More top marks in the state ahead of sectionals: Vote for IHSAA track and field athlete of week
Congrats to last week's winner, Mallory Weller of Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran with 40,105 votes.
This poll will celebrate the best of Central Indiana track and field throughout the 2025 season. The poll will be open until noon Friday. Cast your vote in poll at the bottom of the article.
Makena Cruse, Greenwood: Cruse broke the school record in the 800 meters on Wednesday with a time of 2:19.69. Cruse shattered the 15-year-old record by 2 seconds.
Jada Harper, New Albany: Harper, a freshman, won the Hoosier Hills Conference 100 hurdles with a time of 14.20 seconds. She also anchored New Albany's 4x100 relay team with a 48.61 seconds. Harper has the best time in the 300 hurdles in the state (42.57) and second-best in the 100 hurdles.
Emily Norris, Carmel: Norris had a big performance at the Hamilton County championships with victories in the 200 (26.06 seconds) and long jump (19-3). She also ran the second leg of the Greyhounds' 4x100 relay, which also won (47.92 seconds). Norris has the second-best mark on the long jump in the state this spring.
Amelia Smith, Guerin Catholic: The sophomore won the pole vault at the Hamilton County meet with a vault of 12-6. That is the best mark in the state this spring. Smith won the small school division of the Hoosier State Relays at the end of March with a 13-3 mark.
Carly VonDielingen, Whiteland: The junior posted the best mark in the state this spring in the discus with a mark of 153-0 at the Bloomington North Twilight Invitational. She also took second in the shot put. VonDielingen was a top-10 state finisher last year in both events. Her mark of 43-3 in the shot put is fourth-best in the state this season.
Jackson Gackenheimer, Warsaw: The junior won the Northern Lakes Conference championships in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. The 1,600 victory was a close race against Mishawaka senior Liam Bauschke (4:13.52). Gackenheimer has third-best time in the 1,600 this spring.
Darion Highbaugh, North Central: The senior broke his own personal record and won the Marion County meet with a 6-8 performance in the high jump.
Denhm Holt, North Central: The senior DePaul commit set new Marion County and school records with a 46.76 in the 400 meters at the Marion County meet on Wednesday. Holt also anchored the 4x400 relay team to a victory with a time of 3:14.66. Holt's 400 time is the second-best in state history.
Damario Moore, Lawrence North: The senior won a battle with Franklin Central's Rylan Hainje in the 300 hurdles at the Marion County meet on Wednesday. Moore's time of 36.93 seconds is the best in the state this spring and Hainje's 37.20 time is second. Both are top-10 performances all-time.
Damon Winston, Sheridan: The senior won broke school record that stood for 32 years with a 6-10 performance in the high jump in his final home meet on Wednesday. The previous record was 6-8.
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Maybe in college." How many drafts do you have saved? "1,000s. Maybe like 3,000. I make them, then I just store them in the drafts." What advice would you give your freshman self? "It'll get better. I thought as a freshman I was just so baby. Playing varsity as a freshman is intimidating, especially in the Roncalli program. Even the social aspect of high school, it'll get better. It can only go up from here. … The seniors and even the other upperclassmen, they always helped everyone feel welcome. Roncalli does a great job." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'Mormon Wives' and 'Love Island'. I love both of those." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "When they're late matches, Taco Bell. I'll get a burrito and nacho fries — if they keep them all the way around — and Baja Blast is my favorite." Hamilton Southeastern, Sr., OH College: Illinois Get to know her: Miles was a quietly steady contributor to the Royals' 2023 state championship team as a sophomore, then exploded alongside Mississippi State freshman Lindsey Mangelson at the forefront of HSE's attack last season, hitting .402 with 411 kills over 104 sets. She posted double-digit kills in 26 matches, including a season-high 21 on .410 hitting in the semistate championship match vs. Fort Wayne Carroll. Miles rounded out her season line with 28 blocks, 80 digs and 11 aces. She has 596 career kills through two-plus varsity seasons (218 sets). Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Probably me. I don't really listen to that much music, so I don't really have that creative songs. I'm not a huge music person." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "The way we talk on the court. Or the celebrations. 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Roncalli, Sr., OH College: Missouri Get to know her: A multi-sport standout, Stahley was a key front-row presence for the Royals' state champion volleyball team in the fall, then jumped into basketball season and helped Roncalli reach the state semifinals for the first time in a decade. With respect to her main sport, Stahley racked up 394 kills (.350 hit%) to move within reach of 1,000 career terminations entering 2025 (641). She hit .500 or better in 12 matches and cleared 15 kills seven times. Stahley rounded out her season line with 80 digs and 31 total blocks. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Probably me. I don't really have good music. I just sing along." What would you play if you did have control?" "Some Sexyy Red or GloRilla, and maybe some country like Megan Moroney." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "The language we have on the court, like, 'Four! Four!' or 'Bic!' I feel like they would never know what that is." 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It's definitely so challenging on that club volleyball season, but I think I'm going to stick it out my senior season. I might as well. It's good to cross-train for volleyball. It's a different speed of the game. You always have to run. It's definitely not my speed, but I enjoy it." