Glacier's Farrell is state's Gatorade player of the year
Glacier pitcher Ella Farrell (12) delivers to Flathead's Mackenzie Brandt in the third inning against Flathead at Glacier High School on Thursday, May 18. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
CHICAGO — Ella Farrell, the junior right-hander who just led Glacier to its second State AA title, was named Montana’s Gatorade Player of the Year for softball Friday.
She is the second Wolfpack player so honored in three seasons: Kynzie Mohl landed the state award in 2021.
In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
The 5-foot-11 pitcher and infielder led the Pack to a 20-3 record and their first AA title since 2015. Farrell led the team in hitting (.486), runs batted in (42) and home runs (seven). Two of her homers were grand slams.
In the circle, the first team All-State selection posted a record of 12-2 with a 2.30 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 106 2-3 innings.
Off the diamond, Farrell is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society, and has earned the Montana Seal of Biliteracy. She has volunteered locally at an elementary school, helping students with reading and art projects.
She has donated her time as a mentor for Glacier High freshmen at the beginning of the school year, and has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. .
A press release from Gatorade noted Farrell is now a finalist for Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year. That will be announced late this month.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow them on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.