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Vote: Who should be the New Jersey High School Softball Player of the Year for 2026?

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Vote: Who should be the New Jersey High School Softball Player of the Year for 2026?


The 2026 New Jersey high school softball season has come to an end. Now is the time to answer the question: Who should be the New Jersey Softball Player of the Year?

Here are High School on SI’s New Jersey Softball Players of the Year for 2026. Scroll down to read about the list and cast your vote below.

Voting ends Sunday, July 5th, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Madison McDougall, St. John Vianney

McDougall was named Gatorade New Jersey Softball Player of the Year after leading St. John Vianney to a perfect season and the Non-Public A state championship. The senior and Monmouth commit went 29-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 312 strikeouts in the circle, along with a .626 batting average and 17 home runs at the plate.

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Gabby Gonzalez, St. John Vianney

Gonzalez also helped the Lancers go undefeated in softball. The senior and FIU commit batted .500 with 51 hits, 43 RBIs, 12 home runs, 13 doubles, and 35 runs.

Brooke Douglas, Ocean City

Douglas led Douglas to the South Jersey Group 3 championship. The senior and Rhode Island commit batted .543 with 51 hits, 42 RBIs, 12 home runs, seven doubles, two triples, and 25 runs.

Mackenna Savage, Red Bank Catholic

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Savage put up impressive numbers for Red Bank Catholic in 2026. The sophomore notched 15 wins in the circle with a 1.43 ERA and 286 strikeouts in 176.2 innings pitched.

Jordyn Ambrosius, West Deptford

Ambrosius stepped up for West Deptford this past season. The junior went 15-7 with a 1.75 ERA and 247 strikeouts in 143.2 innings pitched.

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Audrey Amoruso, Indian Hills

Amoruso led Indian Hills to its second straight state sectional title. In the circle, the senior and Fordham commit went 20-5 with a 1.01 ERA, 248 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 159.2 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .476 with 26 RBIs and four home runs.

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Gemma DeJoseph, Delran

DeJoseph was very impressive for Delran in 2026. The sophomore led the state with 62 hits, while batting .620 with 48 RBIs, three home runs, 14 doubles, and 37 runs.

Jillian Cianfrocca, Mount St. Dominic

Cianfrocca led Mount St. Dominic to the Non-Public A state finals. The senior and Villanova commit hit .534 with 47 hits, 54 RBIs, 16 home runs, 15 doubles, and 54 runs.

Ava Kelshaw, Mount St. Dominic

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Kelshaw also played a major role for a strong Lions team. The junior and Michigan commit notched an impressive 26 wins in the circle with a 0.63 ERA and 257 strikeouts. Additionally, she batted .388 with 33 RBIs.

Chloe Jacobson, Summit

Jacobson played a pivotal role on a strong Summit team in 2026. The sophomore hit .553 with 52 hits, 54 RBIs, 15 home runs, 10 doubles, and 39 runs.

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Gylian Hixenbaugh, Donovan Catholic

Hixenbaugh was very solid for Donovan Catholic this past season. The junior and Dartmouth commit went 17-3 with a 1.86 ERA, 161 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 128 innings pitched.

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Ella Redheffer, Clearview

Redheffer led Clearview to the South Jersey Group 3 finals. The sophomore stepped up by batting .583 with 56 hits, 40 RBIs, six home runs, 17 doubles, 48 runs, and 26 stolen bases.

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About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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New Jersey

Yellowcard Brings Ocean Avenue to New Jersey’s Own Ocean Avenue

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Yellowcard Brings Ocean Avenue to New Jersey’s Own Ocean Avenue


Yellowcard played the Stone Pony Summer Stage on Friday June 12th. It was an astounding set. The band performed nineteen tracks from every era and iteration of the band. It was a special night for anyone who is a fan. 

Openers Plain White T’s and New Found Glory also deserve special credit for fitting the bill flawlessly. It was the perfect way to set the stage for the show to come. Both bands have a strong stage presence and were able to captures the crowd’s full attention.

Yellowcard opened with a video of the Paramount stars. They continued their set by playing interlude snippets of other major movies such as “Back To The Future,” “Top Gun,” “The Goonies,” and the “Ghostbusters.” It really felt like we were watching a cinematic experience as well as a concert. The production was second to none. There was even pyro during certain moments of the show.