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'We Were Liars'. It's so good. It has a big twist ending. I recommend it." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "I'm usually not super hungry after matches, but sometimes Chipotle. I get a bowl with rice, chicken, queso and lettuce." Zionsville, Sr., MH College: Louisville Get to know her: A softball pitcher growing up, Strecker picked up volleyball in seventh grade as a way to spend more time with her friends. She took to the sport immediately and has since developed into one of the state's top prospects. The highly regarded Louisville commit recorded 37 solo blocks (76 total) over 102 sets and logged 329 kills with a .454 hit%, 23 aces, 53 digs and an assist last season. She enters her senior year with 136 total blocks and 517 kills through two-plus varsity seasons. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Honestly, probably me, because I only like country music and not everybody agrees with pregame country. Josie (Imes) runs aux and everybody likes her music. She plays everything." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Good up. I don't know. I feel like, when I started playing volleyball (as a seventh grader), I was like, what does that mean? In the moment I understand it, but I feel like if other people heard it, they'd be like, what does that mean?" What's the most important position on the court? "I would say middle. I know that's really biased, but they're going back and forth, and if they're late or they're not there, they read it wrong, the other team's just gonna get a kill." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "Old for volleyball is 30, so old in general is probably 60s. Not 30s. 30s is still young, but in volleyball. It's old." What is something you cannot live without? "My sisters, Isabella and Campbell. I love them and am really close to them. We fight a lot, but they inspire me a lot every day and I wouldn't be where I am today without them." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Be yourself and be confident. Nobody else is paying as close attention to you as you think they are. I know my freshman year, I was really scared that everybody was like, 'Ooh, what's she doing? Why is she doing that?' And they were judging everything I was doing, but it's really not that deep. Just be yourself." How did you move past that? "Going into my junior year I started to look at the good of things. I don't know why I was scared so much as an underclassmen because none of the upperclassmen were looking at me and judging me. I, personally, want the best for the freshmen." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'The Summer I Turned Pretty'. It came out two years ago, but I'm really invested and I've been watching it every Wednesday." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Microwave mini-pizzas from Costco, because they're so easy to make in the air fryer." Roncalli, Sr., L College: West Virginia Why she's here: Turk shined in her first season as Roncalli's primary libero, digging out 311 shots and committing just 19 errors on 317 attempts (3.3 receptions per set). She also logged 95 assists, and 37 aces, and enters her senior season with 671 career digs. Turk cleared 22 digs in a four-set win over Center Grove and served five aces in a two-set sweep of FW Concordia Lutheran. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Probably Lydia (Stahley). She has her very — certain taste in music. And it's interesting, let's say that." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "I wouldn't say a word, but an action that we do. When we come in the huddle, we all pat each other on the back or on the butt sometimes and everyone's like, that's so weird. But it's just that team union that brings us together. Every team I've been on has done it. It brings the team together after every point." What's the most important position on the court? "Libero or a setter, just because first contact, second contact. You gotta have it to help you hitters out." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "I would say 78, but I do joke with my parents about being old, but I don't actually think they're old. They're in their early 50s." What is something you cannot live without? "Probably my sisters. They're amazing and I can go to them with anything because they're 20-21 and 19, so they've experienced these years." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Don't be scared. Just go out, do your best and don't be nervous, because that's what makes you more tense and just staying loose is what really helps." Were you pretty nervous going into your first few matches? "Yes, I was definitely nervous. Playing at the varsity level right away was a big change for me, going from three sets to five sets. I was really nervous and didn't want to make a mistake. I was the freshman. I felt like I was kind of already like, Oh, if I make a mistake, everyone's gonna be mad at me. But as the season went on, I learned to get over that and just play as loose as I could." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'Love Island'. It's so bad, but it's so good. It's awful TV, but the content is amazing because there's so much drama and I love that. And it's not my drama, so I just get to enjoy it." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Chick-Fil-A or my leftover Jimmy John's chips, because we always go there after school, especially after home games. The chips are usually the first thing I go to, but then usually I'm getting a text about Chick-Fil-A or Chipotle." Noblesville, Sr., S College: Miami (Ohio) Get to know her: A key contributor to the Millers' resurgence as a program, Brown averaged 8.4 assists over 116 sets last season (980 total), a pace which left her just shy of the career-high 1,075 assists she registered as a sophomore. The future MAC product — who is nearing 3,000 assists for her career (2,870) — cleared 40 assists in five matches as a junior, highlighted by a 47-spot vs. New Palestine. Brown also picked up 191 digs, 33 total blocks, 50 aces and 86 kills. Can you confirm the showtunes stories? "I mean, personally, I think showtunes are some of the best. Get Ash (Ashlynn Turner) in here, she would agree with me, but I'll listen to anything. But Maggie will sometimes try to be funny and play something really weird." We'll give you a chance to defend yourself against Reese. Why should you have aux? "I'm really good at taking requests. I will ask people what songs they want to hear. Personally, I try to have some fun with it. Like, I'll play songs that everyone knows. So, I don't think my showtunes come up in the locker room as often as Reese says they do. Those are kept to myself." