The Gold Standard

When Margo Leiter scans high school softball results in The Herald, her excitement surges.

She often reads about the latest achievements of gifted fastpitch players like Jordan Birch of Monroe, Cory Mattson of Everett and Ashley Todd of Jackson.

Why is Leiter so happy? It’s because she gets to coach a dazzling array of local standouts that dominate local sports pages and essentially represent a softball dream team.

As head coach of the Lake Stevens-based Lake Breeze Gold select squad, Leiter guides an impressive collection of talented athletes who star in the spring for their prep teams. The rest of the year, they unite to take on the nation’s top competitors at prestigious tournaments around the country.

Leiter’s current Lake Breeze team, which features sophomores, juniors and seniors, includes 10 players from the Western and Cascade Conferences (see graphic). Leiter, who started the Lake Breeze program in 1997, said it’s the finest collection of talent she’s ever assembled: “This is probably by far the best full team I’ve ever had.”

That’s quite a statement coming from Leiter, a longtime high school coach at Lake Stevens who resigned in 2003 so she could watch her two daughters play college softball. Dozens of Leiter’s Lake Breeze alums have gone on to compete in college, including current standouts like Gina Carbonatto (Lake Stevens, University of the Pacific), Amy Hudson (Everett, Central Michigan) and Christie Robinson (South Whidbey, UNLV).

All three seniors on Leiter’s current Lake Breeze squad accepted scholarships to play in college. Marysville-Pilchuck utility player Miranda Rosebrook and Jackson second baseman/outfielder Jenna Mohrweis signed with Western Washington, and non-local pitcher Britt Howell of Concrete is headed to East Carolina.

Lake Breeze also features three outstanding junior pitchers – Birch, Mattson and Cedarcrest’s Hillary Barker – who will likely be able to pick from a barrage of scholarship offers. Combined with Howell, the junior trio gives Lake Breeze a potent pitching attack that might be the team’s No. 1 strength.

“This is our strongest year of pitching,” Mohrweis said. “We have four amazing pitchers that bring different aspects. We know we can count on them.”

“You can really trust them,” said Rosebrook, “because they’re good at hitting their locations.”

During the high school season, Lake Breeze teammates become adversaries and pass on insider information to their prep peers. It creates an interesting juggling act.

“We want the best for each other,” Mohrweis said, “but we also want to get a hit off them.”

“I guess we’re kind of the source for our high school team to tell them the secrets,” noted Rosebrook.

Head-to-head competition is intense but fun, they said. When Lake Breeze reunites, which happens for practice a few Sundays per month, there are no hard feelings. In fact, the current group of select stars enjoys a bond that belies its relatively brief time together. Their last tourney was in January and the next one isn’t until June.

“Out of all the years I’ve been on the team, this year seems more special than the past years just ‘cause all the girls have meshed together really well,” Rosebrook said. “We haven’t all really known each other that long but it seems like we’ve been playing together multiple years.”

Sometimes all-star teams sputter. Egos get in the way and players who are used to getting all the attention don’t accept a supporting role. But this group avoids such drama.

“It’s really fun playing with everyone,” Mohrweis said, “because no one’s really a standout and we all just kind of come together.”

Leiter, who guided Lake Breeze to the national championships last year, said she once considered getting into college coaching, and she still maintains connections with many coaches at that level. But she simply has a blast refining the skills of prep players and watching Lake Breeze alums enjoy success after high school.

“It’s been really neat watching the kids develop and grow and just have really great experiences,” she said.

So what attracts so many talented athletes to Lake Breeze? The key, Rosebrook and Mohrweis agreed, is the coach. Leiter creates a competitive, rewarding atmosphere, they said. She requires maximum effort but she’s also extremely encouraging, added Mohrweis.

In short, Leiter effectively molds a cast of stellar individuals into a fun-loving dream team.

“There are (select) teams out there that are good,” Rosebrook said, “but you can see that they’re not having fun together. But you can totally see that we have fun when we play.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Jackson High School's Kyle Peacocke hands the 2023 WIAA class 4A softball championship trophy to the team after their win in Richland, Wash., on Sat., May 27. (TJ Mullinax/for The Herald)
Prep state tournaments set to begin this week

Here’s a look at where local teams will open tournament play.

Snohomish sophomore Deyton Wheat (22) celebrates his go-ahead, three-run home run with senior Brayden Holscher (11) during the Panthers' 4-2 win against Monroe in a District 1 3A consolation game in Woodinville, Washington on May 17, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Brea Bursch / Snohomish Baseball)
Snohomish, Shorewood earn state baseball tourney berths

Panthers top Monroe 4-2, Stormrays blank Edmonds-Woodway 7-0 in District 1 3A consolation.

The Shorewood boys soccer team celebrates with their trophy after winning the District 1 3A title on May 17, 2025 at Shoreline Stadium. (Qasim Ali / The Herald)
Shorewood boys soccer storms to district three-peat

An early penalty lifts the Stormrays to a 1-0 win over Monroe in the title game.

File Photo: Stanwood senior Gavin Gehrman delivers a pitch during the Spartans' 8-3 win against Arlington in Stanwood, Washington on March 19, 2025. In Stanwood's 7-4 loss to Mount Vernon in the District 1 3A Championship on May 17, 2025, Gehrman went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Stanwood baseball slips in District 1 3A Championship

The Spartans’ early 3-0 lead crumbles as Mount Vernon wins 7-4 in comeback.

Weekend prep baseball roundup for May 16-17

Reese Logsdon leads Archbishop Murphy to state.

Weekend prep boys soccer roundup for May 16-17

Warriors, Wildcats, Scots advance to state.

Jackson’s Matea Lopez and Allie Thomsen leap in the air and high five during the 4A District 1 game against Lake Stevens on Friday, May 16, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Weekend prep softball roundup for May 16-17

Jackson takes third in bi-district tournament.

Weekend prep track and field roundup for May 15-17

Weekend prep track & field roundup for May 15-17: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers:… Continue reading

Scottie Scheffler celebrates with his caddie, Ted Scott, on the 18th green after winning the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on Sunday, May 18, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images / Tribune News Services)
Scottie Scheffler digs deep, dominates PGA Championship

The coronation of Scottie Scheffler had taken an unexpected detour,… Continue reading

Stanwood players cheer as pitcher Addi Anderson lifts the 3A District 1 Championship trophy in the air after beating Sedro-Woolley for the title on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Stanwood softball ekes out District 1 3A title

The Spartans defeat top seed Sedro-Woolley 2-1 in 10 innings thanks to Addi Anderson’s gem.

Snohomish’s Abby Edwards yells after beating Edmonds-Woodway in the 3A District 1 consolation game on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish softball punches state tournament ticket

The Panthers stay hot after slow start to season with 12-2 win against Edmonds-Woodway.

Lake Stevens shortstop Aspen Alexander nearly makes a sliding play in the field during a playoff loss to Bothell on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Prep baseball roundup for Thursday, May 15

Lake Stevens clinches first state berth in eight years.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.