Franklin softball star to miss graduation after ‘heartbreaking’ injury in crash
Micayla Arlotto’s last high school softball swing didn’t exactly stay in the park. Franklin softball head coach Jon Gudel described the Cal Poly commit’s fourth-inning shot as a “no-doubter.”
Despite it being the team’s second hit of the day — both off the bat of Arlotto — en route to an 11-1 loss to Tracy on May 16 which eliminated them from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, the team came together to cheer her on.
Three days later, when the entire team huddled around Arlotto at noon on a school day, the mood was not celebratory. Roughly four hours prior, Arlotto, 17, was in a serious vehicle crash on the way to school that resulted in a “traumatic brain injury and other serious complications,” according to a GoFundMe page that has raised north of $15,000 for Arlotto’s medical expenses since Sunday.
The GoFundMe page says Arlotto will require “extensive rehabilitation, specialized medical equipment and continuous care,” which led to the creation of the page.
The team stayed in the hospital’s waiting room for the next seven hours to support the senior outfielder, who Gudel described as the “heart of our team.”
“It was really heartbreaking to see Micayla in the hospital, and then to see her teammates’ reaction, it’s not something you can ever plan for as a coach,” Gudel said. “I wouldn’t say I’m the most emotional person, but seeing all my players walk up very emotional, all crying, sobbing and not really knowing what the future looked like in real time … I was very emotional. And the next day, we come back and here comes the entire team again.”
Family ‘devastated’ but hopeful
Arlotto was meant to walk the stage at Franklin’s graduation ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday at Golden 1 Center. But now that isn’t possible despite doctors telling Gudel she has made significant progress and that they are “very optimistic” about a full recovery.
Reverend Tammie Denyse, Micayla’s aunt who spoke on behalf of the family, said none of the possibilities doctors gave the family “sounded good” and said it could take weeks for Arlotto to wake up and months to regain her awareness. Denyse said the family is “devastated” by the injury — which she attributed to a “reckless” driver — and its timing, but has hope she will recover quickly and be able to attend Cal Poly in the fall.
Denyse, who recalled many intimate memories with Arlotto that included watching movies like “Hamilton” (2020), said she was grateful the Franklin senior is still alive and referenced the film in saying she will “still get to tell her story.”
“As people of faith, we do this dance between having faith and believing and trusting God and God’s perfect timing and being humans and in our humanity,” Denyse said. “The timing in our humanity, it feels like it couldn’t be worse and in the timing in our faith, we have yet to see the magnificence of what this actually will become for her life, so we have hope that Micayla will regain all of the beautiful attributes that make her such a special person.”
The reverend said the family’s faith was tested when they heard about the injury as they had anger they didn’t know where to place due to fate being out of their hands, but said they have continued to believe.
“Every step of the way, we are continuing to elevate our faith, our trust and our prayer as God restores Micayla not to who she was before the accident, because that Micayla no longer exists, but who she will be post the accident, because she has a beautiful opportunity to recreate a life even more amazing than it was on prior to the act,” Denyse said.
‘Ideal student-athlete’
Arlotto was a standout all three years on the diamond, never hitting below .381 — including a .455 batting average in her senior season that was fifth-best in the Delta League — and tallying at least 14 extra-base hits as well as 25 runs each year. The Wildcat, a Sacramento Bee All-Metro second team selection in 2024, was also a notoriously tough at bat, only striking out once in 111 plate appearances during her senior year.
Cal Poly softball head coach Jenny Condon called Arlotto a “great outfielder” who will bring both power and speed to the Mustangs in a December news release announcing her commitment. Gudel said she was the best player he has coached and among the best in the Sacramento area.
“Micayla is the ideal student-athlete. I never, ever had to worry about her. She showed up to every practice, took care of business in the classroom, was a great teammate, a great friend and was so coachable,” Gudel said. “It’s just heartbreaking to see any of our players in that situation, especially a person of Micayla’s caliber, she’s just a special person.”
Gudel said the outfielder was like an assistant coach for Franklin due to her leadership and would often throw batting practice to teammates outside of practice and set up the field before practice. When she was dealing with a “terrible” back injury during her senior year that made it extremely painful to take practice swings before the game, Arlotto refused to sit out so she could show up for her teammates, her coach said.
“It was just amazing to see how much she wanted her teammates to succeed, just as much as her,” Gudel said. “That kid is so tough and will do whatever she can, not to just get on the field, but to be there for her teammates. That’s what really meant the most for her.”
Franklin athletic director Michael Cody said her spirit continues off the field through her work as a rally director for the school’s student government and a member of Franklin Link Crew — a program that helps freshmen transition onto campus. Arlotto is also a “high-GPA” student according to Cody, and the GoFundMe page says she will begin college with 45 units achieved already.
“She is making an impact during the school day and then going out to the softball field and making another huge impact out there as well, but the great thing about her is she’s all in on being a Franklin Wildcat,” Cody said. “She’s constantly a bright spot on our campus.”
Support has been ‘beautifully overwhelming’
Cody said Arlotto has made a “huge, positive impact” on the school and has connected with many individuals on campus including her friends, teammates, teachers, staff and himself, which has led to “great” support throughout campus.
“The initial shock was pretty upsetting across the board and since then we’ve been excited to hear positive news each day, but at the same time, disappointed that she’s not part of all the great events that have gone on to wrap up her senior year,” Cody said.
Denyse said support has been so “beautifully overwhelming” that people are now taking turns visiting the hospital so everyone can rest and take care of themselves, which she called the best way to support the family. She also said she was grateful for the GoFundMe donations as it has given many people the chance to give support.
“God is showing all of us that God will provide our needs,” Denyse said. “There are people that have donated large dollars, but I love the people that give the $5 because those are the people that don’t have much, but are willing to share what they have, and those donations mean so much, because you truly get to see you know how much people love and care for her.”
Family and coach confident in recovery
Denyse said there has been a lot of trauma during Arlotto’s time in high school, including her father dying within months of a cancer diagnosis during her sophomore year. She said Arlotto had a “special connection” with her dad and said the toughness she showed during that time gives her confidence she will recover from her injury.
“His cancer diagnosis and her navigating that gave us a glimpse of Micayla’s resilience and her tenacity to rise above difficult life challenges,” Denyse said. “She had a special connection with her dad, and she carries her dad in her heart every single day.”
Gudel said despite the “long road” of recovery ahead of her, she is “incredibly tough” and is confident that she will fully recover and get back to her goal of becoming a veterinarian and playing the game she loves.
“I will never doubt Micayla. She is a phenomenal athlete and a strong minded person. She has met adversity before and succeeded, and there’s no reason to doubt that she will beat the odds and have a wonderful college career and go on to do great things,” Gudel said. “I look forward to her getting out of the hospital, seeing her continue to heal and recover and continue to achieve her dreams and goals.”
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