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Cover tight or anything involving seams. People just don't understand." What's the most important position on the court? "I don't want to be biased, but I think either middle or setter. Middles are active in almost every play, so having them — well, it's hard because I feel like outside, too, because they get a lot, they get a lot of out-of-system balls that they have to fix. Then setter-wise, they should always be good leaders. They run the offense and have to make a lot of decisions, which is really important, too. I think everyone's important in some way. … Oh, and liberos. Them, too." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "Anyone born in the 80s or 90s. The 2000s, you're still kind of young. Once you get to the 90s — you're old." What is something you cannot live without? "My family and my friends — I find myself always going to them. I also have a baby blanket that I take everywhere I go, so I guess that, too, but mostly family and friends." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Don't be as nervous. I was very timid when I was a freshman. I didn't want to step up and I wanted everyone to like me coming in as a freshman, but I think that held me back. If I would have pushed to be more of a leader and pushed to be better and not be as shy as I was, I think it would have helped me overall in my four years. 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I've learned from talking to my friends that the concept of a libero with the different jersey is really weird to people." What's the most important position on the court? "Setter. They can really make or break a team. If it's a bad pass and they have the ability to fix that and get a clean set out of it, that's really important. They dictate — not how good the hitters hit, but how good of a position they are in to hit." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "I want to say 18, but my sister just turned 19 and I don't consider her old yet. So for me right now, it's probably mid-20s-ish. But I know when I get older, I'm going to say it's like 40." Eighteen was a really aggressive answer. "Yeah, because that's when you're legally an adult. But then my sister's 18 and I'm like she's not that old." What is something you cannot live without? My dogs. I love my dogs. They're like my little emotional support animals. Two golden doodles: Copper and Hazel's the younger one — she's a little crazy." What's something you wish you knew entering your freshman year? "I definitely wish I knew not to take it so seriously. Still care about it, obviously, but not every point, every match is not life or death. Have fun with it while you can before it's over." At what point did you start to realize that or is it still in progress? "I'm definitely still kind of learning that. It started to show more this year. When you're playing at such a high level, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Everyone's trying to push you and even if it comes out in a super-intense way, everyone wants the best for you. So just have fun and play hard." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "I love 'Game of Thrones'. I also just rewatched all of 'Stranger Things' before the new season comes out." If you weren't a volleyball player, what sport would you play? "Softball. I played softball up until eighth grade. I was a pitcher." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Nerds Clusters. During club tournaments, I have three bags for after each match. For high school, I'll also go to Sonic sometimes and get some mozzarella sticks or their popcorn chicken." Zionsville, Sr., OH-DS College: Alabama Get to know her: Committed to Alabama as a pin and defensive specialist, Imes is focused on consistency this fall, dedicating herself to being solid defensively along the back row and playing with a big presence at the net. She does a bit of everything for the Eagles, accumulating 425 kills on .220 hitting (888 career kills), 47 aces, 20 total blocks (eight solo), 323 digs (3.1 per set) and five assists. Imes had multiple double-doubles, including a 23-kill, 21-dig outing vs. Avon and a 19-kill, 20-dig performance vs. Hamilton Heights. What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "I"m gonna go with pancake. If I was a volleyball player and heard someone say 'pancake,' I wouldn't know what they were talking about." What's the most important position on the court? "I'd say setter. It's an underrated position, because they don't always get all the glitz and glamor, but if you have a good setter, you probably have a good team. Being on a team, especially as a hitter, with a good setter, is so important. They're the quarterback of the team. At what age do you consider someone to be old? "I'm going to go 40. No reason, just my parents are in their upper-40s and I look at them as old-ish." What is something you cannot live without? "A basic answer would be my phone, but a less basic answer is my dog. I love my dog so much. I have a German Shepherd. His name is Willie. We've had him forever. I actually got to pick him out — and we had no idea what we were getting into. He's the most mellow, sweet, chillest dog I've ever met." What's the most used app on your phone? "TikTok. I post videos and I could scroll for hours and not get bored." Have you had any videos go viral? "I don't post often on my main account, but I made a vlog when I was at Alabama camp this summer and it got over 10,000 views and 1,000 likes. That's the most viral I've gotten. … I'm just getting into the influencer stuff, but I realized as I was making that — it's a lot of work. More work than you'd think to keep up with that throughout the day. And other than volleyball, my life is not that interesting." What advice would you give your freshman self? "I would probably tell her to not limit yourself. As a freshman — I mean, I guess we are going through this right now because I'm seeing all the freshmen on their first day of school — it's really easy to get into cliques or stay with like what feels really comfortable to you, but I felt my biggest successes, my best friendships, my best volleyball systems came when I branched out and tried things that made me uncomfortable. At nationals, I had been tweaking a lot of things beforehand, but some of my best shots come from something I didn't think was going to work out or had only tried a couple times. I'd tell myself to not limit myself, to put myself out there." