Vote for Spring Athlete of the Year for 2026 high school season presented by the Vance Law Firm

[ASFN Admin]

It's time to vote for the Montgomery Advertiser's high school Spring Athlete of The Year for the 2026 season, presented by The Vance Law Firm.

Voting will open Sunday, June 14, and will be open until noon Thursday, June 18. The winner will be announced on Friday, June 19. The nominees are based off their performances during the 2026 season and the contributions they made to their team during the regular and postseason.

Montgomery Advertiser's high school Spring Athlete of the Year presented by Vance Law Firm for the 2026 season​

• Saint James' Emily Needham helped the Trojans win their first state championship since 2008, earning the MVP honors of the Class 3A state tournament. Needham went 30-3 in the 2026 season, posting a 0.96 ERA with 327 strikeouts. Needham was named the ASWA's Class 3A Player of the Year.
• Wetumpka's Lalah Culpepper commanded the Indians in the circle for the 2026 season, earning Wetumpka a trip to the Class 6A state tournament. Culpepper went 26-3 for the year with a 2.03 ERA. She notched 118 strikeouts. At the plate, Culpepper collected 83 RBIs on 79 hits and 21 home runs. Culpepper was named the ASWA's Class 6A Hitter of the Year.
• Pike Road's JK Longnecker paved the way for the Patriots to make it to the third round of the postseason in Class 6A. Her efforts earned her a spot on the All-State Super Team and a spot in Class 6A's all-state first team. The Jacksonville State commit scored 41 goals and accounted for 15 assists in 2026.
• Montgomery Academy's Reid McBride helped the Eagles reach the postseason with his dominance on both the mound and the plate. McBride accounted for 28 RBIs on 50 hits, coming out to a .446 batting average. The speedy shortstop also stole 31 bases out of 32 attempts. McBride was named to the ASWA's Class 3A all-state first team.
• Brewbaker Tech's Jade Nyguen was the leader for the Rams in the 2026 season. The senior led the team in goals with 36 on the year and was named to Class 5A's all-state first team.
• LAMP's Everrette Minshew claimed his third consecutive individual title, finishing the season undefeated and winning the No. 1 singles match over Wilson's James Mallette. Minshew also won the No. 1 doubles championship with teammate Brooks Gault.
• Trinity Presbyterian's Land Sharpless was a driving force behind the Wildcats drive toward the postseason. Sharpless finished the 2026 season with a batting average of .384 and 20 RBIs on 28 hits. Sharpless was named to the ASWA's Class 4A Honorable Mention all-state team.
• Montgomery Catholic's Cayden Dees was crowned the state champion in the 4A boys discuss throw with a throw of 156-06 at the AHSAA state track meet.
• Prattville's Haylee Jackson led the Lions in the batting and pitching for the 2026 season. She finished the season with a .405 batting average with 37 RBIs on 32 hits and 10 home runs. In the circle, she went 7-4 with 60 strikeouts and a 2.20 ERA.
• Tallassee's Brue Milner had a power surge at the plate for the Tigers in 2026. Milner collected 10 home runs on the season that was accompanied by 27 RBIs on 26 hits. Milner was named to the ASWA's Class 4A all-state first team.

Vote for The Montgomery Advertiser's high school Spring Athlete of the Year presented by Vance Law Firm for the 2026 season​

Jaeden Day covers high school sports, Alabama State football and Auburn recruiting for the Montgomery Advertiser/USA Today. You can find him on X at dayjaeden12, or reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery-area high school Spring Athlete of the Year fan poll, 2026 season

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