One was a standout softball player. The other was one of the most decorated tennis players in school history.
Together, Teutopolis graduates Anna Probst and Malea Helmink are the 2025-2026 Effingham Daily News Female Athletes of the Year — the highest honor an athlete can earn from the publication.
Helmink, a University of Illinois-Springfield softball signee, finished the season with a .570 batting average, a .643 on-base percentage, a 1.076 slugging percentage and a 1.719 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. She put up one of the greatest seasons in Lady Shoes softball history and will forever go down as one of the best to ever play at the school. Helmink was a second-team selection on the all-state softball team following the season and was the 2026 Effingham Daily News Softball Player of the Year.
Before spring hit, though, Helmink proved herself a viable weapon on the basketball court, helping T-Town win the sectional championship for the first time since 2020.
She averaged seven points, eight rebounds and two assists per game and was named to the Effingham Daily News Girls Basketball All-Area First Team.
Probst was also honored for her skills on the hardwood. She earned second-team honors following the season.
The team’s point guard, Probst averaged 10 points, two rebounds and two assists per game, while shooting 38 percent from the floor, 34 percent from three-point range, and 81 percent from the free-throw line.
Where Probst was best was on the tennis court.
One of the most decorated players in school history, Probst finished her career as a four-time state qualifier — all in doubles.
This past season was undoubtedly her most rewarding, though, as she and now-senior Abbie Lee advanced to the semifinals of the winner’s bracket at the state tournament, something uncommon for a southern, public school to accomplish. They placed fourth as a team.
Probst finished her season with a 38-9 record.
Both individuals were asked a series of questions. Below are their responses.
Malea Helmink
Q: What will you take away from your time as a Teutopolis athlete?
A: “I will take away and never forget the hard work and determination that went along with being one. I will forever remember how hard all of my teams worked to get to where we wanted to be.”
Q: When did you first start playing softball and why do you love to play and improve at it?
A: “I have been playing softball for as long as I can remember and have never looked back. I have loved all of the people and experiences I have gained throughout this sport. Those things motivate me to be better every day.”
Q: When basketball season came around, what were your expectations? Did you think you could get this program over the hump and capture a sectional title after falling short in prior years?
A: “At the beginning of the season, all of us had the same mindset — get over the hump and win a sectional title for our last year. We all believed we could, so we worked harder and harder every day to get to that point.”
Q: What did it mean to you to play for your community, your teammates and for head coach Laurie Thompson?
A: “It means a lot that our community, all of my teammates, and Coach Thompson supported me throughout the whole season. It made me even more motivated to achieve the goal of winning a sectional title, knowing everyone was behind us.”
Q: Knowing that this was Thompson’s last season as head coach, did that make this season feel that much more special to you?
A: “We actually didn’t know this was her last year, but we did have speculation that it would be. That said, we wanted her to go out on a good note and achieve the goal we have been working toward since we stepped into a Lady Shoes uniform. Knowing it was our last year as well, we wanted to really enjoy every moment together, while also achieving the goal of a sectional title. Knowing now that our senior year was Coach Thompson’s last year, we are very proud of ourselves that we got her as far as we could.”
Q: How did you get started in basketball? When did you feel you had a shot to be good at it?
A: “I started playing basketball with the local park district league. A few years after, a couple of the dads of the girls in my grade created a travel basketball team and asked if I wanted to join, so of course I did. Ever since, I have loved basketball and everything it’s given me, from the people and experiences to learning how to work hard and achieve the goals you set for yourself.”
Q: What are you planning on majoring in college? What are you looking forward to the most about attending the University of Illinois-Springfield and continuing your athletic career there?
A: “I plan on majoring in biology with a pre-medical focus and intend to become an emergency physician. I’m looking forward to meeting new people and learning to live on my own while balancing school and life itself. I’m super excited to get to know the softball girls more and continue playing for as long as I can. The coaches and girls on the team all seemed super nice and welcoming, which makes me excited to be a part of that community.”
Q: Talk about maintaining a good work ethic in the classroom while also being an outstanding athlete and even better person?
A: “My parents told me that if I’m not getting good grades, I will be pulled out of sports, so I took that to heart from Day 1. I took school seriously and wanted to do my best on every little assignment or test. I think a strong work ethic really helped me balance school and sports throughout high school because sometimes it became a lot. I learned early, though, that time management is one of the most important skills you will need in life. I’ve also learned over the years that being a good person will take you farther in life than being a good athlete.”
Anna Probst
Q: What will you take away from your time as a Teutopolis athlete?
A: “I will take away the lasting friendships that I built over the years. I also learned many lessons, one being that hard work will get you places.”
Q: What did you love about being a part of a historic girls’ tennis team this past year? With as many times as you’d been to state, did you think you’d be able to make it that far?
A: “I loved playing with all of my friends. We’ve been playing together for a long time and it was so exciting to have a historic finish. The goal’s always to make it as far as possible in the postseason; finishing in fourth was so exciting.”
Q: When did you first start playing tennis and why do you love to play and improve at it?
A: “I think it was just the desire to play more. That’s what made me better. I started playing in third grade and haven’t stopped since. Whether it was optional practices, lessons, or just hitting around with friends, I always wanted to be at the courts.”
Q: How did you and Abbie grow as a team over the year?
A: “I feel like the more Abbie and I played together, the better connection we grew. Over time, we learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses and used those to our advantage. I would also say our communication was very strong.”
Q: When basketball season came around, what were your expectations? Did you think you could get this program over the hump and capture a sectional title after falling short in prior years?
A: “I was determined to make it as far as we could in the postseason. My teammates and I were optimistic and knew that we could work together to accomplish our goals.”
Q: What did it mean to you to play for your community, your teammates and for head coach Laurie Thompson?
A: “It meant a great deal to me to be able to play on the team. I was very grateful to have such a great community, team, and coach to support me while playing.”
Q: Knowing that this was Thompson’s last season as head coach, did that make this season feel that much more special to you?
A: “During the season, we weren’t aware that it would be Coach Thompson’s last, but looking back now, I feel honored to have played on her last team.”
Q: How did you get started in basketball? When did you feel you had a shot to be good at it?
A: “I’ve played basketball for as long as I can remember. I think I was probably five years old when I started. When I played travel ball in grade school, my teammates and I had success in different tournaments, and that’s when I had a feeling we would work well together.”
Q: What are you planning on majoring in college? What are you looking forward to the most about attending the University of Illinois?
A: “I will be majoring in biology and plan to attend medical school after graduation. I’m looking forward to getting involved on campus.”
Q: Talk about maintaining a good work ethic in the classroom while also being an outstanding athlete and even better person?
A: “I think it’s important for athletes to maintain a good work ethic not only while playing, but in everything we do. A lot of younger players look up to us, so it’s great to set a good example.”