SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – With the conclusion of the 2025 softball regular season, Summit League officials announced the annual all-league and individual awards Tuesday ahead of this week’s Softball Championship in Brookings, S.D. The awards, selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches, recognize standout performances throughout the league season.
 
South Dakota State third baseman Abby Gentry was named Summit League Player of the Year becoming the fourth Jackrabbit in five years to earn the honor. The Jackrabbit sophomore started all 18 conference games at third base and played a pivotal role in SDSU’s 13-5 finish in league play.
 
The Benton, Ark., native led the Jacks in eight statistical categories during league play, including batting average (.464), slugging percentage (.714), hits (26), doubles (6), home runs (2), RBIs (24) and total bases (40). She also ranked first in the league in RBIs, second in hits and was among the top five in on-base percentage, on-base plus slugging, doubles and slugging percentage.
 
Omaha senior shortstop Maggie O’Brien was named Defensive Player of the Year, marking the second consecutive season a Maverick has claimed the award. O’Brien committed just one error during conference play and posted a .971 fielding percentage.
 
Omaha also took home the Pitcher of the Year honor with sophomore Maddia Groff earning the distinction. Groff led the co-regular season champion Mavericks with an 11-1 record in the circle. She compiled a 0.93 ERA and limited opponents to a .154 batting average, while recording 92 strikeouts and only nine walks over 75 innings. She threw six complete games and two shutouts during league play.
 
St. Thomas freshman Ava Kleinfeldt was named Newcomer of the Year becoming the third Tommie in four years to receive the award. The Lake Mills, Wis., native went 7-0 in nine starts, finishing with a 1.38 ERA over 50.2 innings. She recorded seven complete games, allowed just 11 extra-base hits (none of them home runs), and walked only 10 batters.
 
St. Thomas head coach Jennifer Trotter was voted Coach of the Year for the first time in her career. In just her third season leading the Tommies, she guided UST to a 33-17 overall record, a 14-4 conference mark and their first share of the Summit League regular season title since transitioning to Division I.
 
Gentry, O’Brien, Groff and Kleinfeldt were also named to the All-Summit League First Team, which also includes Omaha’s Sydney Thomason; St. Thomas’ Laken Lienhard, Avery Wukawitz, Kaitlyn Raymond and Ella Cook; South Dakota’s Clara Edwards and Ella McGee; and South Dakota State’s Brooke Dumont, Mia Jarecki and Akayla Barnard.
 
The All-Summit League Second Team includes North Dakota’s Makaela Carr and Katie Joten; North Dakota State’s Chloe Woldruff; Omaha’s Marra Cramer and Ava Rongisch; St. Thomas’ Abbi Stierlen; South Dakota’s McKenna Young, Abi Brown, Tatum Villotta, Rylie Jones, Autumn Iversen and Madison Evans; and South Dakota State’s Tayler Baker and Emma Vike.
 
Honorable mention selections include Kansas City’s Briona Woods and Gianna Lickel; North Dakota’s Jackie Albrecht, Camryn Lasota and Callie Honig; North Dakota State’s Amai Hanta and Star Cortez; Omaha’s Haley Wilwerding, Katherine Johnson and Sammy Schmidt; St. Thomas’ Kameron Monson; South Dakota’s Delaney White; and South Dakota State’s Sylvia Shromoff and Emma Christensen.
 
Six of the league’s seven teams will compete in the 2025 Summit League Softball Championship, beginning Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT. No. 4 seed North Dakota faces No. 5 North Dakota State in the opening game at Jerald T. Moriarty Field in Brookings.
 
All games will be streamed live on the Summit League Network, powered by the Midco Sports Plus app.
 
2025 All-Summit League Softball Teams and Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Abby Gentry, South Dakota State
Pitcher of the Year: Maddia Groff, Omaha
Defensive Player of the Year: Maggie O’Brien, Omaha
Freshman of the Year: Ava Kleinfeldt, St. Thomas
Coach of the Year: Jennifer Trotter, St. Thomas
 
First Team
P – Maddia Groff, Omaha
P – Ava Kleinfeldt, St. Thomas
P – Clara Edwards, South Dakota
C – Brooke Dumont, South Dakota State
INF – Mia Jarecki, South Dakota State
INF – Abby Gentry, South Dakota State
INF – Sydney Thomason, Omaha
INF – Laken Lienhard, St. Thomas
INF – Maggie O’Brien, Omaha
OF – Avery Wukawitz, St. Thomas
OF – Ella McGee, South Dakota
OF – Kaitlyn Raymond, St. Thomas
OF – Akayla Barnard, South Dakota State
DP/UTL – Ella Cook, St. Thomas
 
Second Team
P – McKenna Young, South Dakota
P – Makaela Carr, North Dakota
P – Tayler Baker, South Dakota State
C – Abi Brown, South Dakota
INF – Katie Joten, North Dakota
INF – Abbi Stierlen, St. Thomas
INF – Tatum Villotta, South Dakota
INF – Emma Vike, South Dakota State
INF – Rylie Jones, South Dakota
OF – Chloe Woldruff, North Dakota State
OF – Marra Cramer, Omaha
OF – Autumn Iversen, South Dakota
OF – Ava Rongisch, Omaha
DP/UTL – Madison Evans, South Dakota
 
Honorable Mention
P – Sylvia Shromoff, South Dakota State
P – Jackie Albrecht, North Dakota
C – Kameron Monson, St. Thomas
INF – Delaney White, South Dakota
INF – Haley Wilwerding, Omaha
INF – Amai Hanta, North Dakota State
INF – Katherine Johnson, Omaha
OF – Star Cortez, North Dakota State
OF – Briona Woods, Kansas City
OF – Camryn Lasota, North Dakota
OF – Sammy Schmidt, Omaha
OF – Gianna Lickel, Kansas City
OF - Emma Christensen, South Dakota State
DP/UTL – Callie Honig, North Dakota