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "I watched 'Happy Gilmore 2' yesterday. It was a two-hour movie. I don't know if I'd recommend it. They were trying too hard to make it like the first one. But other than that, the new season of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' just came out, and I love that show with all my heart." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Probably Chipotle, a quesadilla with the chicken al pastor, and cheese, then I dip it in sour cream and the vinaigrette. If I can get there before it closes, I will, otherwise my mom will make me some sort of Mexican with beef or chicken at home." Hamilton Southeastern, Sr., MH College: Florida Atlantic Get to know her: Hailing from a basketball family, Morgan didn't start playing volleyball until her seventh-grade year and was quickly drawn in by her teammates and their love for the game and dedication. The 5-11 middle played her first full varsity season as a junior and led the Royals in blocks with 80 (15 solo) over 97 sets. She notched multiple blocks in 19 matches and rounded out her season line with 135 kills (.304 hit%), 16 digs and 11 assists. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "I want to say Madi (Miles) because she doesn't really listen to music, but I don't know. I feel like everybody has similar tastes or alright tastes." She really doesn't listen to music? "She does, but that's not her world. I honestly don't even know what her favorite song is." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Side out. People outside the volleyball world wouldn't understand what that means, but volleyball you say it every single play when you're not serving." What's the most important position on the court? "I would say middle. I'm a little bit biased to it, but being in that position you really get an eye-opening experience. You are in every single play, whether you're not touching the ball or not. Even passing, sometimes you might have to pass, sometimes you might have to set — I really like when I get to set. But yeah, I think it's really important, because you are the middle of the court and you have to work the hardest to transition, be fast, go pin-to-pin." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "35-40." What is something you cannot live without? "God. That's the most important thing in my life and outside of being a volleyball player, I am a follower of Christ and it's super important to have that intimate relationship with Him and know that I'm so much more than a volleyball player." Is prayer a part of your pregame routine? "Yes. I love to listen to worship music and go away from everybody, find my own corner, do my stretching routine and really let the Holy Spirit fill me while I'm doing that and let God take all my anxieties, my nerves, whatever happened that day, and just be able to be present for me and my team." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Outwork everyone. It's kind of hard to understand that at a young age up until you're getting into a more-talented space of volleyball. I think that I've done a really good job at that, but obviously you can always do more. But I would just say be hungry for it and outwork everyone." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'Love Island'. That's like my favorite show of all-time." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "I really like a protein shake after a match for recovery. And then honestly any type of protein or healthy snack. I'm really into meal prepping. So I like to have my lunch, dinner and breakfast, all set to the side so it's easier for me to start my day." Hamilton Heights, Sr., OH College: West Virginia Get to know her: Smith — whose interest in volleyball was sparked by her older sister, former Heights standout Kelsey Smith — led the Huskies to a sectional title as a sophomore, then built upon that success last season, totaling 450 kills on .271 hitting, 39 aces, 35 total blocks (22 solo), 244 digs and 26 assists. She scored a career-high 39 kills on .333 hitting in a five-set loss to New Castle in the sectional, one of her four appearances with 23-plus kills. The West Virginia commit has 1,253 career kills. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "From the past? (2025 grad) Kennedy Cherry. She's a song skipper." What's the most important position on the court? "Setter. 100%. They control everything, so if your setter isn't up there, you can't really do much." Second-most important? "Libero. They're the start of your entire structure. You have to have a good pass, a good set and a good hit." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "55." That's a healthy middle-of-the-road number. "Well, I didn't want to say the age my parents are, because that could come back on me. They're still young." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Just let it go. It's never as big of a deal as you make it. I used to get in my head really badly (over little mistakes) and I've learned that it's just not as bad as you think it is." How did you get over that? "It took a lot of time, especially when I started recruiting. Having to hide it more helped a lot. My coaches during my 16s year of club helped a lot. They would tell me and my teammates would help me get out of my head when I was in there." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'KPop Demon Hunters'. It's so good. And it's been super popular. … I watched it less than a week after it came out. I was on my flight home from nationals and was looking for a movie to watch on the plane. I saw that, thought it looked kind of weird and fun, so I gave it a try." So have you started listening to the music? "Oh yeah. I know all the words." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Reese's or these little watermelon gummies. I like candy." Tri-West, Jr., OPP-OH College: SMU Get to know her: Ward, who missed the start of last season with tendinitis in her rotator cuff, is fully healthy and will be moving from opposite side to outside hitter this fall, replacing Izzy Masten. That means a lot more sets for the SMU-bound standout, who played in 90 sets as a sophomore, totaling 243 kills (.255 hit%), 40 aces, 62 total blocks and 147 digs. She had double-digit kills in 10 matches (15 in a four-set win over Western Boone), and collected a season-high six blocks in a three-set sweep of Cathedral. What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Pancake." What's the most important position on the court? "The most important? Definitely the setter. Like, who's going to run the offense? No one. They're MVP." Second-most important? "An outside to terminate the ball. They can also play defense anywhere on the floor." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "35. You're definitely not young and in your days anymore — no offense." What is something you cannot live without? "Perfume. I cannot smell bad. If I smell bad, that's actually disgusting. I like KAYALI VANILLA 28, that's my favorite vanilla perfume. Today I wore Pink Sugar. So, definitely candy (perfumes)." What's one thing you wish you knew going into your freshman year? "I wish I would've known to know my place and not try to overstep. I definitely did that. And I definitely got in trouble." Overstep? "I don't know, like trying to be silly. Just do your thing, do your role. Be good." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "I watched it before, but 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes', the prequel to all the Hunger Games." What's the best new thing you've watched? "'Happy Gilmore 2'. It was so good. I liked it. People didn't like the new golf league — I don't care. It's Adam Sandler. It was good." What is the first thing you eat after a match? Maybe Doritos, I like a really good bag of chips. Or cereal: Frosted Mini Wheats, strawberry ones or Fruity Pebbles. I hate chocolate cereal. It's terrible." Danville, Sr., OH-L College: Valparaiso Get to know her: A key leadership figure for the Warriors, whose collection of returning seniors will be bolstered by an influx of underclassmen and under the direction of a new head coach, Bumgardner's versatility has proven invaluable. A defensive specialist by trade, she has set herself as an all-around threat, recording only 24 errors on 334 receptions, picked up 298 digs (3.4 per set), served up 51 aces and put down 280 kills. She also registered 11 blocks and 38 assists. Bumgardner has 478 kills and 719 digs for her career. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "We haven't picked who's controlling aux yet, but … maybe me? My version of pump-up songs — I don't listen to rap and stuff. I listen to country music and Christian music and stuff. That's what pumps me up, but nobody else. (laughs)" What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "When we celebrate and we say things like aces and dimes, I feel like people outside volleyball don't really understand that." What's the most important position on the court? "Absolutely setter. Absolutely the setter. Not to diminish any of the other positions, because hitting is hard, middle is hard, right, like opposites, back row — I've played it all except for middle. But the setter ties the whole game together. She knows the play. She knows what to run. Honestly, she probably has the most knowledge on the court. In serve-receive, if the pass isn't really great, it's like 20 feet off the net, so she's running to go get it, which gets tiring. And you're in the entire match. So I have respect for setters. But I think second would be libero." I thought you were going to go with libero. "No. Libero's fun, though." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "50. No, 40 — 46. 50 is in the middle and I feel like 'older' would be a little younger than that. 46." What is something you cannot live without? "Chocolate." Is that your post-match treat, too? "Oh yeah. I just got two big bags of Hershey nuggets and chocolate-covered pomegranates last night." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Just have fun. High school is supposed to be fun. I know there's a lot of aspects that come with high school that are really difficult and there are things we think we should stress about so early on — like freshman year, I was worried about where I was going to go to college and if I was going to play volleyball in college. I was pretty confident that I would, but not knowing yet because recruiting hadn't really started yet (was stressful). So just having fun, enjoy your time in high school and don't worry about the next step. It all falls into place." "And then faith is a big thing to me. Keeping in touch with my faith and making sure I kept that strong while also having fun and enjoying my life in a fruitful way." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "I love horror movies, so really any horror movie — I just watched 'IT 2' again for the fifth time and all the 'Conjurings'. But I also watched 'Happy Gilmore 2' and that was pretty good, but not as good as the first one. I went back and watched the first one again and it's held up." What is the first thing (or type of chocolate) you eat after a match? "Chocolate ice cream. That's the only type of ice cream I eat." Roncalli, Sr., OPP-OH College: Central Michigan Get to know her: The 6-2 Jones has become a critical presence at the net in her two seasons with the Royals, totaling 101 blocks and 284 kills over 189 sets. She accounted for 56 of those blocks as a junior last season, and rounded out her line with 145 kills, 36 aces and 62 digs. Jones had five blocks in a five-set win over Tri-West and four with zero errors in a two-set sweep of Cathedral. