Glacier puts 6 on All-State softball, Flathead 2

After a wild finish to 2025, culminating in their second championship in three years, the Glacier Wolfpack had six players named All-State by the Western AA softball coaches this week.

That’s one Glacier player for each do-or-die victory at the State AA tournament. 

Seniors Olivia Gibbons, Cazz Rankosky, Nakiah Persinger and Aubree Gerber, along with sophomore Olivia Warriner and freshman Ava Grady, all received first-team All-Western AA recognition.  

All of the first-team picks are automatically All-State as well. 

Missoula Big Sky had four players on the 15-person first team; Flathead had two. Missoula Sentinel, Helena Capital and Helena had one each. 

Gibbons was one of the main pitchers for Glacier (22-4); she went 12-2 with a 2.84 earned-run average in the circle, with 50 strikeouts in a team-high 61 2-3 innings pitched. At the plate she had the second-highest batting average among the starters: .412, with seven home runs and 34 runs batted in. 

Warriner was honored at third base; she led the team in average (.437), home runs (10) and RBIs (46) and was second in runs scored (34). She also was solid in the circle, with 44 strikeouts and a 3.52 ERA in 47 2-3 innings pitched. 

Rankosky hit .381; the veteran catcher had two home runs, 34 RBIs and 33 runs scored. 

Persinger was one of two shortstops named All-State; she hit .405 with a homer, nine doubles, 22 RBIs and a team-high 35 runs scored. 

Gerber was named at Designated Player, after contributing a .404 average with two homers and 17 RBIs while hitting in the bottom third of a deep batting order. 

Grady was named at Utility: She hit .268 in 41 at-bats with two home runs and 11 RBIs — and also was a big contributor in the circle with 72 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA in 41 1-3 innings. 

Flathead’s Mackenzie Brandt and Olivia Nyman were All-State selections as well. 

Brandt, a senior outfielder, hit .317 and led the Bravettes with eight home runs and 21 RBIs. Nyman, a sophomore shortstop, hit .327 with five homers and 16 RBIs. She was honored as a utility player. 

Helena, the Western AA regular-season champion, had just one player honored: Ace pitcher Faith Howard, a senior who went 15-2 with a 1.42 ERA, with 225 strikeouts in 123 2-3 innings. Howard was named the Western Conference defensive player of the year. 

The conference offensive player of the year went to Big Sky’s Sadie McGuinn. The senior second baseman hit .538 with 16 home runs, 40 RBIs and 39 runs scored. 

Glacier had two outfielders named second-team all-Western A: Senior Khirsten Terrell (.385 batting average) and junior Karley Allen (.398). 

Flathead’s Reese Conley, a senior catcher who hit .400 with four home runs this season, was honorable mention. 

The complete honors team is below. 

All-Western AA  

First Team* 

Pitcher    Faith Howard, sr., Helena 

    Olivia Gibbons, sr., Glacier 

Catcher    Cazz Rankosky, sr., Glacier 

First base    Haley Sellers, sr., Sentinel 

Second base    Sadie McGuinn, sr., Big Sky 

Shortstop    Irene Griswold, sr., Big Sky 

    Nakiah Persinger, sr., Glacier 

Third base    Olivia Warriner, so., Glacier 

Outfield    Mackenzie Brandt, sr., Flathead 

    Kyler Latrielle, sr., Big Sky 

    Madilyn Emmert, so., Capital 

Utility    Olivia Nyman, so., Flathead 

    Ava Grady, fr., Glacier 

DP    Sara Bjornson, fr., Big Sky 

    Aubree Gerber, sr., Glacier 

*-All players are alos All-State.

Second Team 

Pitcher — Brielle Wilosn, jr., Big Sky; Ashlinn Mullaney, sr., Butte. 

Catcher — Kamryn Klemp, sr., Helena. 

First base — Charlie Smith, sr., Helena; Madison Swanson, sr., Butte. 

Second base — Sydney Goldbar, sr., Sentinel. 

Third base — Ali Miller, jr., Capital; Rylee Murgel, jr., Helena. 

Outfield — Khirsten Terrell, sr., Glacier; Karley Allen, jr., Glacier; Aubrey Bykari jr., Big Sky; Hayden Weaver, fr., Big Sky; Maddie Stepan, jr., Butte; Brooklyn Wright, sr., Sentinel. 

Designated Player — Kendallyn Schad, so., Butte; Heidi Ricketts, so., Helena. 

Honorable mention — Avery King, sr., P, Hellgate; Reese Conley, sr., C, Flathead; Nina Sammoury, sr., C, Sentinel; Hailey Nicoson, fr., Big Sky; Gracie Ferriter, sr., Butte; Reese Johnson, so., 2B, Butte; Nat Blaney, jr., 2B, Hellgate; Kaylie Moe, jr., SS, Hellgate; Gracie Jonart, jr., OF, Butte; Kate Drynan, sr., OF, Capital; Ella Krepps, sr., OF, Capital; Keira Campbell, sr., OF, Helena. 

    Glacier's Olivia Warriner (10) connects on a three-run home run, her second home run of the game, against Flathead at Glacier High School on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Glacier catcher Cazz Rankosky (17) puts the tag on Polson's Olivia Jore (11) on a play at the plate at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Glacier shortstop Nakiah Persinger (8) makes a diving backhand stop on a ground ball against Polson at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Flathead's Mackenzie Brandt (8) connects on a home run against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Flathead shortstop Olivia Nyman (16) fields a ground ball for an out against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Friday, April 4. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Glacier's Ava Grady (2) smiles as she nears home plate after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning against Polson at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider