Page 20 - 2024-25 Softball State Finals Program

Mental Attitude Award Mental Attitude (cont.) / Outstanding Official

At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents the Mental Attitude Award Year Name School Year Name School
to the outstanding senior participant in the Softball State Tournament. The recipient of this award, who was 2011-12 4A Laura Daronatsy Huntington North 2017-18 4A Jessica Kiefor Lake Central
nominated by her principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability 3A Rachel Delay Edgewood 3A Ashley Prange New Palestine
in Softball. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate partner, presents a $1,000 scholarship to the 2A Alyssa Keller Adams Central 2A Rylee Wade Speedway
school’s general scholarship fund in the name of the recipient. 1A Kelsey Kruse Lakewood Park Christian 1A Alyssa Shaw Pioneer
2012-13 4A Haley Hodges Portage 2018-19 4A Ellenor Schelm Leo
3A Alyssa Clark Tri-West Hendricks 3A Emily O’Connor New Palestine
2A Bess Fiechter Adams Central 2A Kaelyn Shively Bremen
1A Katie Burkett Tecumseh 1A Alexis Robinson Pioneer
2013-14 4A Elizabeth Getz Bloomington South 2019-20 Tournament Cancelled due to Coronavirus Pandemic
3A Rachel Hanold Gibson Southern 2020-21 4A Grace Renschen Lake Central
2A Chandra Schroeder South Spencer 3A Randi Jo Pryor Boonville
1A Tailon Graber North Daviess 2A Hailey Gotshall Pioneer
2014-15 4A Victoria Boyer Center Grove 1A Addison Baker Northfield
3A Lindsey Bowers Leo 2021-22 4A Hannah Lovelace Harrison (West Lafayette)
2A Alaynee Street North Central (Farmersburg) 3A McKenna Hagemier Tri-West Hendricks
1A Carly Kingery Carroll (Flora) 2A Skyelar Kessler Eastside
2015-16 4A Alyssa Grimm Penn 1A Lauren Bowmar South Central (Union Mills)
2024 Class 4A 2024 Class 3A 2024 Class 2A 2024 Class 1A 3A Laura Patterson Lebanon 2022-23 4A Abby Hofmann Roncalli
Sydney Oliver Taylor Bennett Krystin Davis Jenna Donohoo 2A Sarah Brown Boone Grove 3A Ava Sullivan Tri-West Hendricks
New Palestine Tri-West Hendricks Lapel Tecumseh
1A Savanna Harrison Frontier 2A Madison Olander North Posey
2016-17 4A Alexis Holloway Crown Point 1A Kinzie Mollenkopf Caston
Year Name School Year Name School 3A Elisha Barker New Palestine 2023-24 4A Sydney Oliver New Palestine
1984-85 Paula Skeels Concord 2003-04 4A Katie Jones Center Grove 2A Rachel Cox Indianapolis Scecina 3A Taylor Bennett Tri-West Hendricks
1985-86 Brenda Novak Michigan City Rogers 3A Erin Braun Bellmont 1A Kaitlyn Flowers Tecumseh 2A Krystin Davis Lapel
1986-87 Karen Knox Harrison (W. Lafayette) 2A Heather Haskin Indpls. Scecina Memorial 1A Jenna Donohoo Tecumseh
1987-88 Annette Evans Northridge 1A Nikki Naffziger Indianapolis Lutheran
1988-89 Heather McMurray Twin Lakes 2004-05 4A Heather Han McCutcheon
1989-90 Stacey Ferguson Pike Central 3A Jennifer Ziliak Gibson Southern
1990-91 Kelly Matson Warsaw 2A Breanna Howell Eastern (Greentown) Michelle DeRosa Honored as State’s Top Official in 2025
1991-92 Denise Kulig Lake Central 1A Lisa Goltry Pioneer
1992-93 Allison Krysa Merrillville 2005-06 4A Katie Stahura Chesterton Michelle DeRosa of Valparaiso, Indiana is the recipient of the Outside of her work with the IHSAA, Michelle has been heavily
1993-94 Shannon Whitmore Carmel 3A Lynn Fletcher Boonville 2024-2025 IHSAA Outstanding Official Award for the sport of involved with Little League since 2005. Little League is unique
1994-95 Laura Hayes Northview 2A Kayla Powell Frankton Softball. Michelle will be honored during an on-field ceremony as it is a program that is 100% voluntary. She has served
