Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Eureka’s Kaitlin Giacone, left, was the 2024 Big 5 Girls Athlete of the Year and received her award from Jennifer Perrone of DelReka Distributing, one of the award sponsors.

By Ray Hamill — As always there’s a lot of competition for this year’s Humboldt Sports Big 5 Girls Athlete of the Year award with several worthy candidates considered.

The annual award will be handed out in the coming days, along with our other end-of-season awards.

And after a big year in sports, the Del Norte Warriors feature heavily among our finalists for the B5 Girls athlete award, with three student-athletes from the Crescent City school included among our finalists and others receiving some serious consideration.

The Eureka Loggers also have multiple finalists, along with one each from Arcata, Fortuna and McKinleyville.

The field of finalists also includes six seniors, as well as one junior and one sophomore.

The Big 5 Girls Athlete of the Year award is one of six awards Humboldt Sports will be announcing soon, along with our Team of the Year, our Coach of the Year, our Big 5 Boys Athlete of the Year and our Little 4 Boys and Girls Athletes of the Year.

Before we announce the winners and present each of them with a trophy to commemorate their achievements, we will be naming our finalists in all six categories.

And as always a big shout out and thank you to the award sponsors, a group that includes The Humboldt Fence Company, DelReka Distributing, Mendes Supply Company and Bode Construction, all of whose support will help to pay for the trophies. 

HUMBOLDT SPORTS 2025 BIG 5 GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Bliss Blackburn

Del Norte Junior

Volleyball, Basketball and Softball

The Warriors junior could be the most improved high school athlete on the North Coast this year while starring in three sports and receiving all-league honors in volleyball and softball, as well as an all-league honorable mention in basketball.

Mariah Bravo

Fortuna Senior

Golf, Basketball and Softball

No one athlete may have meant more to her school this year than Bravo, who could very well have been the best player for the Huskies in basketball and softball while receiving all-league honors in both sports, as well as in golf.

Samara Gaither

Eureka Senior,

Volleyball and Basketball 

Gaither was a two-sport standout for the Loggers, earning all-league honors in both volleyball and basketball, and she was one of the most consistently competitive athletes in the H-DNL this past year.

Carlee Harper

Del Norte Senior

Volleyball, Softball and Rodeo

An outstanding volleyball player in the fall, Harper was even more impressive on the softball fields this spring, and she earned all-league honors in both sports. In addition to her contributions and leadership behind the plate, Harper was probably the most dangerous base runner in the H-DNL and also competes in high school rodeo.

Mayleah Jackson

Arcata Senior

Basketball and Track and Field

Jackson was an integral part of the Tigers Big 5 championship-winning team in basketball and followed that with an outstanding spring competing in track and field, most notably in the pole vault.

Tiara Maualuga

Eureka Sophomore

Volleyball and Basketball

One of the most dominating volleyball and basketball players in the entire H-DNL, Maualuga was an all-league selection in both sports and is the only sophomore on our list of finalists.

Tsinte Steinruck

Del Norte Senior

Volleyball, Basketball and Softball

The only three-sport all-league selection on our list of finalists, Streinruck’s contributions went well beyond that. She was also a big team leader on all three Del Norte teams and was the school’s representative on the inaugural H-DNL All-Sportsmanship Team.

Gabby Watson

McKinleyville Senior

Soccer and Basketball

A two-sport all-league selection, Watson was the most impressive McKinleyville student-athlete this past year, leading the Panthers in both soccer and basketball and making an invaluable contribution on both squads.