It was a good season for Capital Area softball, and it has been reflected in the New Hampshire Softball Coaches’ Association accolades.
Bow senior Hannah McGonigle was named the Division II Player of the Year, while Hopkinton senior Maddie Carmichael earned the same honor for Division III.
McGonigle, who will continue her career in the NCAA for the D-I University of Buffalo, is the first Falcon to earn Player of the Year in program history.
She finished the 2023 season with a 0.71 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 69⅓ innings pitched, while batting .500 with a .894 slugging percentage. McGonigle connected for 33 hits (16 of them for extra bases), 24 RBIs and 17 runs in 17 games.
A three-time All-State player and two-time captain, McGonigle finishes her career with a 1.37 ERA and 293 strikeouts in 224 ⅔ total innings pitched, plus a batting average of .552, slugging percentage of .956 and 101 hits, 95 RBIs and 11 home runs.
“She brought the same tenacity and focus to Bow High School and helped establish the standard for how we want to our program,” Falcons head coach Jen Boyden said. “I truly believe she’s in a category all (on) her own with her level of athleticism and IQ.”
Carmichael helped lead the young Hawks on a surprising run to the D-III semifinals, playing a key role in Hopkinton’s batting order and in the infield at shortstop.
Carmichael ended the season with a .514 batting average and set modern-day school records with seven home runs and 33 runs scored in a single season. She tied the school record with 30 RBIs in a season and set the modern program record with 11 career home runs.
A three-time All-State player, Carmichael played all over the field, earning All-State picks as a catcher (sophomore), center fielder (junior) and shortstop (senior). She will continue her career at Saint Anselm College.
“Maddie has been a pleasure to coach. She had an amazing senior year, but really, all of her years were fantastic,” Hopkinton softball head coach Dan Meserve said. “She was an All-State player at three different positions which is unheard of. Had she not been a victim of no freshman year due to COVID, she would have been our all-time leader in many offensive categories. A great player, great person, and she will be missed.”
Many other area players, including several from D-I champions Concord and D-II champions Coe-Brown, had All-State recognition. The complete list of area recipients:.
Division I First Team: Delaney Duford, Sarah Taylor and Maddy Wachter (Concord).
Division II First Team: Hannah McGonigle and Emily Kiah (Bow), Madison DeCota (Coe-Brown), Olivia Hargreaves and Ava Rivers (John Stark), Livie Lacasse (Merrimack Valley) and Eliza Carignan (Pembroke).
Second Team: Emma Broadstone and Courtney Thomas (Coe-Brown), Ruby Dykstra (John Stark), Kaylee Keyser and Kayla Smith (MV), and Kyleigh Burtsell (Pembroke).
Honorable Mention: Jayden Porter (Coe-Brown).
Division III First Team: Payton Bryson (Bishop Brady), Emily Howell (Hillsboro-Deering), and Maddie Carmichael and Lizz Holmes (Hopkinton).
Second Team: Lena Rodrigues (Belmont), Kimble Rose and Abigail Tyrell (Bishop Brady), and Steph Elrick (Hopkinton).
Honorable Mention: Rylie Cotnoir (Belmont), Ava Archambault (Bishop Brady), Haley Hathorn (Hillsboro-Deering) and Lauren MacDonald (Winnisquam).