 ERA in the circle with 86 strikeouts as the team’s ace pitcher.

Cheney coach Matt Johnson on McCormick: “Peyton had a phenomenal year for us. She led us in pretty much every hitting category and pitching. She was our leader and she was such a tough out at the plate this year. Sometimes it seemed like she was swinging at a beach ball out there. I always coach my kids to pitch the pitches where they are and she was so good at spraying them all over the field.”

Allyson Orth, Bishop Carroll sophomore utility

A two-way star who helped Bishop Carroll win a Class 5A state championship, Orth was named a first team all-league player at utility in the City League and also received honorable mention all-state honors. She compiled a 7-2 record in the circle with a 1.58 ERA, including appearances in all three state wins, then played shortstop and center field on top of hitting .489 at the plate with 41 runs, 21 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

Carroll coach Steve Harshberger on Orth: “Ally played all over for us this year and then she pitched in all of our bigger games and we really turned her loose in the state tournament. She did a great job for us and she hit No. 2 in the lineup. With her speed and hitting ability, it was really a pretty exciting start to games.”

Ellie Randall, Circle senior outfielder

Arguably the best story of any All-Metro selection, Randall joined Circle to compete in high school sports for the first time after spending her first three years home-schooled. All she did was help lead the Thunderbirds to their first state appearance in school history and earn MVP honors in AV-CTL Div. III. The Butler Community College commit was an ace pitcher with a 12-4 record, 114 strikeouts in 91-plus innings and a 1.83 ERA, while playing outfield and hitting .482 at the plate with 37 RBIs and 44 runs.

Circle coach Jason Schropp on Randall: “The first thing that stands out about Ellie is just her work ethic and her attitude. She came to practice every day with a wonderful attitude. This was her first year at Circle and she fit in from Day 1. Her and the girls bonded and it was like she had played with them through grade school. We were absolutely thrilled to have her this year. She’s a heck of a softball player, but she’s an even better person than she is a player.”

Cambell Riordan, Bishop Carroll senior infielder

The best hitter on the best team in Class 5A, Riordan’s monster senior season helped the Golden Eagles win another state championship. She hit .565 at the plate with seven home runs, 64 RBIs and 40 runs scored. The Benedictine commit was a standout at first base, where she earned first team all-state honors in 5A.

Carroll coach Steve Harshberger on Riordan: “Campbell has always been a pure hitter for us and she turned into a very good first baseman. But hitting has always been her love and it really came through at the end of the year for us. It has always been there, but holy cow, she really turned it on at the end of the year when we needed it.”

Dominique Schellenger, Trinity Academy sophomore pitcher

A young and talented core helped lead Trinity to a third-place finish in Class 3A, while Schellenger played a large role in that with her two-way brilliance. She was voted a second team all-state player in 3A as a pitcher and also a first team pick at pitcher in the Central Plains League after compiling a 13-4 record with 89 strikeouts and a 1.56 ERA. She also played in the outfield and hit .447 with 18 extra-base hits, 35 RBIs and 33 runs.

Trinity coach Steve Cross on Schellenger: “A lot of Dominique’s success this year had to do with her changing speeds. And she was a lefty, which makes it tougher on batters I think. But the way she could change speeds and the way she could hit at the plate, she had a lot of power, that really made her stand out this year. Not only was she lights out for us in the circle, she was also a great hitter for us.”

Gabrielle Stauffer, Campus senior outfielder

The senior leader on the surprise team in the area, Stauffer helped guide Campus to its first Class 6A state championship appearance in 22 years. The Hutchinson Community College commit finished with a .470 batting average and .542 on-base percentage with two home runs, 22 RBIs and 31 runs, which earned her first team all-state honors in 6A as a utility player splitting time between first base and outfield.

Campus coach Douglas Stanley on Stauffer: “Gabby has always been there for us through four years. Through the good times and the bad, she was always coming up in the clutch for us. Once she started to relax his past year, that’s when she really got back to who she was and started hitting the ball really well. That was a huge part of our success late.”