The band played six tracks off their new album Better Days. This was a huge highlight of the show. Better Days is not only the best Yellowcard album since Ocean Avenue, it’s one of the best pop-punk releases of the decade. The band worked tightly with Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne, and Alkaline Trio to enhance all aspects of the genre. The new tracks warranted even more of a reception than older tracks. We were truly watching a band in their prime. 

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Overall, Yellowcard are showing us the new heights bands can reach within the pop-punk genre. Their breakup and triumphant return displays to us that anything is possible. Please enjoy our gallery below from photographer Anthony Vito Cosentino.

Plain White T’s

New Found Glory

Yellowcard

All Photos by Anthony Vito Cosentino

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New Jersey

Historical marker recognizing Lawnside, New Jersey, to be unveiled Friday

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Historical marker recognizing Lawnside, New Jersey, to be unveiled Friday


From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The borough of Lawnside in Camden County will be honored with a historical marker from the New Jersey Historical Commission as part of the state’s Black Heritage Trail.

A ceremony unveiling the marker will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at Lawnside Borough Hall on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Road.

Marsharee Wright, aide to Lawnside Mayor Mary Ann Wardlow and long-time resident, said everyone is thrilled about the marker unveiling.

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“We’ve invited the entire community and neighboring towns to come share the celebration with us,” Wright said.

Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society, said it’s “an extreme honor” for the borough to be included in the state’s program, especially as Lawnside is amid a year-long celebration of its centennial.

“It really lifts our profile and hopefully more people will understand and know what Lawnside is about and what it means in the nation,” Shockley said.

Lawnside was one of six sites selected in Camden County in 2024, including “The Point,” a historic Black neighborhood in Haddonfield. Its marker was unveiled last June.

During the ceremony, the borough’s history will be showcased, along with the original documents signed by Gov. A. Harry Moore in 1926, which made way for the borough’s creation.

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Though there are many Black enclaves in South Jersey, the borough is the state’s only incorporated antebellum Black community. First known as Free Haven, and later Snow Hill, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Peter Mott built a three-floor dwelling in 1844 that was once part of sprawling farmland where he helped slaves escape.

Mott’s house, now owned by the Lawnside Historical Society, serves as an Underground Railroad museum.



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New Jersey

Is ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report

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Is ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report


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  • State leaders were celebrating a New York Times report that federal officials are considering ending plans for ICE dentention center in Morris County.

Federal officials are considering abandoning plans for a controversial immigration detention facility in Roxbury, New Jersey, according to a June 18 report by The New York Times, prompting local leaders and state officials to declare a victory after months of legal and political opposition.

The proposed facility, a warehouse property purchased to serve as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, faced intense criticism from local residents, environmental advocates and elected officials who argued the site was unsuitable for housing detainees.

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In a joint statement issued Thursday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the Department of Homeland Security appeared to be backing away from the project following legal challenges that halted development.

“Today the New York Times is reporting that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is backing down on its mass detention center in Roxbury,” the statement said. “That is a big win for public safety, for the township of Roxbury, and for New Jersey.”

According to the Times report, the Roxbury facility is one of seven ICE is planning to dispense with by transferring ownership to other federal agencies or selling them. 

Opponents argued the warehouse was designed as a logistics facility and lacked the infrastructure necessary to support a large detention center. They also raised concerns about the potential strain on local water and sewage systems and the impact on environmentally sensitive land surrounding the site.

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State officials said they joined Roxbury Township in court to challenge the project, contending that federal plans violated local regulations and posed risks to the community.

“DHS’s plans were always illegal,” the statement said. “The Roxbury warehouse is a logistics center fit for packages, not thousands of people.”

Rep. Rob Menendez said in a statement on Thursday: “We are working to confirm reporting that ICE is abandoning its Roxbury warehouse plans, but if true, this would be big news. From day one, we have fought to stop this facility, bringing together thousands of New Jerseyans in opposition. Now we are on the cusp of an important win for our state.” 

The detention center was expected to become part of the federal government’s broader immigration enforcement and detention network. However, the project became a flashpoint in New Jersey, drawing opposition from both local officials and residents concerned about public safety, environmental impacts and the facility’s compatibility with surrounding land uses.

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Federal officials have not publicly confirmed whether the property will be sold or formally removed from consideration. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the reported change in plans.

Opponents vowed to continue monitoring the situation until the project is officially terminated.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” the statement said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Roxbury community as we keep DHS’s feet to the fire to ensure this facility is never opened.”



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