Junior multi-sport athletes turn individual success into team success
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LAKE COUNTY >> Clear Lake High School junior Zane McAuley and Kelseyville High School junior Ashlyn Wurm are finalists for the Lake County Sports Athlete of the Year award for the 2024-25 sports season as sponsored by the Lake County Adult Softball Association.
McAuley helped lead Clear Lake to a deep postseason run in baseball and also was the Cardinals’ top scorer in boys basketball. He earned All-North Central League I first-team honors in both sports. Wurm, a three-sport standout for Kelseyville, was part of league-championship squads in volleyball and basketball. She also pitched and played shortstop for the school’s softball team, which reached the North Coast Section Division 6 semifinals. She earned All-League first team honors in both basketball and softball.
Zane McAuley
McAuley was among the league’s top scorers in basketball as Clear Lake finished fourth in the ultra-competitive NCL I standings in 2025. He scored in double digits in a high percentage of Clear Lake’s 25 games and was the Cardinals’ go-to scorer all season.
As Clear Lake’s starting catcher in baseball, McAuley and the Cardinals played some of their best ball at season’s end, not only at the conclusion of the regular season but in the Division 4 playoffs that followed. The Cardinals won their first three postseason games, rallying from deficits with sixth-inning rallies to beat St. Helena, Berean Christian and American Canyon (a Division 2 school). In the Division 4 championship game against Las Lomas (another Division 2 school), Clear Lake fell 5-1.
Clear Lake was in line to become the first Lake County team to reach the NorCal Regionals but somehow was beaten out by a lower-ranked club.
McAuley batted .456 on the season and was among team leaders in most other offensive categories. A strong defensive catcher as well, he led the team with a .994 fielding percentage and committed just one error.
Ashlyn Wurm
Though she didn’t start for the Knights in volleyball as they captured the NCL I title with a 12-2 record, Wurm saw plenty of action off the bench for the Knights during a 17-7 season that ended with a loss to eventual section champion St. Joseph Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the Division 3 playoffs.
With the exception of a minor bump in league play when the Knights lost back-to-back matches after a 5-0 start, they came on strong to win seven straight matches.
In basketball, Kelseyville earned a share of the league championship, tying Middletown for first place after winning two tough road games against Cloverdale and Fort Bragg to close out its schedule. Wurm was a big reason why and she was the offensive catalyst for the Knights down the stretch.
Kelseyville, 12-2 in league and 17-9 overall, reached the Division 3 playoffs, losing to Fortuna in the opening round.
In softball, Kelseyville tied Clear Lake for third place in the league standings after the two rebuilding teams went 7-7 in league play. The Knights were awarded the No. 1 seed in the Division 6 playoffs and beat Ferndale in a first-round game before losing 7-5 to Willits in the semifinals.
Wurm led the team in most pitching categories, including wins, strikeouts and complete games, as well as most hitting categories, including hits, runs, doubles, triples and home runs.
Sponsor
The Lake County Adult Softball Association is sponsoring the awards that the Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year winners will receive. Winners will be named later this month.
