Online vote winner: Rebecca Holden
Lower Cape May Regional, senior
Field hockey and softball
Holden received 43 percent of the 649 votes cast in our online poll for the Female Athlete of the Year.
A standout field hockey goalie, Holden will attend the University of Virginia on a scholarship. She averaged more than 11 saves per game last fall. She led Lower to the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference title in 2009 and 2010. A first-team Press All-Star in field hockey.
Holden finished with 111 hits in softball. Batted .476 with 26 runs scored, five doubles, two triples, two home runs and 13 RBIs in her senior season. Played first base, third base, shortstop and center field.
Other finalists:
Christin Bettis
Hammonton, senior
Track and field
Bettis won seven varsity letters in her running career as a Blue Devil. She won the Atlantic County and Cape-Atlantic League individual cross country titles last fall. Bettis won the South Jersey Group III 3,200-meter run this spring. She will continue her career at Temple University on a partial scholarship that includes full tuition.
Macki Groves
Millville, senior
Soccer and lacrosse
Groves was a two-sport standout - soccer and lacrosse - for the Thunderbolts. Groves provided leadership and nine goals for a young Millville team that reached the South Jersey Group IV quarterfinals. She scored more than 100 career goals in lacrosse. Groves will play soccer for Felician College, a Division II school in Lodi.
Tess Solazzo
Ocean City, junior
Lacrosse, cross country and basketball
Solazzo has already committed to attend Ohio State University on a scholarship to play lacrosse. She has already topped the 200 career goal mark. She also runs cross country in the fall and plays basketball in the winter.
Kristina Startare
Middle Township, senior
Soccer and basketball
Startare is one of the region's best soccer and basketball players. She played fullback in soccer and sparked a stingy Middle defense that had 15 shutouts and allowed just 10 goals all season. The Panthers lost to Haddonfield 3-0 in the South Jersey Group II final. A Press first-team All-Star for soccer. Startare also excelled on defense in basketball, leading the Panthers to the South Jersey Group II title. A second-team Press All-Star for basketball.
