Who will be Eugene-Springfield's top girls soccer player in 2026? With the start of the fall sports season just around the corner, The Register-Guard is putting a spotlight on the area's top athletes. We are continuing this year's preseason coverage with a look at Lane County's top girls soccer players. Now, it's time for you to decide which athlete is the best of the bunch. This year's nominees are:
Delaney Antone, Thurston Payton Buschelman, North Eugene Camden DeWitt, North Eugene Zoe Dilts, Pleasant Hill Cruz Donawa, Marist Catholic Amelia Eichner, Sheldon Sahalie Evans, Willamette Emmie Gerdrum, Thurston Layla Hammond, Sheldon Lexi Hudson, Marist Catholic Emma McCart, South Eugene Libby McLaughlin, Marist Catholic Payton Meltabarger, Churchill Lulu Mendoza, North Eugene Rosie Montes, Thurston Mila Nguyen, Creswell Riley Owens, Willamette Emma Pettersson, South Eugene Avery Runyon, Central Linn Macy Rush, Willamette Anna Schabel, South Eugene Tori Sherman, Marist Catholic Taylor Suiter, Thurston Khloe Tesauro, South Eugene Zari Thomas, North Eugene
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is most deserving at www.registerguard.com/sports. The poll closes at noon Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Delaney Antone, Thurston One of the more electric scorers in the Midwestern League last season, Thurston's Delaney Antone earned Class 5A second-team all-state recognition as a sophomore. She poured in 16 goals and dished out 14 assists.
Payton Buschelman, North Eugene The reigning Class 5A co-player of the year is set for a big senior season at North Eugene. Highlanders star Payton Buschelman is a three-time first-team all-state selection who helped lead North to a 17-1 overall record in 2025. She racked up 17 goals and nine assists on the year.
Camden DeWitt, North Eugene Coming off an outstanding sophomore season in which she earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors, Camden DeWitt is back for North Eugene and will once again be one of the top attacking players in the state. She scored 15 goals for the Highlanders in 2025.
Zoe Dilts, Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill rising senior Zoe Dilts garnered Class 3A/2A/1A second-team all-state recognition in 2025 after leading the Billies to a 9-4-3 overall record and the second round of the state playoffs.
Cruz Donawa, Marist Catholic A Linfield University commit, Marist Catholic rising senior Cruz Donawa is coming off an electric 2025 campaign. The Spartans forward earned Class 4A third-team all-state honors after scoring 15 goals and dishing out 10 assists. Coach Stefan Schroffner called Donawa 'the fastest player on a very fast team." Amelia Eichner, Sheldon As a freshman last season, Amelia Eichner broke through as an impact defender for Sheldon's Southwest Conference champion squad. She was one of just two ninth-graders in the conference to earn first- or second-team recognition. Sahalie Evans, Willamette A first-team all-Southwest Conference selection last season, rising senior forward Sahalie Evans is set for a big senior season with WIllamette.
Emmie Gerdrum, Thurston As one of Thurston's trio of star sophomore attackers last season, Emmie Gerdrum earned Class 5A third-team all-state honors after helping the Colts reach the state playoffs. Layla Hammond, Sheldon As part of Sheldon's standout freshman duo last season, Layla Hammond received honorable mention all-Southwest Conference recognition after helping the Irish win the league title.
Lexi Hudson, Marist Catholic Marist Catholic lost first-team all-state centerback Piper Paslay to graduation, but it has another ultra-talented defender stepping up to fill her role. Rising junior Lexi Hudson is entering her third year as a starter and has twice earned all-Sky-Em League accolades. "Lexi is a natural, vocal leader in our newly formed backline," Marist Catholic coach Stefan Schroffner said. "With her combination of technical skill, speed, physicality and soccer IQ, Lexi will be a force as a defender this upcoming season."
Emma McCart, South Eugene A first-team all-Southwest Conference midfielder last season, South Eugene rising senior Emma McCart helped the Axe to a 9-5-3 overall record an a Class 6A second-round state playoff appearance.
