IJ’s picks for 2025 Fall Players of the Year
A busy fall prep season saw numerous standout performances as teams battled it out for championships at the league, North Coast Section, and NorCal levels.
It’s rarely easy to select the top athletes from a crop of outstanding talents and this year was no different. The distribution among schools was fairly evenly split with San Marin leading the way with three (flag football, football, girls tennis), while Tam (boys cross country, girls volleyball) and Archie Williams (both water polos) both had two honorees. Prep football was so big it needed its own article.
Boys Cross Country
IJ/MCAL Runner of the Year, Tam’s Lucas Ruark
Ruark was the fastest runner in the county almost from start to finish this year, turning in the top times by any Marin athlete at the Stinson Beach Relays (8 minutes, 31 seconds), the MCAL Championships (15:35.1), and the North Coast Section championships (15:28.1).
Ruark set the tone right away at Stinson Beach, leading Tam to its first team victory in the event in at least a decade. Ruark helped the Red-tailed Hawks finish second as a team at MCALs then third in the NCS D-III race, which qualified the team for State.
Ruark closed out his campaign by running the second-fastest time by a Marin runner at State in 15:34.7 to finish in 24th place in D-III.
Other standouts
Oliver Bush and Gabriel Cavanagh led the way, finishing in third (15:49.1) and fifth (16:02.2), respectively, as the Giants won the MCAL team title for the first time since 2022. Cavanagh placed eighth (15:53.7) and Bush in 13th (15:58.2) the following week in the NCS D-II race to help Redwood qualify for State.
Terra Linda’s Shahan Ajmani turned in an impressive season with a second-place finish at MCALs in 15:41.6. Ajmani placed third in the D-III race at NCS – one spot behind Ruark – with a time of 15:34.8 to qualify for State individually. At State, Ajmani turned in the top time of any Marin runner, placing 22nd in D-III in 15:32.1.
Tam’s other top runner this season was Atticus Siedman, who placed fourth at MCALs in 16:00.8 then fifth in the NCS D-II race with a time of 15:42.8.
Girls Cross Country
IJ Runner of the Year, Branson’s Farah Allen
Allen had a stellar postseason, placing second in three consecutive events as she competed at the MCAL Championships, the NCS D-V race, and the State D-V race. Allen posted a time of 17:21.6 at the MCALs, trailing only Archie Williams’ Brooke Lee.
Allen’s time of 17:26.3 at NCS was good enough for second place in D-V – behind Lick- Wilmerding’s Ella Mogannam – and the second-best time submitted across all divisions. Allen placed second again behind Mogannam in the State D-V race with a time of 17:17.0 – 10th best across all divisions.
Allen capped her postseason at the national level by competing in the Brooks XC Championships in San Diego, finishing 41st.
MCAL Runner of the Year, Archie Williams’ Brooke Lee
Lee led the way as the Peregrine Falcons turned in one of the most impressive seasons in recent years. Lee kicked off her postseason by finishing first at MCALs, then finished first again at the NCS D-IV race, then finally placed sixth in the State D-IV race.
Lee won the MCAL individual title and led the Peregrine Falcons to the team title with a time of 17:15.1. Lee’s time of 17:51.4 at NCS was the fifth-best time across any division and helped the team win the NCS title and qualify for State with a dominant performance.
At State, Archie Williams turned in one of the best performances ever by a Marin team, taking second in the D-IV race and placing sixth across all divisions. Lee finished sixth in D-IV with a time of 17:37.8.
Other standouts
Lee had plenty of help while leading the Peregrine Falcons to a stellar season. Ani Stieg – a two-time MCAL champion in her own right – placed fifth at MCALs in 18:00.5 followed by Claire Palmer in sixth at 18:14. The triumvirate of Lee-Stieg-Palmer was dominant the following week at NCS, sweeping the top three places. Palmer then placed 13th in the D-IV race at State while Stieg placed in 15th. The Peregrine Falcons also got key performances throughout the postseason by Alyssa Silverstein and Ainsley Sullivan.
Branson also made it to State as a team with Hailey Sellers forming a formidable duo with Allen as the Bulls finished fourth in the NCS D-V race and sixth at State. Sellers placed fourth at MCALs (17:55.2), fourth at NCS (18:19.8), and 16th at State (18:23.1).
