INDIANAPOLIS - The postseason awards for the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference softball season were announced by the league office on Wednesday. Two from William Jewell earned All-Conference honors, as Mikayla Chairez was named to the First Team in the outfield while Sheyenne Kelch was listed on the Third Team as a utility, non-pitcher. The Cardinals were also the recipient of the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, while Alexa Almejo was Jewell's individual honoree. 

Chairez, who earns her first career postseason honor, started 48 games in center field while hitting .484, good for third in the league. In addition to batting average, the senior was top-10 in the GLVC in total hits (74), home runs (8), slugging percentage (.830), and total bases (127) and was 12th in runs scored (41).

Kelch appeared in 47 games with 43 starts on the season, between the outfield and third base, including all 28 conference games. In league play, she was second on the team with a .339 batting average with four doubles and four home runs, while driving 17 runs and scoring 13 times. 

A complete list of the 2026 All-GLVC teams and postseason honorees can be found below.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Harris, Sr., SS, McKendree
CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Sami Huck, Sr. McKendree & Caitlin Bunte, Fr., Indianapolis
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Caitlin Bunte, Fr. P, Indianapolis
COACH OF THE YEAR: Melissa Frost, Indianapolis
 

FIRST TEAM Shelby Cook, Sr., 1B, UINDY Emily Berry, Jr., 2B, RU Lauren Harris, Sr., SS, MCK Jamie Widule, Sr., 3B, UMSL Brooklyn Willis, So., OF, UINDY Cassie Smith, Sr., OF, TSU Mikayla Chairez, Sr., OF, WJC Morgan Spodarek, So., C, LEWIS Addison Koth, Jr., DP, MU Caitlin Bunte, Fr., P, UINDY Sami Huck, Sr., P, MCK Avery Huffman, Sr., P, RU Peyton Cusack, So., UT-NP, UINDY Rosie Bartletti, Sr., UT-P, UIS

SECOND TEAM Laila Ruiz, Fr., 1B, MU Jenna Kosnoff, Jr., 2B, MU Taylor Nelson, R-Jr., SS, S&T Katie Jensen, Jr., 3B, LEWIS Kiley Sullivan, Fr., OF, UMSL Keeley Elsea, So., OF, SBU Dani Laughlin, R-So., OF, UIU Phoebe Miller, So., C, UMSL McKenna Lester, Sr., DP, RU Kaley Adzick, Sr., P, DU Rosie Bartletti, Sr., P, UIS AJ Agers, Gr., P, S&T Bailey Masching, So., UT-NP, UIS Cheyenne Eads, So., UT-P, UINDY

THIRD TEAM Kaytie Kossina, Sr., 1B, UMSL Gracie Wright, Jr., 2B, LIN Cara Cooper, Jr., SS, UINDY Maya Rodriguez, So., 3B, UINDY Nicole Magdziasz, Sr., OF, LEWIS Ann-Marie Simpson, Sr., OF, LIN Emily Wood, Sr., OF, TSU Mya Bristow, So., C, RU Josie Jager, So., DP, UINDY Jordyn Foley, Jr., P, DU Ellie Vetter, Sr., P, MCK Mia Miller, So., P, S&T Sheyenne Kelch, Sr., UT-NP, WJC AJ Agers, Gr., UT-P, S&T

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Sportsmanship
Landry Cochran, DU
Jaden Watts, UIS
Abbey Brown, UINDY
Ava Reed, LEWIS
Mallorey Rogers, LIN
Jenna Kosnoff, MU
Ali Grenzebach, MCK
Isabella Welton, S&T
Ashley Borowitz, UMSL
Alexus Freeman, QU
Eva Fulk, RU
Shalie Wooden, SBU
Jayda Long, TSU
Cara Farnam, UIU
Alexa Almejo, WJC
 
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
William Jewell