Who will be the Salem-Keizer area's top girls soccer player in 2026? It's your turn to vote. The 2026 OSAA high school girls soccer season is right around the corner and athletes from across the Salem-Keizer area return to their teams with new goals and expectations. Conferences have shifted, graduated players have opened up new roles and the 2026 season is shaping up to be as unpredictable as the last. Here are the nominees for the top Salem-area girls soccer player heading into the 2026 season, brought to you by Maps Credit Union.
Madison Barcroft, Dallas Elisa Birrueta-Correa, North Salem Sayje Castronovo, McNary Atalia Davila Macias, West Salem Karley Dessieux, Stayton Bella Garcia, McNary Halle Hammer, Cascade Talia Jones, South Salem Kenzie Lazarus, Blanchet Catholic Savannah Newman, Western Christian Cate Nickel, Sprague Camie Olsen, Sprague Nessa Olson, McNary Allisson Reynolds, McKay Jenna Shambaugh, West Salem Grace Ulloa, Amity Mayela Victoria, McKay Braelyn Walter, Silverton Marley Wertz, Silverton
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for who you think should win at statesmanjournal.com/sports. The poll closes at noon Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Madison Barcroft, Dallas Barcroft is back with Dallas after a campaign that resulted in her selection on the Mid-Willamette Conference's first-team roster. Barcroft, a senior now, returns to a Dragons team that graduated just four seniors and is eager to improve on its 4-9-1 record from a year ago.
Elisa Birrueta-Correa, North Salem Birrueta-Correa is a returning defender who earned second-team all-Central Valley Conference honors last fall. North Salem won just two games and was held winless in the CVC. But Birrueta-Correa, a junior, and a Vikings team that returns most of its varsity roster will hope to improve that in 2026.
Sayje Castronovo, McNary Castronovo, a senior forward, is back with a Celtics team that went 4-2-2 in the Central Valley Conference and reached the Class 6A state playoffs last season. She boasts second-team all-conference honors on her resume and returns to the pitch with some of the league's most exciting talent. Atalia Davila Macias, West Salem Davila Macias was the Titans' goalkeeper in last year's run that resulted in a Central Valley Conference title and Class 6A second-round playoff appearance. She was named to the league's first-team roster and returns to a West Salem side hoping to remain atop the conference. Karley Dessieux, Stayton Dessieux was a standout freshman in the Oregon West Conference a year ago. She was named to the first-team all-league roster from the attack and returns in a new-look conference with an Eagles team that could take a leap in 2026.
Bella Garcia, McNary Garcia was one of the top defenders in the Central Valley Conference last year and earned first-team honors. A junior now, Garcia and the Celtics return a strong core, especially from the defense, and will hope to make waves in the Valley in 2026. Halle Hammer, Cascade Hammer played up top for the Cougars last year in a season that ended with a 4-9-1 overall record, 3-6-1 in-conference. She was named to the Oregon West Conference first-team roster.
Talia Jones, South Salem Jones, a senior forward, is back for the Saxons after a junior campaign that resulted in a 8-7-1 overall record and Central Valley Conference first-team selection. South Salem graduated five first- and second-team all-conference athletes, but Jones and more returning varsity contributors will hope to propel the Saxons to the top of the CVC. Kenzie Lazarus, Blanchet Catholic Lazarus and the Cavaliers delivered an impressive 10-4-2 season in 2025 that saw a second-round Class 3A/2A/1A state playoff appearance and first-team all-conference appearance for Lazarus. A senior now, Lazarus scored 17 goals last fall and will hope to replicate that success up top again in 2026. Savannah Newman, Western Christian Newman scored a whopping 31 goals, the eighth most in the state of Oregon across all divisions, last fall. She and the Pioneers went 9-4-2 and fell in the first round of the Class 3A/2A/1A playoffs. Western Christian lost just one senior to graduation — setting up Newman, now a senior, and the Pioneers for an intriguing, goal-heavy fall. Cate Nickel, Sprague Nickel returns to the Olympians after claiming a place on the Central Valley Conference second-team roster last fall. Nickel, a senior, is back with a Sprague team with strong depth and goal-scoring ability to improve on last year's 4-9-1 overall record. Camie Olsen, Sprague Olson, a junior, was a crucial member of the Olympians last season as they fought to a 3-4-1 record in the Central Valley Conference. Olsen earned first-team all-conference honors from the midfield and is back in the middle to help Sprague orchestrate an exciting season ahead.
Nessa Olson, McNary Olson is McNary's returning second-team all-Central Valley Conference midfielder who was an impact player in 2025. Now a senior, Olson will help lead the Celtics into a challenging CVC slate with goals of record improvement and playoff action in mind. Allisson Reynolds, McKay Reynolds was a second-team all-conference midfielder for the Scots in the Mid-Willamette Conference last fall and is back for her junior season. Reynolds and McKay finished 2025 with a 4-9-2 overall record but will be jumping up to Class 6A and the Central Valley Conference this year.
Jenna Shambaugh, West Salem Shambaugh, a senior, is back as a goal-scoring threat this fall. A year ago, Shambaugh was a key piece in West Salem's march to a Central Valley Conference title and she earned all-conference second-team honors. West Salem graduated several seniors but expects to repeat as the top-scoring CVC team and league champion. Grace Ulloa, Amity Ulloa is a returning state champion from the Warriors' historic 17-1-1 run a year ago. Ulloa, a senior defender, was a crucial piece of a defense that allowed one of the lowest goal tallies (12) in the classification. Amity graduated a massive wave of seniors, but Ulloa returns to the defense with veteran experience.
Mayela Victoria, McKay Victoria was named the Mid-Willamette Conference's player of the year and an all-state honorable mention pick in 2025 from the midfield. A senior now, Victoria's back with a McKay team that'll have to adjust to a new league: Class 6A's Central Valley Conference.
Braelyn Walter, Silverton Walter, a senior midfielder, returns to Silverton following an impressive 2025 season. Walter and the Foxes won the Mid-Willamette Conference with an undefeated 8-0-1 record and Walter was named to the league's second-team list. Silverton graduated four first- and second-team all-conference athletes but returns enough talent to aim for the top of the MWC once again.
Marley Wertz, Silverton Wertz, a senior, is back on the pitch after helping lead a 13-2-2 campaign last fall and claiming first-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference and second-team all-state honors. Silverton will hope to reach beyond its Class 5A state quarterfinal appearance it made and to do so, Wertz and a strong senior class will lead the way.
Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at LBartlett@statesmanjournal.com or on X, TikTok or Instagram This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Vote! Who will be the Salem area's top girls soccer player in 2026?