Redwood’s Sydney Middleton and Sydney Smith were key runners as the Giants placed second in the NCS D-II race and qualified for State. Middleton, who had the fastest time at Stinson, placed third at MCALs (17:42.1) and second in the NCS D-II race. Her time of 17:55.2 was the sixth fastest across all divisions. Smith, a freshman, placed 12th at MCALs (19:05.8) then was Redwood’s second-fastest runner at NCS, placing 10th (18:57.9). Middleton finished 12th in the D-II State race in 17:46.5.
Marin Academy’s Luella Shepard qualified for State as an individual following an 11th-place finish in the NCS D-V race (18:38.9).
Field Hockey
IJ Player of the Year, Redwood’s Lucy Jeffers
Jeffers helped drive the Giants back to the MCAL finals as the top seed. Jeffers finished with 16 goals and a team-high 10 assists. She scored in a semifinal victory over University to help secure Redwood’s title shot against Tam, which won its first championship in a shootout.
MCAL Player of the Year, Lick-Wilmerding’s Frankie Lemieux
Coaches around the league said Lemieux was by far the most outstanding field player in the league this season, leading her team to the playoffs as the fourth seed.
Other standouts
Tam goalie Sierra Duncan, a MCAL second-team honoree, stood out among a crop of excellent Marin netminders this season. Duncan had eight shutouts and posted a 10-2-2 record in her first full varsity season. Duncan grabbed the spotlight early in the season with a 14-save effort in a 1-0 victory over Redwood, as she was credited as the difference-maker in that landmark win for the Red-tailed Hawks. Duncan was in net for all three games as Tam swept Redwood, including 19 saves in a 2-1 shootout victory in the MCAL championship.
Tam’s Quinlin Dayton proved to be one of the best all-around players in the league, powering the Red-tailed Hawks, alongside the team’s leading scorer Sarah Cormier, plus Piper Swift and Mhairi Scobie.
Sophomore Moni Hewlette led Redwood with 21 goals and had eight assists and was joined on the All-MCAL first team by teammate Nina Baker. Redwood junior goalkeeper Meredith Levine had a strong season for the Giants with 68 saves.
Marin Catholic’s leading scorer Mattie Reale was an all-league first-team pick alongside teammate Lucy Vollert. Marin Catholic’s sophomore goalkeeper Gianna Rinaldi had an impressive season.
Flag Football
IJ/MCAL Offensive Player of the Year, San Marin’s Olivia Van Dis
Van Dis proved to be an intelligent and dynamic player as she helped lead San Marin to the inaugural MCAL championship. Van Dis scored two touchdowns in a key victory against Novato then scored two more in the title clincher against San Rafael.
IJ/MCAL Defensive Player of the Year, Novato’s Savannah Sparks
Sparks anchored a defensive unit that posted six shutouts during an 11-6 season in which the Hornets placed second in the MCAL and reached the NCS quarterfinals.
Other standouts offense
San Marin quarterback Avery Bishop engineered a powerful offense, helping the Mustangs to a first-round victory in the NCS playoffs. She and Van Dis formed an effective duo for San Marin.
Terra Linda quarterback Liv Offenbach threw for 35 touchdowns and scored more than 40 times. One of her primary targets was freshman receiver Piper Stewart, who scored 12 touchdowns and added nine conversions.
Novato’s Lexie Snyder proved to be a force on both sides of the ball.
Redwood’s Annaliese Pyle and San Rafael’s Brisa Gomez rounded out the MCAL’s first team.
Other standouts defense
San Marin’s Kennedy Costello helped the Mustangs to seven shutout victories, including a 33-0 NCS first-round win over Jesse Bethel.
Redwood’s Pressley Meyers and Emma Stein, with Terra Linda’s Madison Troy rounded out the All-MCAL first team.
Girls Golf
IJ/BCL Player of the Year, Marin Academy’s Stephanie Zola
Zola set the pace for her team as Marin Academy rolled undefeated to the Bay Counties League championship. The MVP of the BCL, she carried an outstanding resume to the NCS D-I tournament in Windsor, where she shot an 83, the lowest score by any golfer from Marin.
