The Livingston Daily will unveil the 2025-26 Livingston County Female Athlete of the Year in July.
Following are the top candidates for the award, which will be chosen by Livingston Daily sports writer Bill Khan.
It has been customary for the Male and Female Athletes of the Year to be multi-sport athletes, which can rule out someone who is a state champion but specialized in only one sport. This award rewards athletes who showcase their talent in multiple sports.
Who is your choice for the county’s top female athlete? Vote early, vote often.
RELATED:Readers’ choice for Livingston County Male Athlete of the Year
Olive DiMassa, Howell, Fr.: DiMassa was the state runner-up in wrestling at 105 pounds, going 40-2. Both losses were to a four-time state champion. In cross country, her time of 19:29.0 is the third-fastest by a Howell freshman. She ran 5:30 in the 1,600 on the track.
Julia Garcia, Pinckney, Sr.: Garcia is a rare four-sport athlete who didn’t even have a winter sport. She made all-state in her only season of cross country by placing 15th in Division 2 while also playing field hockey. In the spring, she was a second-team all-county soccer player who was on an all-state 3,200 relay team.
Quinn Holdridge, Brighton, Fr.: If Holdridge doesn’t win Athlete of the Year this time around, she is close to a lock in the future if she continues playing multiple sports. She made second-team all-state in lacrosse while ranking fourth in the county in the 200 and sixth in the 100 on the track. She also made the varsity basketball team.
Lydia LaMarra, Brighton, Sr.: LaMarra broke a Brighton cross country record that stood since 1980 when she ran 17:47.3 at regionals. She made all-state in cross country by placing 18th at the Division 1 finals and was the regional champion in the 3,200 on the track.
Elliana Neuer, Hartland, Sr.: Neuer was the state Division 1 champion in the 1,600. She set school records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Neuer made all-state in cross country by placing 22nd in Division 1.
Jaelyn Ray, Pinckney, Jr.: Ray was the state Division 2 champion in the 3,200-meter run, capping a school year in which she set county records in cross country, the 1,600 and briefly in the 800. Ray was second in the 1,600 and also made all-state in the 3,200 relay. She was second in the 1,600 at the state finals. In cross country, she placed fifth in the state Division 2 meet.
Leighton Scott, Howell, Sr.: Scott made all-state in softball, hitting .458 with nine homers, 45 RBIs, 17 doubles and four triples for a regional championship team. She received all-county honorable mention in golf and was one of Howell’s top skiers.
Lilly Williams, Howell, Sr.: I’m adding Williams because it isn’t her fault she didn’t get to complete her track and field season. A misguided MHSAA rule pertaining to the number of basketball showcases she attended (two) limited her season to a few weeks. In that time, she threw 96 feet, 2 inches in discus to rank fourth in the county. Her high jump of 4-10 tied for fourth. I’m convinced she would’ve challenged for a state berth in one or both events with a few more weeks of training. That gives her the multi-sport credentials necessary to be up for this award. In the winter, she was the county’s first Miss Basketball winner in her only year playing for Howell.
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