Sunday's Indiana High School Sports Awards show honored more than 300 athletes statewide

Indianapolis Star

28-04-2025

The Indiana High School Sports Awards, Presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, were Sunday night at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University.
More than 300 athletes were honored, including the Players of the Year in 15 sports and the state's overall winners for boys athlete of the year, girls athlete of the year, boys team of the year, girls team of the year, coach of the year, courage award and USA Today Studio IX Trailblazer Award.
Indiana Mr. Basketball was also named live at the show.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White was the guest speaker.
Here's a list of all the award winners:
Boys Athlete of the Year, Presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever – JonAnthony Hall from Fishers High School
A three-sport standout, Hall finished runner-up in the Mr. Football voting, helped Fishers basketball to back-to-back state finals appearances, winning as a junior, and led the Tigers to a track and field team state championship last spring with his second-place finish in the long jump. He will play football next fall at Stanford.
Girls Athlete of the Year, Presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever – Meredith Tippner, Noblesville High School
Tippner was Indiana Miss Soccer and finished third in voting for Miss Basketball. She was key to Noblesville girls soccer's three-peat this fall and was part of the Millers' girls basketball state championship as a freshman. She posted a 155-25-6 cumulative record between the two sports and finished her career as the school's second-leading all-time scorer in basketball.
Courage Award, Presented by the U.S. Army – Addison Davis, Danville Community High School
Davis is a two-sport athlete boasting a 3.8 GPA who will graduate with her cosmetology and medical assisting licenses this spring. The Danville senior balanced all those responsibilities while also taking care of her mom, Carrie, who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in late 2022. Addison drove her mom to the hospital at least twice a week, sitting with her during chemo while her brother and sister worked their full-time jobs. Carrie died in February, days after Danville won its second consecutive sectional championship.
Boys Team of the Year, Presented by the Indianapolis Colts, Decatur Central football
The third time was the charm for Decatur Central football, making its third state finals appearance in six years, the Hawks broke through this fall winning the program's first state championship with a 38-24 win over Warsaw in the Class 5A title game. The Hawks finished the season on a 10-game win streak and were led by standouts Kasmir Hicks, Bo Polston, Fa'Rel Carter, Brayden Smit, Mykul Campbell and more.
Girls Team of the Year, Presented by the Indianapolis Colts, Noblesville soccer
The Millers won their third straight state championship and fifth title in six years with a 3-1 win over Center Grove in the Class 3A state final. Noblesville finished 19-0-2, was ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps and has won an IHSAA record 21 straight tournament games.
Coach of the Year – John Hart, Brownsburg High School
Hart guided Brownsburg to its first state football finals appearance in 39 years and capped it off with a 22-17 win over Westfield in the Class 6A championship game. That title run included a 28-point second-half comeback in the sectional final, a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 13 seconds left to beat No. 1 Lawrence North, and a last-second interception in semistate to seal a win vs. Center Grove. Hart, who won state titles at Evansville Reitz and Warren Central in the early 2000s, finally broke through with the Bulldogs after years of tournament heartbreak.
USA TODAY Studio IX Trailblazer Award – Judi Warren
The state's first Miss Basketball winner, Warren helped lead Warsaw to an undefeated season and the first IHSAA girls basketball state championship in 1976. '(Warren) perhaps did more for the game than anybody could have done,' said Pat Roy, former director of girls athletics for the IHSAA. Warren, who went on to play at Franklin College and then coach at multiple schools, leading Carmel to a state runner-up finish in 1995.
Indystar Mr. Basketball, Presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever – Braylon Mullins, Greenfield-Central
Mullins, a UConn commit, was named a McDonald's All American and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana as he averaged nearly 33 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game for a team that was a double overtime loss away from a sectional title. Mullins set program records for career points, season points and single-game points, and the Cougars went 68-7 over his sophomore, junior and senior seasons combined.