Joslynn Stiglitz, Maize sophomore infielder

A two-way standout who helped lead the Eagles to a regional championship game, Stiglitz registered a .419 batting average with eight home runs, 37 RBIs and 21 runs at the plate to go along with an 11-5 record in the circle with a 3.72 ERA and 64 strikeouts. She was voted a second team all-state player in Class 6A at first base, while she was named first team all-league player in AV-CTL Div. I at first base and a second team all-league player as a pitcher.

Maize coach Jeff Topping on Stiglitz: “She’s just a really talented player and works really hard. She takes every rep seriously and she’s really good offensively and defensively and as a pitcher. She’s one of those players you love to coach because she’s the first to practice and the last one to leave. She soaks everything up like a sponge.”

Sophie Stockam, Maize South junior pitcher

Always talented, Stockham tapped into her potential with a monster two-way season to help lead Maize South to a semifinal run in the Class 5A playoffs. The UNLV commit was voted a first team all-state pitcher in 5A and a first team all-league pitcher in AV-CTL Div. I, as she finished with a 15-1 record with 200 strikeouts and a 1.88 ERA in 97 innings. But she also played third base and was a superb hitter, finishing with a .389 batting average with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and 27 runs.

Maize South coach Cody Stucky on Stockam: “She was just a workhorse for us all year in the circle. She had 19 strikeouts against Topeka Seaman at state. What really stood out about her this year was just her consistency compared to her sophomore year. She really matured and was able to escape all kinds of jams and just had an incredible strikeout ratio. She carried such a heavy load for us and she was definitely deserving of all of her honors.”

Keira Stripling, Bishop Carroll freshman infielder

A two-way freshman standout, Stripling was voted a first team all-state pitcher in Class 5A after helping Carroll win a state championship. The left-hander threw a team-high 74-plus innings, striking out 122 and maintaining a 2.34 ERA while compiling an 11-2 record. But she was also a standout hitter and fielder at shortstop, finishing with a team-high .611 batting average with 71 runs, 15 stolen bases and 24 RBIs.

Carroll coach Steve Harshberger on Stripling: “Keira was our lead-off hitter and was a very exciting player to watch start games. It seemed like she got on nine out of 10 times. And once she got on, she was going to steal second and if somebody got a hit, she was going to try to go home. She didn’t want to stop. And then she came up big in the circle for us in the state tournament against Maize South. She had an excellent season.”

Kiley Thornquist, Maize South sophomore infielder

A natural at shortstop, Thornquist was named first team all-state in Class 5A after helping the Mavericks reach the state semifinals. She finished with a team-high .519 batting average and .579 on-base percentage with 23 extra-base hits, seven home runs, 48 RBIs and 44 runs.

Maize South coach Cody Stucky on Thornquist: “She was already so good as a freshman starting every game for us at shortstop, but man, she grew up and something changed in her this past year. You look at her numbers and she was just a machine for us in the 2-hole. We had a lot of really good offensive players this year, but she was definitely our best.”

Douglas Stanley, Campus coach

Behind a group of five seniors who helped spearhead a turnaround in Haysville, Stanley guided the Colts to their first Class 6A state championship game appearance since 2002. Campus finished with an 18-7 record and runner-up finish in 6A following a Cinderella run in their first state tournament since 2017. Campus was led by seniors Gabrielle Stauffer, Ava Baker, Londyn Ysidro, Abigail Araiza and Kylah Parson, while a freshman class of Lillian Clements, Emerleigh Cooper, Alexis Butler and Kamdyn Minnick helped inject the team with enough talent to make a postseason run.

Campus coach Douglas Stanley on the Colts: “Whenever you have a combination of a great senior class and a really talented freshman class, you’re going to have a good season. We just had a great team dynamic this year with really great leadership and young players who were talented and wanted to follow them. This was a really special group who made a really special run and that meant a lot to me and the seniors. Especially with Campus not really having much success at state before. Beating the teams we beat, it was a great run and I think the girls gained a lot of confidence from it.”

