For the third straight year, the Class 6A Softball Player of the Year has won the award given to the top overall softball player in the Sunshine State.
Following balloting by a statewide panel of high school softball coaches and prep media members, senior pitcher Jayden Heavener of Pace High School has been named the Florida Dairy Farmers 2024 Miss Softball.
The LSU signee led the nationally ranked Patriots (28-2) to the FHSAA Class 6A state title by posting a 0.44 ERA while striking out 322 batters and issuing only 28 walks in 142 innings pitched.
Heavener, who only allowed nine earned runs this season while throwing 19 shutouts and 11 no-hitters, also batted .434 with six doubles, 12 home runs and 35 runs batted in.
Katelynn Oxley of Bartow (2023) and Jasmine Francik of Melbourne (2022) previously won the award, and Heavener, Oxley and Francik finished 1-2-3 in this year’s Class 6A Player-of-the-Year voting.
With 170 points and 17 of the 18 first-place votes, Heavener finished ahead of Class 4A POY Skylar Cloud of Eustis.
Trenton freshman pitcher Addison Allaire, the Class 1A POY, received the other first-place vote.
Allaire, who finished sixth in the voting, led the Tigers to the Class 1A state championship with a 13-2 record and a 0.99 ERA with 213 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched.
She also hit .397 with seven home runs, 31 runs scored and 33 runs batted in.
Her coach, Clint Anderson, also received a first-place vote and finished sixth in the voting for the overall Coach of the Year.
Anderson, who was previously named the 1A COY, led the Tigers to a 23-2 record and a state title in his third year as head coach.
Lexi Alexander of Pace High School was named the Florida Dairy Farmers 2024 Softball Coach of the Year.
In her second year as Pace’s head coach, Alexander and the Patriots avenged a 5-1 loss to Bartow in the 2023 state title game with a 2-0 win in this year’s championship game.
She received eight of the 18 first-place votes and 119 points to finish ahead of Class 4A COY Brittany Beall of Eustis.
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 32nd year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Area players in bold
2024 FINAL VOTING MISS SOFTBALL RESULTS:
(Points awarded on a 10-7-5 basis)
Player, Total Point, (1st _Place Votes)
Jayden Heavener, Pace,170 (17)
Skylar Cloud, Eustis, 57
Zoe Aziguirre, Evangelical Christian, 51
Riley Little, Parrish Community, 48
Arlette Caravaca, Western, 31
Addison Allaire, Trenton, 22 (1)
Nevaeh Williams, Montverde, 17
Past Miss Softball Winners:
1993 – Jodi Hughes, Palmetto (Fast Pitch)
Mary Babb, Barron Collier (Slow Pitch)
1994 – Jean Bonnici, Naples
1995 – Monica Triner, East Bay
1996 – Michelle Moschel, Naples
1997 – Kellie Wilkerson, Jacksonville Mandarin
1998 – Jennifer Gladding, Martin County
1999 – Jennifer Joiner, Bell
2000 – Claire Sua, St. Thomas Aquinas
2001 – Julie Henneke, Sickles
2002 – Erin Horn, Tallahassee Leon
2003 – Stacey Stevens, Gainesville Buchholz
2004 – Allison Kime, Valrico Bloomingdale
2005 – Dani Hofer, Palm Harbor University
2006 – Kelsi Dunne, Port Orange Spruce Creek
2007 – Kelsi Dunne, Port Orange Spruce Creek
2008 – Kelly Saco, Miami Palmetto
2009 – Erin Schuppert, Neptune Beach Fletcher
2010 – Kasey Fagan, Dunnellon
2011 – Emily Sanders, Bartow
2012 – Shelby Turnier, Palm Beach Gardens
2013 – Stephanie Texeira, Gulliver Preparatory School
2014 – Korina Rosario, West Florida
2015 – Morgan White, Ocala Forest
2016—Lauren Mathis, West Orange
2017 – Ally Muraskin, Coral Springs Charter
2018 – Lexi Kilfoyl, Academy at the Lakes
2019 – Lexi Kilfoyl, Academy at the Lakes
2020 – No Winner Named
2021 – Darian Ingram, Trenton
2022 – Jasmine Francik, Melbourne
2023 – Katelynn Oxley, Bartow
2024 FINAL COACH OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS:
(Points awarded on a 10-7-5 basis)
Coach, Total Points (1st Place Votes)
Lexi Alexander, Pace, 119 (8)
Brittany Beall, Eustis, 87 (2)
Erin Spivey, Parrish Community, 66 (4)
John Bradshaw, Western, 51 (3)
Johnny Manetta, Evangelical Christian, 24
Clint Anderson, Trenton, 20 (1)
Kahley Armstrong, Montverde, 10
Past Softball Coaches of the Year:
1993 – Jean King, Niceville (Slow Pitch)
Marilyn Bevetta, Ridgewood (Fast Pitch)
1994 – Robert Iamurri, Naples
1995 – Leslie Black, Cardinal Mooney
1996 – Robert Iamurri, Naples
1997 – Mike Clamon, Bloomingdale
1998 – Kathy Finnucan, Trinity Prep
1999 – Bryan Baucom, St. Thomas Aquinas
2000 – Kathy Finnucan, Trinity Prep
2001 – Mark Schusterman, Gulliver Preparatory
2002 – Glenn Rutenbar, Bartow
2003 – Becker Downie, Miami Palmetto
2004 – Glenn Rutenbar, Bartow
2005 – Chuck Poetter, Palm Harbor University
2006 – Glenn Rutenbar, Bartow
2007 – Kathy Finnucan, Trinity Prep
2008 – Coy Adkins, Wewahitchka
2009 – Kevin Fagan, Dunnellon
2010 – Kevin Fagan, Dunnellon
2011 – Danny Hensley, Niceville
2012 – Mark Schusterman, Gulliver Preparatory
2013 – Bryan Baucom, St. Thomas Aquinas
2014 – Amanda Schuerman, Bloomingdale
2015 – Melinda Wyatt, Tate
2016 – Todd LaNeave, West Orange
2017 – Christina Thompson, Orange Park Oakleaf
2018 – Mark Montimurro, Coral Springs Charter
2019 – Mark Huaman, Winter Springs
2020 – No Winner Named
2021 – T.J. Goelz, Lakewood Ranch
2022 – Lindsay Ingram, Deltona
2023 – Erin Spivey Parrish Community