Vivian Ponn, 15, of Fort Myers High School – All Area finalist (2016)
Mackenzie Peterson, softball, North Fort Myers High School
Mackenzie Buss, Cape Coral, softball
Jessie Valerius, North Fort Myers
Emily Hendry, Fort Myers
Taylor Kent, Fort Myers
Riley Ennis, Estero
Tayli Filla, Bishop Verot
Jennie Boisvert, Bishop Verot
Erin Kyle, Bishop Verot
Sajarie Jones, North Fort Myers
Hannah Holloway, Mariner
How we select All-Area teams
The News-Press All-Area Softball Player of the Year finalists.
At the conclusion of each high school season, The News-Press staff sends area coaches a nomination form to select and rank players for our All-Area first teams and to nominate athletes for second team and honorable mention.
A combination of The News-Press’ research and the coaches’ player rankings lead to the teams being selected and three athletes are named finalists for player of the year. The three finalists are invited to The News-Press All-Area Stars Banquet to be held Tuesday, May 31 at Germain Arena in Estero where the players of the year will be announced.
Player of the Year finalists
Vivian Ponn
School: Fort Myers
Year: Freshman
Highlights: In a breakout freshman campaign, Ponn hit at a .528 clip with nine home runs and 47 RBI while scoring 27 runs during the Green Wave’s run to their first regional final. Fort Myers posted a 20-7 overall record.
Makenzie Buss
School: Cape Coral
Year: Senior
Highlights: The three-time player of the year finalist hit .500 with four home runs and 26 RBI while scoring 31 runs this season. The Jacksonville University signee also excelled in the circle, going 15-4 with a 1.92 ERA and 131 strikeouts.
MacKenzie Peterson
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Junior
Highlights: In leading the Red Knights to a 23-3 record and a regional final appearance, Peterson finished 18-3 as a pitcher with a 0.82 ERA and 101 strikeouts. She hit at a .348 clip with a home run and 19 RBI.
First team
Second team
Denia Bent, Ida Baker
Natavia Ellis, North Fort Myers
Jessy McLean, Bishop Verot
Abby Love, Mariner
Meghan Reno, Riverdale
Jayda Valdez, Lehigh
Terri Ware, Riverdale
Shelby Coyne, North Fort Myers
Riley Hare, Island Coast
Nicole Fortner-Rodriguez, Bishop Verot
Kassidy Topliff, Riverdale
Gillian Takais, Bishop Verot
Coach of the Year
Pablo Plaza, Bishop Verot
Pablo Plaza
School: Bishop Verot
Highlights: Plaza was an assistant coach on the Bishop Verot teams that made back-to-back appearances in the state Final Four in 2012 and 2013. This season his Vikings broke through with a 21-8 record, a district championship, a fourth regional title in seven years and, finally, a superb performance in Vero Beach with an 8-0 win over Jacksonville Trinity Christian in the state semifinal and a dramatic 7-5 win over Montverde Academy for the program’s first state title.
Honorable mention
Bishop Verot: Sammie Massaro, Mallory Volz
Cape Coral: Heather Dubay, Danielle Smith
East Lee County: Alicia Ramirez, Sammie Zipperer
Estero: Cassidy Dvorsky, Deztiney Prevatt
Evangelical Christian: Kailey Berth, Alex Hilton
Fort Myers: Jessica Wilson, Riley Ludlam
Ida Baker: Jada Smith, Andrea Walker
Island Coast: Mackenzie Hare, Cassidi Rogers
Lehigh: Gabby Valdez, Kirsten Giddens
Mariner: Madison James, Jasmine O’Neill
North Fort Myers: Emma Johnson, Summer Ackerson
Oasis: Kaylee Morfis, Caitlyn Caulfield
South Fort Myers: Taylor Oates
Southwest Florida Christian Academy: Kelsey Campanelli, Becki Sullivan