These six athletes stood apart from the rest. Vote for who should be the Female Athlete of the Year.
The Gardner News has taken a look at Gardner-area teams over the 2024-25 seasons and honored an athlete as the best of each sport. Now, it's time to narrow it down even further.
After a competitive year of athletic accomplishments, including milestone moments, versatile roles and other major contributions for area sports, these six athletes stood apart from the rest. Whether they are multisport athletes showcasing their talent in multiple ways or stars in a particular sport, these players deserve to be recognized.
Take a look at the top six athletes from the 2024-25 school year and help us decide the winner of The Gardner News Female Athlete of the Year.
Makenzie Casey, Quabbin
Casey once again made major contributions to the field hockey and golf teams as just a sophomore this season.
She shined as Quabbin's leading scorer on the field hockey field and was third overall in Mid-Wach C with 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 total points. This led Quabbin to a 10-8-2 record and a spot in the Div. 4 state tournament. The Panthers won two playoff games, making it to the Elite Eight, before falling to four-time state champion, Uxbridge.
Casey is also a veteran member of the girls golf program and was named a captain this season. Her scores led Quabbin several times throughout the season, securing a record of 4-7-2 in the highly competitive Division 1.
Jordan Higbee, Monty Tech
Higbee was a standout for Monty Tech softball this season. She earned The Gardner News Mid-Season Player of the Year for her contributions as a skilled shortstop and key player at the plate.
The junior finished off the season with 40 hits, 27 RBIs, 42 runs scored and a batting average of .506. She helped Monty Tech go 16-6 and finish second in the Colonial league. Higbee's impact led the Bulldogs to the Div. 3 state tournament in which they won a first-round game.
Amanda Iannacone, Narragansett
Iannacone was a top athlete for Narragansett, playing both field hockey and basketball for the Warriors. The senior shined as a defender in the fall, leading Narragansett to a 9-6-4 record that included a trip to the Div. 4 state tournament. Her strong defensive skills and success in connecting the ball to the midfield and forwards helped the Warriors maintain a 1.3 goals against average.
The senior leader averaged 9.3 points per game on the basketball court to total 158 this season. Her aggression both offensively and defensively helped Narragansett to a 16-6 record, making appearances in both the Clark Tournament and Div. 5 state tournament.
Iannacone will be playing field hockey at Nichols College in the fall.
Amaiya LeBlanc, Oakmont
LeBlanc was a three-sport star for Oakmont this year, making an impact on the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams.
LeBlanc was a strong defender in both soccer and lacrosse. While her name was not always the one in the stat book, her passion and hard work was key for the Spartans in the backfield. Her defensive prowess helped to keep Oakmont's goals against average low: 1.8 in soccer and 9.6 in lacrosse.
The senior's impact shined most brightly in the winter on the basketball court. The point guard averaged 10 points per game and was named the Mid-Wach B league MVP. LeBlanc led the Spartans to an undefeated regular season in which they advanced to the Clark Tournament finals and appeared in the Div. 3 state tournament.
Avery Murphy, Murdock
Murphy has been a standout for Murdock cross country and track and field for years and there was no exception for her capping off her high school career this season.
She was consistently a top-five finisher in cross country meets this fall and placed fourth at the Mid-Wach D league meet.
She earned our Indoor Track Athlete of the Year this winter for her successful campaign, finishing second in the 1000 meters at the Div. 5 state meet and beating her own previous school record in the event. She was also one of three Gardner-area athletes to compete at the Meet of Champions.
In outdoor track season, she competed at the state level in the Div. 6 Championship, coming in sixth in the 800 meter race there.
She also went on to compete at the Weston Twilight Invitational and Nike Nationals to race the steeplechase: an event that isn't included in meets throughout the season. She finished seventh in the event at Weston Twilight.
Murphy will be running Division 1 track at the University of Vermont next year.
Tati Vazquez, Gardner
Vazquez was a force for Gardner girls basketball. This season, the senior captain dominated on the court, leading as the team's top scorer averaging 22.3 points per game -- second in all of Central Mass. in scoring.
She reached the 1,000-point milestone and became the girls all-time leading scorer in Gardner history, finishing her career with 1,342 total points.
Vazquez led the Wildcats to their first league title in 20 years and an Elite Eight appearance in the Div. 4 state tournament. The three-year captain also earned The Gardner News Girls Basketball Player of the Year this winter.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Vote for the Gardner Area High School Female Athlete of the Year
Category: General Sports