Indystar Miss Basketball, Presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever – Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern
Makalusky averaged 22.1 points and 6.8 rebounds to lead Hamilton Southeastern to its first sectional and regional championships since 2019. An Indiana University signee, Makalusky finished her high school career with a school record 1,933 points and was named the Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year.
Indystar Mr. Football, Presented by the Indianapolis Colts – Mark Zackery IV, Ben Davis
A two-way threat and Notre Dame recruit, Zackery finished his high school career with nearly 2,000 receiving yards on offense and 14 interceptions on defense. As a junior, he helped the Giants to the Class 6A state title.
Girls wrestling – Julianna Ocampo, New Haven
Despite girls wrestling being IHSAA sanctioned for the first time this season, Ocampo continued to wrestle against the boys and was ranked No. 1 at 106 pounds, won sectional and regional titles and qualified for the state meet for the second year in a row, finishing with a 47-2 record as a senior.
Boys wrestling – Noah Weaver, Rossville
Weaver won a second-straight state title in a final match that lasted just 1 minute 55 seconds. He had a combined record of 103-1 during his junior and senior years and was awarded the Mental Attitude Award. The No. 1 ranked 215-pounder in this recruiting class will wrestle at Purdue.
Girls swimming & diving – Alex Shackell, Carmel
Shackell won gold and silver medals as part of Team USA's relay teams at the Paris Olympics, swimming in the prelims. She was a part of a world-record setting relay team at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest and completed her IHSAA career sweep in the butterfly helping Carmel extend its record state title streak to 39.
Boys swimming & diving – Grant Cates, Oak Hill
Cates placed third as a sophomore and junior, but as a senior shattered the 1-meter diving record at the IHSAA state meet, a record set in 2001. An SMU recruit, Cates garnered a standing ovation after his record-clinching dive.
Girls gymnastics – Jillian Creager, Homestead
Creager won the all-around at this year's IHSAA state meet. She shared top spot on the uneven bars, placed third on the balance beam and added top-5 finishes in the vault and floor exercise to become Homestead's first all-around champion in 25 years.
Girls volleyball – Charlotte Vinson, Yorktown
Last May, Vinson was on life support after she went septic and her organs began shutting down. After her recovery, the Indiana University recruit and MaxPreps All-American returned to lead Yorktown back to the state finals this fall.
Girls soccer – Meredith Tippner, Noblesville
A three-time state champion, Tippner scored a career-best 24 goals this season leading the 2024 Millers to their third unbeaten finish in program history (19-0-2). A University of Miami basketball commit, she accounted for six of her career-high 16 assists during Noblesville's seven postseason games.
Boys soccer – Cal Kurzawa, Cathedral
Kurzawa scored a career-high 28 goals and added 12 assists, leading the Irish to a 14-4-2 record this season. He was named Indiana Mr. Soccer by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association, finished his career among the school's all-time leading scorers with 76 career goals.
Girls golf – Taylor Snively, Zionsville
Only a freshman, Snively claimed the individual title with a two-round total of 144, winning the state championship by two strokes. Snively is only the third freshman in the 52-year history of the IHSAA finals to claim individual honors.
Girls cross country – Mallory Weller, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran
Weller won the girls cross country IHSAA state meet with a time of 17 minutes, 12.19 seconds, helping Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran to a second-place team finish – then she celebrated with tickets to the Taylor Swift concert.
Boys cross country – Sam Quagliaroli, Fishers
After finishing third as a junior, Quagliaroli returned as a senior and set a course record for an Indiana high school runner on his way to winning the cross-country state championship. An Indiana University recruit who went undefeated vs. in-state runners this season, was also named the Mental Attitude Award winner.
Boys tennis – Hank Lin, Columbus North
Lin capped an undefeated 27-0 senior season with the IHSAA boys singles state championship, the first in school history. She had a 74-2 career record as Columbus North's number one singles player. And both of those losses came against the state champions in 2022 and 2023.
Portillo's Halftime Show, Presented by Portillo's
Best Band Fan Favorite – Orleans Junior Senior High School
Best Mascot Fan Favorite – Orleans Junior Senior High School