ALL-STATE/DISTRICT SOFTBALL - All-State awards for Hraby, Leonhardt; 2 more All-District
Post-season accolades continued to roll in last week for local softball players Rylee Hraby, Zayleah Leonhardt and Finley Arndt of Medford, along with Avery Niemi of Rib Lake.
All four were named to the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association All-District 2 teams. The three Raiders were voted to the district’s Medium Schools team, while Niemi is part of the Small Schools first team.
Hraby and Leonhardt then took things a step further from there. Hraby turned her outstanding 2025 season into a spot on the WFSCA’s Divisions 2/3 All-State second team. Leonhardt got honorable mention for that team as well.
All four of the All-District award winners were first-team choices in their respective conferences this spring. Niemi was the Player of the Year in the Marawood North for Rib Lake.
The All-State awards are the first for Hraby and Leonhardt, Medford’s pitching and catching duo. Hraby was an All-District first-team pick last spring, while Leonhardt got honorable mention.
This year, Hraby tied Antigo’s Bethany Lewis for second in GNC wins with eight. She was second in strikeouts with 89 and was fourth with a 1.94 earned run average, allowing 15 earned runs in 54 innings. Hraby was 8-3 in GNC play.
As Medford’s leadoff hitter, Hraby posted a .433 batting average in league play (13 for 30) with five doubles, three triples and five RBIs. She walked or was hit by a pitch 15 times to boost her on-base percentage to .622 and scored 19 runs, a team-high.
Overall, Hraby was 20-6 in 27 pitching appearances, including 25 starts. In 152.1 innings, she struck out 243 hitters and walked just 49 while allowing 123 hits. She posted a 1.79 earned run average, allowing 39 earned runs. At the plate, Hraby hit .395 (32 for 81) with 13 doubles, six triples, two homers and 22 RBIs. She scored 33 runs scored, drew a team-high 22 walks and only struck out nine times in 107 plate appearances.
Leonhardt had an outstanding year behind the plate with a .977 fielding percentage. She threw out nine of 27 runners trying to steal a base and was charged with just one passed ball in 131 innings caught. Offensively, Leonhardt tied Mosinee’s Taelyn Jirschele, last year’s co-GNC Player of the Year, for the GNC’s batting title with a .541 average in league play (20 for 37). She tied both Jirscheles, Taelyn and Paetyn, for the league lead in hits with 20 and was the GNC leader in runs batted in with 22 in 12 games. Seven of her conference hits were doubles and one was a home run.
Overall, Leonhardt hit .411 (37 for 90) with 12 doubles, two homers and a teamhigh 38 RBIs, one off the school record.
Arndt hit .412 in GNC play (14 for 34) with a triple, five RBIs and eight stolen bases. Her GNC on-base percentage was .512 out of the number-two spot in the batting order. Overall, Arndt hit .388 (33 for 85) with five doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. She scored 32 runs overall with 18 of them coming in GNC games. Her 19 stolen bases were a team-high and she was never caught stealing. She had a .476 on-base percentage and had two assists and one error in 35 total chances as Medford’s centerfielder.
Niemi had a .609 batting average in Marawood North play (14 for 23) with two doubles, 13 runs batted in and only one strikeout in 26 plate appearances. She drew three walks and scored eight runs. Niemi threw out five of 11 runners attempting to steal bases against her in the six conference games (45%) and averaged just one passed ball per game.
Overall in 19 games, Niemi hit .462 (30 for 65) with six doubles and a team-high 26 RBIs. Niemi scored 23 runs, struck out only five times, stole four bases and drew 11 walks and had a fielding percentage close to .970 with just four errors.
The district’s medium schools come from the Bay, Central Wisconsin East, East Central, Fox River Classic, Great Northern, Marinette and Oconto, North Shore, Northeastern and Packerland conferences.
The district’s small schools are from the Central Wisconsin East, North and South, Northern Lights, Marawood North and South, Marinette and Oconto, Northern Lakes and Packerland conferences.
The Medium Schools All-District team included several members of the Great Northern Conference. Mosinee’s Addyson Henrich and Taelyn Jirschele made the first team, along with Lakeland pitcher Saylor Timmerman. Antigo’s Tristin Arlen and Emma Beck and Mosinee’s Ava Busse and Paetyn Jirschele got honorable mention. Timmerman went on to make the All-State first team and capped it off by being named the Division 2 State Player of the Year after carrying Lakeland to a WIAA Division 2 sectional championship and the program’s first-ever state tournament berth.
In another local note of interest, Denmark sophomore Shaelyn Kraschnewski, daughter of Medford natives Lucas and Rebecca, was also named to the All-District 2 team and got honorable mention in the All-State vote.
Chequamegon’s Jalen Brunell got honorable mention on the Small Schools All-District 2 team and was the only Marawood North player other than Niemi to be mentioned.