Libby McLaughlin, Marist Catholic Libby McLaughlin spent her junior season rewriting the Oregon high school record book. As a senior this fall, Marist Catholic's superstar has a chance to cement herself as one of the top players in state history. McLaughlin shattered Oregon's all-time assist record early in the 2025 season. She ended the year with 98, which is 25 more than any player in state history. After racking up 27 goals and 41 assists in 2025, she is in line for another massive campaign. "Her physicality and non-stop motor to press any backline, as well as deadly shot, puts Libby in the conversation as the top striker in the state, regardless of classification," Marist Catholic coach Stefan Schroffner said. Payton Meltabarger, Churchill As a sophomore last season, Churchill's Payton Meltabarger earned Class 5A third-team all-state honors after helping the Lancers to a fourth-place Midwestern League finish.
Lulu Mendoza, North Eugene As a freshman last fall, Lulu Mendoza broke through as an impact player for one of the top teams in the state. Mendoza garnered Class 5A honorable mention all-state honors while helping North Eugene to a 17-1 record and a state championship game appearance.
Rosie Montes, Thurston The top defender on Thurston's state playoff squad last season, Rosie Montes earned Class 5A third-team all-state honors as a junior. Montes is also a standout wrestler, softball player, flag football player and cross-country runner for Thurston. Mila Nguyen, Creswell One of the top offensive forces in Oregon last year, Mila Nguyen was the leading scorer on Creswell's Class 3A/2A/1A state semifinal squad. She earned first-team all-state honors after racking up 29 goals and 12 assists in 2025. Nguyen was also a first-team all-state pick in 2024 and earned honorable mention recognition in 2023. Riley Owens, Willamette A standout defender for Willamette's up-and-coming squad, Riley Owens received second-team all-Southwest Conference honors as a sophomore last season. Emma Pettersson, South Eugene As a junior last season, defender Emma Pettersson played a major role in South Eugene's breakthrough season. The Axe standout earned Class 6A honorable mention all-state and first-team all-Southwest Conference accolades. Avery Runyon, Central Linn After earning Class 3A/2A/1A first-team all-state honors as a sophomore and second-team honors as a junior, Central Linn's Avery Runyon is poised for another big year. She helped the Cobras to the state quarterfinals in 2025. Macy Rush, Willamette Although she was just a sophomore last season, Willamette's Macy Rush established herself as one of Oregon's top goalkeepers. She was named the Southwest Conference keeper of the year and received Class 6A second-team all-state honors. Anna Schabel, South Eugene After a strong sophomore season, South Eugene forward Anna Schabel earned second-team all-Southwest Conference honors in 2025.
Tori Sherman, Marist Catholic The reigning Class 4A state champion at 800 meters, Marist Catholic rising senior Tori Sherman is also an electric box-to-box midfielder who has played a major role in the Spartans' back-to-back state soccer titles. Sherman received 4A first-team all-state honors as a junior after contributing 15 goals and 14 assists. "Tori has very crafty, technical feet and can turn quickly," Marist Catholic coach Stefan Schroffner said. "She can effortlessly out-dribble opponents or find the incisive pass to assist a goal if needed. What also makes Tori dangerous is she can shoot from distance with both feet and is strong aerially in attack to score goals."
Taylor Suiter, Thurston A speedy forward who landed on the podium for the 300-meter hurdles at the Class 5A track and field state championships last spring, Thurston's Taylor Suiter played a large role in the Colts' 9-4-1 soccer season in 2025. As a sophomore, she received second-team all-state honors after scoring 12 goals.
Khloe Tesauro, South Eugene Last season, South Eugene rising senior forward Khloe Tesauro garnered second-team all-Southwest Conference honors after helping the Axe to the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
Zari Thomas, North Eugene One of the top defenders in all of Oregon in 2025, Zari Thomas is back for her senior season with North Eugene. She earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors as a junior last fall and was a second-team pick as a freshman in 2023.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at jdenney@registerguard.com or on X @jarrid_denney This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Vote! Who will be the top Eugene-area girls soccer player in 2026?