With 2026 just one week away, the Gaylord area sports community is already ushering in a brand new year. Before we say goodbye to 2025 once and for all, it’s time to look back one last time.
While some of the best teams in the 2025 class are all male, many of the best individual athletes are female athletes at Gaylord High School, St. Mary’s High School and Lewiston High School in Johannesburg, with Otsego County girls earning state championships, all-state honors and individual honors, giving them opportunities to reach the next level.
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Which women’s athlete has the best time around Gaylord in 2025? Vote now:
Vote for the Gaylord Times Herald’s 2025 Female Athlete of the Year.
Aubrey Jones, Gaylord Softball
Jones finished a stellar high school softball career with the second-most home runs in state history (71), hitting 16 homers and 52 RBIs during her senior season while going 7-3 with 140 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA.
Aubrey Jones had a stellar career in Gaylord softball and now plays for Oklahoma State University.
Ellie Novak, Joburg track and field athlete
Joburg’s Allie Nowak, now a Division I runner at Michigan State University, won her second straight 800-meter state title on Saturday, May 31, in a time of 2 minutes, 18.45 seconds.
Johannesburg’s Lewiston’s Allie Nowak cemented her legacy on Saturday, May 31, winning her second straight 4,800m state title and the third of her JL career.
Katie Berkshire, Gaylord Cross Country, Track and Field
Berkshire finished second in the D2 state 1,600 meters (4:58.4) and 3,200 meters (10:36.05) in the track and field finals, followed by a second-place finish in the D2 cross country state finals (17:03) and posted the third-fastest time in D2 state meet history.
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She qualified for the Nike XC Nationals after finishing sixth in the regional qualifiers with a time of 17 minutes, 16.3 seconds.
Gaylord’s Katie Berkshire competes in the MHSAA Division 2 Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at Michigan International Speedway.
Payton Glasby, Gaylord St. Mary’s Basketball
Glasby has been a key contributor in all three sports she competes in, but her most notable presence is on the basketball court; she recently joined the 1,000-point club on Friday, Dec. 12, and is off to a strong start as a senior after being named the Gaylord Herald-Times Player of the Year last season.
Payton Glasby was named the 2024-25 GHT Girls Basketball Player of the Year as a junior and recently reached 1,000 career points as a senior.
Kelly Jeffers, Gaylord St. Mary’s Basketball
Along with friends on the softball, volleyball and basketball teams, Jeffers was also known for his efforts on the basketball court, helping Gaylord St. Mary reach the Division IV regional finals back-to-back seasons. She averaged 13.5 points, 4 assists and 3.7 steals per game, playing a vital role as a point guard in GSM’s high-pressure defense.
Kaylee Jeffers is approaching 1,000 career points and is a key figure in GSM’s success on the basketball court.
Mady Peppin, Joburg volleyball and softball
Peppin played shortstop on a talented Yo-Fort team and finished last season batting .427 with 38 hits and four home runs. Where she stood out, however, was on the volleyball court. Pepin, the back-to-back GHT Player of the Year, led the district in kills (445) and blocks (49) and earned all-state honors from the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
Joburg’s Mady Peppin (1) won the GHT Volleyball Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive season.
Contact GHT sports editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram (@dylanjespersen)
This article originally appeared in the Petoskey News-Review: Vote: Gaylord Herald-Times 2025 Female Athlete of the Year