1995-96 Sarah Van Gorp Lake Central 1A Elizabeth Curosh Whiting at this weekend’s IHSAA Softball State Finals. numerous leadership positions during her time working with
1996-97 Carolina Procter Merrillville 2006-07 4A Eliza Scanlon McCutcheon Little League, including Central Region Tour-
1997-98 3A Kelly Rich Portage 3A Abby Schnur Boonville Each year, the Indiana High School Ath- nament Director and Central Region Umpire
2A Kadie Simon Andrean 2A Emily Wethington Indpls. Scecina Memorial letic Association recognizes and honors Advisory Committee. In addition, Michelle has
1A Mandy Martin Riverton Parke 1A Heather Korb Indianapolis Lutheran an outstanding official in 13 sports during worked many Little League contests, includ-
1998-99 3A Jesse Jones Decatur Central 2007-08 4A Kallen Hovland East Central the school year. Officials selected for ing a few Softball Little League World Series!
2A Ariane Kurtz Roncalli 3A Alyssa Marcum New Palestine this distinction have gone above and Little League has taken Michelle across the
beyond to serve their association, com-
country, but one assignment Michelle was
1A Jill Harris South Spencer 2A Jenni Andrews Bremen munity, and the IHSAA. Each has shown most proud of was the Maria Pepe Tourna-
1999-00 3A Mary Blessing Decatur Central 1A Victoria Franco Whiting exceptional qualities of leadership, ment, which is an event that included nearly
2A Crystal McDonald Evansville Memorial 2008-09 4A Brittany Mills Floyd Central dedication, and loyalty to their sport, our 100 players, all girls, and coaching staffs and
1A Kim McGinley Morgan Township 3A Sara Evans New Palestine student-athletes, and their fellow officials. umpiring crews comprised of women. Maria
2000-01 3A Sarah Ford Castle 2A Izzy Carpenter Linton-Stockton Pepe was one of the first girls to break Little
2A Christy Utnage Roncalli 1A Audra Sanders Tecumseh Michelle has been a licensed IHSAA League’s gender barrier in the 1970s.
1A Katie Miller Forest Park 2009-10 4A Jenna Abraham Hamilton Southeastern softball official for 14 years, and during
2001-02 3A Amy Kendall Fort Wayne Northrop 3A Maureen Denihan Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger that time, she’s umpired 10 softball During her time working as an official,
2A Christina Machuca Evansville Memorial 2A Stephanie Fougerousse Linton-Stockton sectionals, seven (7) regionals, three (3) Michelle is most thankful for the opportunity
1A Amy Gum Riverton Parke 1A Morgan Lewis Indianapolis Lutheran semi-states, and the 4A State Champion- to give back to the community and be a role
2002-03 3A Brittany Hedrick Center Grove 2010-11 4A Alexandra Bourgerie Carmel ship in 2022! She is a member of the model for young women. She’s thankful for
the countless relationship’s that officiating
2A Allison May Gibson Southern 3A Kelly Ryan Andrean Lake County Athletic Officials Association has brought her. Her most enjoyable and rewarding moment
and serves as their Softball Program Director. She has worked
1A Lauren Curosh Whiting 2A Grace Keller Woodlan as an IHSAA Softball Clinician since 2018, assisting with clinics thus far is sharing the field with her daughter as an official.
1A Kayley Pemberton Tecumseh and trainings in service to other officials in her community.
Michelle has dedicated countless hours to recruiting and men-
toring new officials in Northwest Indiana. Lastly, Michelle works
as a Softball Assigner, connecting 26 IHSAA member schools to
local officials to work their contests.
20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 21