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Lydia. All she plays is stupid songs she dances to and I'm just like, OK." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Probably everything. (laughs) Like all the stupid cheers we have, like the ace cheers — we have a new one this year where when you get an ace, you have to come to center of the circle and we hype you up, and you have to dance. You wouldn't get it unless you've been in the community. People outside of it wouldn't understand. But that's OK." Who came up with the ace? "Lydia. Big surprise." Big day for Lydia! "Oh yeah. No surprise there. It's all out of love." What's the most important position on the court? "Setter. Props to Addy, because she's the bomb, and our other setters that we've had in the past, because if you don't have a good setter, it's hard to get a good ball. Even if you have the best outside ever, you can only do shots if the setter's not the best. Addy, I'm going to (pump her tires) a little bit, but she's everywhere and able to get a playable ball on any kind of pass she gets. That's really impressive and really important." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "70? My parents are older, so I don't want to admit that. My parents are in their 50s and I don't want to admit that that's old." What is something you cannot live without? "I have a stuffed animal I've slept with since I was born. I slept with and I haven't gotten rid of it, and I'm almost 18. It has a little bunny head and a blanket body. Her name's Lovey." How's she held up over these 18 years? "Her ears are frail, falling apart, but she's still there." What advice would you give your freshman self? "It's OK to not be the best. It's OK to not play. I didn't play a lot my freshman year at Center Grove, (but) my cheering and being funny — I'm very goofy —I think that played a big part in helping everybody relax and have a good time. Sports are supposed to be fun. It's not just a job, even though it is for a lot of people. It's fun and that's why you fell in love with it in the first place. Don't lose that." Was it easy for you to embrace that mentality, stick with the process and understand you would earn your time? "Every player has those hard stretches during their career and I definitely went through that my sophomore year (at Roncalli). I went into that slump. I was playing, but it was more like, 'Oh my gosh, it's hard.' It's hard to make yourself go to the gym. It happens to everyone. But having them (teammates and coaches) as my support system is the best thing that ever happened." How did you get yourself out of that rut? "My coaches, my teammates. I was open about it. I told them I was having a bad time with volleyball right now and can't figure out how to get out of it, and they talked me through it. We prayed together, had check-ins — they're the best." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Diet Coke. It's not a food, but I'm addicted to Diet Coke. Like, a crisp, bottled Diet Coke from the concession stand is the best treat ever. I crave it." Cathedral, Sr., OPP-OH College: Georgetown Get to know her: Lewis' junior season was cut short a week before sectionals by a stress fracture in her tibia and a stress reaction in her fibula. She's since made a full recovery and will be experimenting at a few different positions across the net for the Irish this fall. Lewis was a force in the middle last year, totaling 77 blocks (37 solo). She did this while also posting career-highs in kills (204) and aces (38). Lewis has 141 blocks and 428 kills for her career. What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Probably like calling sets and stuff. I would never say any of that in public. Like, 'give me a higher-four ball.' Never say that in public. Someone else would be like, what the heck?" Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Probably me. I never get the right vibe. I always just play what I'm feeling and then it doesn't match. But no, I have never contributed to the playlists or anything, never given song requests. Nothing. I just go with what everyone else is going with." What's the most important position on the court? "Setter. Luckily in the past, we've had setters who have been very vocal and very in-charge of the court. And it's important because they're like the middleman, so they can communicate to passers, like, hey, it needs to be higher. And they can also communicate to the hitters, telling them what they want to run. But they also are the best at taking critiques, because I'm always like higher, lower, and I always feel bad for saying it, but at the end of the day, it's making us both better." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "Everybody's young. (smiles) You're young if you want to be. Age doesn't matter. You can be young and reckless at 80. It does not matter." What is something you cannot live without? "My parents would probably say my phone, but beyond material things, probably my family. They won't live forever, but they all live close or are just a phone call away, which is always nice. My grandparents live down the street and it's nice knowing I can go there." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Injuries happen and you can't change anything about it. You can just change how you come out of it." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "An ice cream sundae. Whipped cream, chocolate sauce — gotta put all the stuff on it. Especially if you win." Franklin, Sr., OH College: Ohio Get to know her: Considered among the best players in program history, Mahin led the Grizzly Cubs to 27 wins and a second consecutive sectional championship last season. She set career-highs across the board, recording 463 kills (.340 hit%), 69 aces, 41 total blocks (10 solo), 271 digs and 22 assists. Mahin, who is also involved with 4H (she shows goats), enters her final season with 1,035 kills, 148 aces, 87 blocks, 743 digs and 27 assists. Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Probably me. I like to play country music and that doesn't play well in the locker room." What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "Probably ace, but there has to be a more funny one…" What's the most important position on the court? "Setter. You can't run an offense or a defense without a setter." What's the second-most important? "Probably hitters, but you can't do anything without a pass, so maybe libero. But you really can't do anything, even with a perfect pass, without a hitter and setter." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "Probably 70. I don't think my parents are old. I still think they're young and thriving." What is something you cannot live without? "My family. They're such supporters. They're at every match, every time I'm coming home before games, they're always there." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Be confident and stay strong. There are always challenges, but overcoming them makes you the person you are in the future." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "I'm hooked on 'Formula One: Drive to Survive'. I've watched all the seasons in like two weeks. I want to see 'F1'. I'm trying to get my friend to see it, but she doesn't want to go yet. It's so sad. I might just go alone." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "It depends. I love some oranges, but that's kind of right after the game. Granola bars are always good after, but yeah, something quick. I like to eat food right away then get a big meal after. … I'll eat on the way to dinner after the game." Hamilton Southeastern, Sr., OH College: Ball State Get to know her: Sliwa cut her teeth on JV as a freshman, then split time between JV and varsity as a sophomore. She earned a full-time varsity spot last fall and made the most of her opportunity, registering 215 kills on .291 hitting over 102 sets (2.1 per set). She had 11-plus kills in four matches, including a career-high 19 in a five-set win over Zionsville, and rounded out her line with 43 blocks and 40 digs. Was it easy to stay with the process and pay your dues, so to speak, your first two seasons? "Yeah, going into the program I knew there would not be a guarantee for varsity in any year, because everyone is so good. But I learned a lot, made a lot of friends and just had to work hard." Which teammate should be banned from aux? "Bre (Morgan) likes country music and I don't like country music, so…" What is something volleyball players say that other people wouldn't understand? "This is kind of the opposite, but I hate when people say spike. So maybe we say hit when people would say spike." Why don't you like the word 'spike'? "It just feels kind of old, like what would be on a t-shirt when I played rec when I was younger." What's the most important position on the court? "Middle blocker. Everything kind of revolves around blocking, like setting up. Or defense, libero. You can't do anything without a pass." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "32" What is something you cannot live without? "Jesus. Can't get through my life without Him. And my mom and dad." What impact have your parents played in your volleyball life? "They've both always been so supportive. Making mistakes, I know some people get in the car, and their parents dog on them, but my parents have always just been like, do your best, whatever you can do. Just work your hardest." What advice would you give your freshman self? "Leave everything better than you found it. I wish I would have started doing that: really, truly, putting my all into every single thing I did, not only on the court, but also in school, with friendships, everything." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "The new 'Superman'." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Oh, this is bad. I always go to McDonald's after games and get a Big Mac meal. A Big Mac with a large fry with sweet-and-sour sauce and a Diet Coke." How did that tradition start? "When I was younger, I played basketball and my mom — she's kind of an 'Almond Mom,' but not anymore, she's a gummy bear mom now — she would say, if you do this or you get this number of points, I'll take you to McDonald's and get you a Big Mac. I just love Big Macs." Plainfield, So., OH College: Undecided Get to know her: Widely regarded among the state's best 2028 prospects, Utterback made quite the debut last fall, finishing with 404 kills on .302 hitting, 31 aces, 35 total blocks, 242 digs and 15 assists. She notched at least 21 kills in five matches, led by a 28-kill effort (.345 hit%) in a five-set loss to Brownsburg in the sectional, and tallied 11 kill-dig double-doubles. Utterback helped her club team to a third-place finish at USA Volleyball nationals over the summer and is part of a strong returning core for the Quakers. What is your volleyball ick? "Ankle socks. They're a big no-no." What's the most important position on the court? "Setter. They run the offense, they read everything and they get us going. They're huge." At what age do you consider someone to be old? "Mid-20s" What is something you cannot live without? "My baby blanket." Why didn't you bring it with you today as your special personal item? "It's too special. I didn't want to get it dirty." What's something you wish you knew going into your freshman season? "I wish I knew not to push myself too much. I had a little injury last year — and I wouldn't say I need to let up, but just not going too far. … Once you feel something wrong, you need to know your limits and what you need to do. And recovery is a big part of that, too, making sure if it's hurting that you're icing it, putting heat on it, stuff like that." What is the best thing you've watched recently? "'Die Hard'. I'm a big fan of the second one." Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas movie? "No. I don't care if it's during Christmas. It is not a Christmas movie." What is the first thing you eat after a match? "Probably a Fairlife chocolate milk that has all the protein in it. And then usually some yogurt and berries."
Indianapolis Star
8 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
'My phone number is wide-open': Could Kyle Busch make his Indy 500 debut?
