Aptos High junior Kalina Healy took the initiative to workout in the batting cage and in the weight room weeks before the softball season was officially underway.
As they say, hard work pays off.
Healy was named the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League’s Co-Most Valuable Player for the 2026 spring campaign.
The Mariner standout shared the award with Soquel junior Emma Niizawa, while her Knights teammate freshman Kiyomi Dunlap received the Impact Player of the Year award.
“[Healy] had a great year, and I feel like her numbers could be even better,” Aptos head coach Phil Rojas Jr. said.
Healy batted a .427 average (32-for-75) with six home runs, seven doubles, 24 runs scored, 23 RBIs and eight stolen bases, according to statistics on the Max Preps website.
As the primary first baseman, she tallied a total of 129 put outs, a pair of assists and just two errors in 26 games played this season.
“Big stick, great kid and she’s coming back next year, so that’s even better,” Rojas said.
Teammate junior Mya Najera-White received the Pitcher of the Year award for her remarkable job in the circle for the SCCAL champion Mariners, who finished with a 15-0 record in league play.
Najera-White finished the spring season with a 2.62 ERA while tallying 130 strikeouts in 25 appearances. She also cut the number of base on balls by nearly half, giving up just 35 walks compared to 75 in 2025.
“It was the experience from the year before,” Rojas said. “Just learning and playing against good competition has bettered her.”
Rojas said his ace hurler has various types of spins that she can throw, but then Najera-White will sneak in her fastball that looks even faster because of rotation on the ball.
“I told her if you know how to hit your spots, you’re gonna win ball games,” Rojas said.
Aptos senior Lanies Nunes, junior Emma Burgueno and sophomore Gwen Vaca each earned All-SCCAL First Team honors.
Nunes finished with a total of 22 base hits, including four doubles, 11 RBIs and one run scored, while Burgueno had 27 hits, including three doubles, two triples, 23 runs scored, 14 RBIs and seven steals.
Vaca batted a .402 average (35-for-87) with three home runs, 11 doubles, one triple, 34 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
Aptos junior Izzy Baker and freshman Angeline Lopez each earned All-SCCAL Second Team honors.
Baker had 21 hits, 15 runs scored, seven RBIs and five steals, while Lopez finished with 27 hits, including seven doubles and one triple, 28 runs scored, nine RBIs and 10 steals.
Rojas was named the SCCAL’s Coach of the Year by his peers, which was special for the 13-year veteran.
“I have some good coaches, we all got roles. I want to say it’s all of us,” Rojas said. “I know I take the reins of it all because it’s always my final decision on things. But the kids, we had a talented group, so they made it that way for me.”
Below is a complete list of the 2026 All-SCCAL softball teams.
Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League 2026 all-league softball teams
Individual Awards
Co-Most Valuable Players: Kalina Healy (Jr.), Aptos; Emma Niizawa (Jr.), Soquel
Pitcher of the Year: Mya Najera-White (Jr.), Aptos
Impact Player of the Year: Kiyomi Dunlap (Fr.), Soquel
Coach of the Year: Phil Rojas Jr., Aptos
First Team
Chloe Ken (Jr.), Scotts Valley
Emma Burgueno (Jr.), Aptos
Elie Colby (So.), San Lorenzo Valley
Hailey Leimas (Fr.), Soquel
Ellia Dunton (Jr.), Santa Cruz
Sofia Monroe (Sr.), Harbor
Eliza Stevens (Sr.), Soquel
Gwen Vaca (So.), Aptos
Lanies Nunes (Sr.), Aptos
Skylar Cloyd (Fr.), SLV
Second Team
Grace Purtscher (Jr.), SLV
Rona Lewis (Jr.), Santa Cruz
Natalie Murray-Skalland (Jr.), Scotts Valley
Angeline Lopez (Fr.), Aptos
Lorelei Warner (Jr.), Scotts Valley
Izzy Baker (Jr.), Aptos
Addysin Schafer (Sr.), Harbor
Sophia Sarmiento (Sr.), SLV
Audrey Jouglet (So.), SLV
Izzy Fetke (Jr.), Santa Cruz
Sophia Kilby (Fr.), Soquel
Honorable Mention
Cara Allshouse (Sr.), Aptos
Nova Neu (Jr.), Aptos
Ella Jacobs (Fr.), Aptos
Hana Pomerantz (So.), Harbor
Mackenzie Zamora (Fr.), Harbor
Leah Heitman (So.), Harbor
Bailey Filice (So.), SLV
Ray Alvarez (Sr.), SLV
Maddy Murphy (Sr.), SLV
GG Padia,Espinosa (Fr.), Santa Cruz
Ari Bayens (Fr.), Santa Cruz
Tezdyn Medina-Mates (Jr.), Santa Cruz
Gabriella Gauthier (So.), Scotts Valley
Jillian Oing (So.), Scotts Valley
Jazzelyn Phillips (Sr.), Scotts Valley
Katie Niizawa (Jr.), Soquel
Kylie South (So.), Soquel
Ellie Howell (So.), Soquel