MCAL Player of the Year, Redwood’s Katherine Lim
Lim shot an 86 at the MCAL tournament, the second-best score of the day, and she was among the best golfers all season, consistently flirting with par or, more often, below par scores.
Other standouts
Marin Catholic’s Lexi Ferguson had her best round of the season with a 18-hole 78 to win the MCAL tournament title at Indian Valley, and then shot an 83 at Peacock Gap to tie for fourth in the NCS D-II tournament and qualify for the NCS D-I field.
Redwood’s Madeline Lim shot an 89 at the MCAL tournament, the third-best score of the day, behind Ferguson and Giants teammate Katherine Lim, as the Giants finished neck-and-neck with Marin Catholic for second place.
Sidney Kawahara’s 91 helped lead the Branson School to the MCAL tournament championship.
Marin Academy’s Elsa Anderson, Sterling Colpitts, Kelly Lundgren and Isabel Acosta were all BCL first-team picks and integral to the team’s undefeated season.
San Domenico senior Mila Dawson, also a BCL first-team selection, helped carry the Panthers through a difficult year in which the team lost its head coach Russell Kessler, who died unexpectedly just before the start of the season.
Girls Tennis
IJ/MCAL Player of the Year, San Marin’s Devanshi Shrestha
Shrestha, a sophomore and one of the top-ranked players in the Bay Area, capped an unbeaten run throughout the MCAL in her first season of high school tennis.
Shrestha rolled into the MCAL semifinals without dropping a game then took down MC’s Ariana Bazan, 6-3, 6-0, to reach the final. Shrestha claimed the league’s singles title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Tam freshman Chloe Mouret-Lafage.
Shrestha entered the NCS D-I playoffs as the No. 2 seed, eventually falling in the final, 6-2, 6-4 to defending champion Monika Tekic of San Ramon Valley.
Other standouts
Tam, led by a quartet of underclassmen, went 21-1 this season while winning the MCAL regular-season and postseason titles. Chloe Mouret-Lafage led the way atop the singles ladder, defeating Branson’s Katie Warrin in the No. 1 singles match as Tam claimed its first MCAL team title since 2019 with a 6-1 victory. Mouret-Lafage went on to place second in the MCAL singles tournament and fourth in the NCS D-I tournament.
The Red-tailed Hawks also got strong seasons from Bianca Botero-Cortes, Siena Moglen, and Maya Riisgaard. Moglen placed third in the MCAL singles tournament while Botero-Cortes and Riisgaard finished second in the doubles bracket.
Branson made it to the MCAL team final as the No. 3 seed. Warrin, the team’s No. 1 singles player, secured the decisive victory in a 4-3 semifinal win against No. 2 Redwood.
Redwood’s Alessia Balliet and Julia Povio went the doubles route in the postseason and won the MCAL title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Tam’s Botero-Cortes and Riisgaard.
Marin Academy’s doubles team of Jane McDermott and Ann McDermott won their third consecutive BCL West doubles title and came within a win of a third consecutive NCS D-II title, falling in the final, 6-1, 6-2 to Lauren Conner and Annabelle Allessio of University.
Girls Volleyball
IJ/MCAL player of the year, Tam’s Natalie Stanford
Stanford, an outside hitter, played all six rotations for the Red-tailed Hawks and excelled across the board, averaging 12.8 kills, 8.5 digs, 1.5 aces, and 1.4 blocks per match. As Tam’s clear top attacking threat, teams were able to key their defenses toward slowing down Stanford but few, if any, were able to stop her.
Stanford helped Tam make the NCS D-I playoffs for the second consecutive season and finish as the No. 11 team in the section, according to MaxPreps.
Other standouts
Marin produced three of the top four teams in the final NCS rankings with Branson leading the way at No. 1 after a second consecutive Open Division title. The Bulls were led by outside hitter Blake Cussen, middle blocker Abby King, and outside hitter Ella Tsai – who came up with one of her best games of the season with 17 kills and 16 digs in the NCS title game.