All-Metro second team

Ana Amador, North sophomore

Kennedy Baker, Circle senior

Kelsey Barscewski, Andover Central freshman

Kylie Cartwright, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior

Brodie Christensen, Andover junior

Lillian Clements, Campus freshman

Madi Clevenger, Clearwater sophomore

Payton Converse, Andover Central freshman

Kinslee Cottner, Maize South freshman

Courtney Cross, Trinity Academy senior

Madison Cross, Trinity Academy sophomore

Karlie Demel, Derby sophomore

Adelle Fouquet, Cheney junior

Emily Freeby, Valley Center sophomore

Karli George, Eisenhower junior

Elyse Griffin, Hesston sophomore

Charlotte Kerbs, Maize junior

Lizzy Lassley, Maize South junior

Cambree Lawler, Remington sophomore

Ava Lay, Trinity Academy junior

Jayna Lies, Andale-Garden Plain freshman

Anistyn Marcotte, Bishop Carroll senior

Bridget Mohr, Bluestem sophomore

Olivia Navarro, Bishop Carroll junior

Madison Phipps, Mulvane senior

Sydney Sorum, Flinthills senior

Kam Stubbs, Northwest junior

Taylin Tabor, Andover Central junior

Elizabeth Tjaden, Clearwater senior

Trista Welty, Clearwater sophomore

Kaci Young, Halstead junior

Steve Harshberger, Bishop Carroll coach

All-Metro third team

Kailee Abasolo, Valley Center sophomore

Kendyl Acker, Circle sophomore

Jailyn Adolph, Cheney senior

Alayna Alvarez, Northwest senior

Jaryn Baker, Mulvane sophomore

Macey Batt, Cheney junior

Brooklyn Benoit, Northwest sophomore

Gentry Bergsten, Douglass sophomore

Gracie Bezdek, Kapaun Mt. Carmel freshman

Alexis Butler, Campus freshman

Ava Boden, Derby junior

Elena Bowling, Remington junior

Addison Brown, Clearwater senior

Jewell Carleton, Bluestem junior

Lila Collins, Maize junior

Emerleigh Cooper, Campus freshman

Tessa Cooper, Andover Central freshman

Pilar Cox, Bluestem junior

Kinley Davis, Maize South sophomore

Callyn Divine, Halstead freshman

Ella Friederich, Andover junior

Hayden Fowler, Circle freshman

Paige Green, Rose Hill senior

Kylie Hahn, Eisenhower freshman

Makena Hampton, Clearwater freshman

Grace Hembree, Goddard senior

Charlie Hoffman, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior

Raegan Jackson, Derby junior

Elsie Johnson, Andale-Garden Plain sophomore

Kynzee Klaassen, Remington freshman

Abby Koontz, Newton senior

Liberty Lewis, Trinity Academy sophomore

Addison Mackey, Mulvane senior

Lilly Martin, Bishop Carroll junior

Mya Morris, Halstead senior

Kegan Motter, El Dorado junior

Elisabeth Norbert, El Dorado senior

Aubrey Pate, Eisenhower senior

Khloe Perkins, Goddard senior

Abreya Perry, Valley Center sophomore

Rylee Pfeifer, Augusta sophomore

Sariah Potter, Goddard sophomore

Jersey Ramirez, Derby junior

Lena Ramsey, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior

Brynley Smith, Maize senior

Paige Stanhope, Andale-Garden Plain freshman

Ava Strohm, Campus junior

Allie Tabor, Andover Central senior

Morgan Thatcher, Valley Center senior

Hadley Topping, Maize junior

Kendyll Walker, Cheney freshman

Hayden Wettstein, Heights junior

Whitney Wilbur, Circle sophomore

Steve Cross, Trinity Academy coach