CHICAGO (June 5, 2026) — In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Emmaline Humphreys of Holy Family High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade Colorado Softball Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Humphreys as Colorado’s best high school softball player and she joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Cat Osterman (2000-01, Cypress, TX), Alicia Hollowell (2001-02, Fairfield, CA) and Hannah Wells (2024-25, Coahoma, TX).
The 5-foot-10 senior right-handed pitcher led the Tigers (25-4) to the Class 4A state championship this past season. Humphreys compiled a record of 19-4 in the circle with a 0.81 ERA and 284 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 129 innings. The 4A Player of the Year, she also hit .362 with 25 RBI and was named the Granite Peaks Conference Pitcher of the Year.
A member of the Holy Family chapter of the National Honor Society, Humphreys has volunteered locally providing food on Thanksgiving to those in need. She has also donated her time to a fundraiser for Hope House of Denver, a home for people recovering from substance abuse. “Emmaline is an incredibly impressive presence in the circle. She brings not only size, but true power—throwing with high velocity while maintaining outstanding command,” said Glen Maestretti, head coach at Lutheran High School. “Her curveball and drop are electric and what really separates her is her ability to place them exactly where she wants.”
Humphreys has maintained a 4.39 weighted GPA in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic aid to play softball at Stanford University this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X (Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.