Marin Catholic, No. 2 in the section, was the runner-up in both the MCAL and NCS Open playoffs. The Wildcats got standout campaigns from setter Rania Brody, outside hitters Grace Basso and Carolina Delaney, plus opposite Krystal Rose Huff.
Redwood finished ranked fourth in the section but won the MCAL postseason title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over MC. The Giants were two points away from being swept before outside hitter Maddy Wagner (game-high 21 kills) and setter Katie Lazzareschi ignited a rally that saw the Giants win the final three sets.
Tam placed fourth in the MCAL with setter Emmeline Sandgren and libero Jade-Curtin-Savala both recognized as all-MCAL second-team selections.
San Rafael enjoyed a breakout season and made the MCAL playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Bulldogs, who also made the NCS D-I for the first time, were led by outside hitter Elsa Kehoe and setter Abby Sims.
San Marin also made some history by making it to a section final for the first time. Outside hitter Brianna Nottingham was the team’s top player as the Mustangs advanced to the NCS D-III title game and made it to NorCals for the second time in program history.
Boys Water Polo
IJ/MCAL Player of the Year, Archie Williams’ Nate Greenberg
Greenberg thrived all season as the Peregrine Falcons made it to the MCAL title game and into the NCS D-I quarterfinals. Greenberg scored eight times in a 15-12 upset win over No. 2 Tam in the MCAL semifinals.
“Greenberg is the most dynamic player in MCALs,” Archie Williams coach Matt Swanson said. “I think he proved it with his performance against Tam in the semis, including the shot of the year with that 7 meter helicopter goal. Teams based their whole defenses around stopping him.”
Other standouts
If anyone could stop Greenberg, it was Redwood goalie Owen Malone, the MCAL’s first-team goalie for the second year in a row. Malone had a dominant senior campaign as he helped lead the Giants to a unique trifecta as they swept the MCAL, NCS D-I and NorCal D-II championships in the same season for the first time in program history.
The Giants fielded an extraordinarily powerful and deep team, with All-MCAL first-team picks Storm Jackson, Maddox McClellan and Jakob Engberg generating the majority of the offense, supported by Jackson Monty, Hudson Quirk, Eddie Poser, Charlie Poser, and Isaac Nikfar. Tyler Mahabir was not to be overlooked as the Redwood attack frequently went through his hands.
Cam Hellar and Harley Haveman helped guide Terra Linda to the NCS D-I playoffs. The Peregrine Falcons were not a one-man show in their march to the NCS D-I playoffs as Nolan Anderson and Greenberg were a forceful duo. Tam had a stellar season with All-MCAL second-team picks Andrew Wallace and Declan Murphy leading the way. San Marin won the NCS D-II pennant for the first time in program history, with brothers Beckett Corridan and Brogan Corridan guiding the way.
Girls Water Polo
IJ/MCAL Player of the Year, Archie Williams’ Holly Hovey
Hovey showed just how talented she is during a season in which she helped lead her Peregrine Falcons to the MCAL crown and a NCS Division I semifinal appearance. Hovey was tied for team-high honors with two goals in a 6-4 win against Redwood in the MCAL semifinals then scored a game-high six times in the MCAL final, a 13-7 win against Tam.
Other Standouts
Redwood goalie Aurora DeVilbiss gained the respect of coaches around the league with her effort throughout the season and postseason, helping the Giants to the NCS D-I quarterfinals. DeVilbiss anchored Redwood with staunch defense in net, but also sparked the team’s transition game with smart passing.
Marin Academy goalie Caroline Starrett, who has committed to Cal, came up big while leading her team to the MCAL semifinals and the NCS D-I quarterfinals. She showed her strength early in the season at the Sierra Shootout with 16 saves in a 8-4 win over a tough Clovis squad.
MCAL first-team picks Hannah Reichley and Kelly Kurtzig were at the core of a powerful Marin Academy attack. Sabine Barringer, Julia Ulvestad and Sophia Uhlhorn-Thornton led the way as Tam made the MCAL finals and the NCS D-I semifinals. Samantha Riley and Morgan Sicklick were likewise at the heart of Redwood’s offense. At Archie Williams, Hovey had help from Sylvie Fine and Taylor Fahy.