NASCAR veteran Kyle Busch has twice come close to an Indy 500 debut opportunity, and he says he'd still be interested. Busch was close to finalizing a deal with Arrow McLaren in the fall of 2022 for a ride that ultimately went to Kyle Larson. Busch: 'I'm not going to be making calls and pushing for it. If somebody calls me and says that they're ready to go ... we'll go do it.' Twice, Kyle Busch has had a major consumer-facing sponsor lined up to foot the bill for an Indianapolis 500 debut, and twice last-minute semantics have derailed his plans yards from the figurative finish line. Is he willing to pursue what remains his last remaining bucket list-type race before he hands up his helmet for the final time? 'Sure, I would do it. I would give it a go, give it whirl,' the 21-year NASCAR Cup series veteran told IndyStar last month. 'I know Kyle (Larson) ran into some terrible luck with some weather, so Mother Nature wasn't on his side, but maybe they'll be on my side. 'But my phone number is wide-open, so (teams): Call me.' Busch is among the favorites, of fans on social media since IndyStar reported that McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is targeting a 'mega,' 'unreal' candidate to pilot Arrow McLaren's fourth one-off 500 entry next year – a driver Brown and team principal Tony Kanaan hope to get in a car for a rookie oval test in the coming weeks or months before deciding whether there's a fit for both sides. 'Conversations with that are ongoing, and it would be mega,' Brown told IndyStar in Toronto. 'I think we're going to do a test first, and when we do that test, it's going to be a bit of a giveaway on who it is, because I don't think we'll be able to do a top-secret test.' In order to check the 'mega' and 'unreal' boxes, many minds have immediately gone to ex-Formula 1 aces, though several – Daniel Ricciardo and Jenson Button, both major names of the sport's last couple decades who have McLaren ties – have said publicly they have no desire to make a run at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Notably, four-time F1 champ Sebastian Vettel said previously he would entertain the idea of running the 500, and he's just 38 and has said he still would like to race after stepping away from F1 after the 2022 campaign. But beyond trying to get into Brown's head and discern just how 'mega' and 'unreal' he means, there's otherwise no indication the retired German F1 driver would be the selection. Others have called for Xfinity breakout star Connor Zilisch, who seems primed to make a leap to full-season NASCAR Cup series action in 2026, and Zilisch has said the 500 is most certainly on his to-do list, but doing so as a Cup series rookie at 19 years old would seem unwise. And for what it's worth, Brown denied to IndyStar Sunday morning that the six-time Xfinity series race-winner was his target. But Busch? He held talks with the team three years ago, not long after announcing his switch to the Chevrolet-powered Richard Childress Racing Cup team that would clear the pivotal manufacturer and team owner hurdles he'd struggled with in the past. According to Busch, in 2017, he had a deal 'signed, sealed and delivered' funded by his Cup sponsor M&Ms, and his Cup OEM Toyota had okay'd the plan to run for a Chevy-powered IndyCar team during the Month of May. 'But guess who said 'No'?' Busch asked fellow Cup veteran Denny Hamlin on an episode of the latter's 'Actions Detrimental' podcast back in May of this year, to which Hamlin answered the team owner they'd shared for the bulk of their careers: 'Joe Gibbs.' Busch nodded. 'And then I had it signed, sealed and delivered again, and then (Kyle) Larson took it,' Busch replied. As the two-time Brickyard 400 winner tells the story, he had a sponsor – believed to be Menards – that was in talks with Brown in the fall of '22, and most of the details had been settled, until the sides got to who would cover the cost of buying the brand-new car for the effort. 'I don't really think it's worth it': Why Kyle Larson may not do the Indy 500-NASCAR double 'The deal was done, and we were about ready to go to contract, and Zak Brown told the sponsor, 'Hey, I need you to buy the car.' And the sponsor was like, 'Why do I want to buy the car? I don't want to buy the car. I don't need the car. I want to sponsor the car. I'm sponsoring Kyle, and he's going to drive the car, but I don't want to buy the car,'' Busch said of the conversation. 'It wasn't two weeks later that I'm talking to this sponsor guy, and he says, 'Yeah, I guess we're too late anyways, now that the opportunity is closed because Larson got it.' 'And it was then I found out Larson signed a two-year deal, and we were only going to do a one-year deal.' It had been mid-September of that year when Busch announced his shift from JGR to RCR, and by the first week of October, Brown told reporters that someone within Arrow McLaren had been in touch with Busch about the opportunity. Three months later, Arrow McLaren announced that Larson, Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren had put together an elongated program that would see the 2021 Cup series champ slowly get up to speed over the ensuing 17 months ahead of a May 2024 Indy 500 debut. That extra 2023 Indy 500 seat at Arrow McLaren would ultimately go to Kanaan, who here made his final 500 and IndyCar start before assuming an advisory role that within 18 months would evolve into his present team principal position. In May of 2023, Busch told Fox Sports in the wake of his second Indy 500 opportunity that fell through that he was done proactively trying to make the dream happen – seemingly the same attitude the 40-year-old still holds. 'I'm not going to be making calls and pushing for it,' Busch said just over two years ago. 'If somebody calls me and says that they're ready to go, and it all lines up right, so be it. We'll go do it.'
