Senior Alexa “Lex” Stanfield is a standout at Montesano High School

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Parents: Eric and Julie Stanfield

Sports participation: Soccer and softball

G.P.A.: 3.94

Lex Stanfield is the fourth daughter in a family replete with athletes. Her parents were college athletes and all of her sisters were standout athletes at Montesano High School as well. Older sisters Samantha and Jessica are done competing in college and daughter number three, Mikayla, is currently a scholarship soccer player at Boise State University. Her dad, Eric, has taught and coached at Montesano since 1998 and has been instrumental in many Bulldog athletes’ successes.

After a stellar soccer season for the Bulldogs Lex was voted the Evergreen League MVP, and she has signed a scholarship to play soccer at Central Washington University next year. She is a thoughtful, outstanding student and a captain on Montesano’s undefeated and number-one ranked fastpitch squad.

Opponents are forced to contend with an aggressive and explosive athlete that knows what she is doing and why. Speed kills, and Stanfield has it.

Stanfield’s prodigious senior campaign came after coming back from a broken foot last year which sidelined both her and the training regimen vital to her success. With quiet confidence she persevered, and Lex is now poised to conduct her undefeated fastpitch team back to state to defend their 2025 state title.

The Daily World sat down to talk at Montesano High School.

The Daily World: You have been a standout academically and athletically, so much so that you have a scholarship to play at Central Washington University next year. What is the most difficult thing for you to maintain such a high level in both areas?

Lex Stanfield: I think mostly it is staying on top of my academics. I do not like to fall behind so I’ll force myself to sit down and get caught up. It would be easy to fall behind with the time put into sports and training.

TDW: You’re the youngest of four excellent student-athlete sisters to come through Monte. Describe what that’s been like for you.

Stanfield: Well, when you have older sisters and they’re good at what they do you can kind of follow their lead and learn how everything works. You get to see how hard work pays off and you can learn a lot by watching your sisters play. I got to see a lot. … And you’ll get some advice, too, but watching them go through stuff helped me decide what I wanted to do and how to do it.

TDW: It probably isn’t all positive, all sunshine and rainbows is it? I mean, there were three good ones in front of you.

Stanfield: I think there were definitely high expectations put on me because of my sisters, but it didn’t really bother me because I have really high expectations of myself, too. I don’t mind pressure, I’m kind of used to it.

TDW: What is your favorite academic subject, and why?

Stanfield: I’d say right now it’s English. Before I might’ve said math but because I don’t have math this year as a senior, I think English. I used to not be much of a reader but now I’m reading a lot more and it’s actually kind of relaxing. You can lose yourself in a good read.

TDW: What is the hardest thing for student-athletes nowadays to be great at both?

Stanfield: Well, I know for me it can be hard if we have away games and matches and you have to miss classes at the end of the day and then get home late, it can get hard to stay on top of things. I have a notebook or journal type thing to keep track of what I need to do.

TDW: Knowing that playing for the state championship in softball is a priority goal for you. What is another goal you want to accomplish before you graduate?

Stanfield: I’d say that keeping my grades and G.P.A. up is really important to me. It has always been a big factor to me to keep them up, especially with my sports.

TDW: Everyone has a weakness. What is something you need to work on to help your team win a state championship?

Stanfield: I would just say my mentality. If I make a mistake I can get in my own head and get down on myself and that doesn’t help my team. I’m better at picking other people up than I am at myself. My attitude affects my team and I need to always be thinking about that.

TDW: Do you have a pre-competition ritual that you do to get ready to play your best?

Stanfield: Music. Usually before every soccer game I’ll have my headphones on and listen to something upbeat. It gets me in the groove. It could be country but it’s usually based on what I’m feeling. … And I’ll always have some sort of Bulldog sweatshirt on (big smile) always.

TDW: What is your favorite food if you could only pick one?

Stanfield: Orange chicken and rice. Definitely.

TDW: What do you think is the most important thing for a player to be a great forward in soccer?

Stanfield: For me, and now I’m gonna start to sound like my dad, but in the weight room, you’ve got to have a strong core. In order to move quickly or change direction forcefully you have to keep your core tight. A strong core is everything in soccer, I think.

TDW: What is the best thing about having your dad as a teacher and coach in your school and on your teams? And then what is the worst thing?

Stanfield: I would say, you know, he’s been through it. He’s coached a lot of good kids and bad kids and I know he wants me to be the best I can be and doesn’t want me to be someone who gives a half-effort. The worst is probably that he wants me to be coached hard and I need to not take it personally. Because it’s not. He just wants the best from me.

TDW: Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

Stanfield: Thank you, you’re welcome. Go ‘Dogs!