Gladstone junior Lauren Sundquist connects with the first pitch of the game against Escanaba on May 14, 2024 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. Sundquist hit a home run off Escanaba junior Grayson Lamarche with this swing. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA –Earning All-Conference honors is a honor in its own right, but what does it take to be All State?

Does it take an impressive batting average? Impressive fielding statistics? Does it take the proper political pull in a room of adults who make this decision?

For Gladstone catcher Lauren Sundquist it didn’t take any sort of political pull to earns First Team All-State honors in Division 3 by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association.

Sundquist earned a .549 batting average with six home runs, 39 RBIs and 53 runs scored while blasting 12 doubles and four triples in 102 at bats. She also posted a .627 on-base percentage, a .922 slugging percentage and owned an OPS of 1.549 during her junior campaign.

For reference, Detroit Tigers’ legend Miguel Cabrera owned a .330 batting average, a .393 on-base percentage, a .606 slugging percentage and had an OPS of .999 during his historic MVP season in 2012.

This is Sundquist’s second All-State honor. She earned First Team honors as a utility player during her freshman season in 2022

Provided below is the full list of Division 3 First Team All-State recipients for the 2024 season:

Outfield

Emily Brown, Grass Lake; Gabrielle Waldofsky, Leslie; Delaney Gross, New Lothrop; Caitlyn Horvath, Buchanan; Grace Chinavare, Sanford Meridian; Sydney Drenth, Schoolcraft

Shortstop

Ashley Bila, Laingsburg; Hannah Herman, Buchanan; Grace Chisek, Watervliet;

Marissa Rombach, New Lothrop; Jalen Fossitt Leslie;

First base

Kaitlyn Dickey, Bath; Brealyn Lasky, Bronson; Lyndsey Lyscas, Hemlock

Second base

Rylee Fitzpatrick, Grass Lake; Sophie Hardy, Traverse City St. Francis; Brynne Birchmeier, New Lothrop

Third base

Olivia Turner, Grass Lake; Emma Herremans, Ravenna; Camile Lozmack, Buchanan

Catcher

Breyenn Salts, Grass Lake; Lauren Sunquist, Gladstone; Lydia Wells, Bronson;

Allyson Theunick, Evart; Brooke Newberry, Lakeville

Pitcher

Unity Nelson, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford; Kenna Bommarito, Algonac; Ada Bradford, Leslie; Kyrah Gray, Evart; Madison Jones, Clare; Alexyn DuBois, Hanover-Horton;

Ashlynn Harris, Bronson

Utility

Lillian Martinez, Hemlock; Kendall Phillip, Clinton; Chole Parker Niles-Brandywine