Indiana High School Sports Awards show honors 400 athletes statewide

• The Indiana High School Sports Awards honored 400 athletes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
• Roncalli senior Brayden Collins, a leukemia survivor, received the Courage Award.
• Specialty awards recognized the Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, and a Trailblazer Award winner.

The Indiana High School Sports Awards, presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, honored 400 athletes Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, including Players of the Year in 16 sports, overall winners for boys athlete of the year and girls athlete of the year, and several other specialty awards.

Roncalli senior Brayden Collins capped the night with a touching speech after he was named the recipient of the Courage Award. Collins was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2024 but was able to return to the Roncalli basketball team and even played on the team as a senior, making a 3-pointer in his first appearance back on the court in January.

“After missing my whole junior year (of school), my friends surprised me at my front door to welcome me back and ride with me to school,” Collins said during his speech Monday night at the sports awards show. “It was something I’ll never forget and helped me gain the confidence to know school was going to be OK. That is my ‘why.’ It’s why I get up every single day with the determination to not let the cancer get me. It’s why I practically worked myself to death to get the opportunity (to get) back on the basketball court. It’s why I will never take another day for granted ever again. And it’s why I will be forever grateful for the path God has led me down.

“It doesn’t take a huge gesture to change someone’s life. Sometimes knowing they have your support is all it takes.”

Julie Roe Lach, executive vice president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, was the guest speaker for the show, sharing her experiences in high school athletics and how it shaped her career, which included five years as the commissioner of the Horizon League.

“The leadership lessons you learn – it’s hope, it’s community, it’s unity – and now that I’ve hired a lot of people at a lot of different levels, you know if you are hiring an athlete,” Roe Lach said at the sports awards program. “Be proud that you are a student-athlete. That means something. There’s some grit there, there’s some work ethic, there’s some determination. So, always put that high on your resume … make sure you showcase what you’ve done on the court, on the floor, in the field, because that is going to carry you so far down the road.”

Theresia Wynns was named winner of the IndyStar Trailblazer Award, which honors women’s sports administrators and athletes who paved the way for the next generation.

“The benefits that (kids) reap from being involved in high school sports are developing teamwork, developing camaraderie and developing the ability to work with people in different situations,” Wynns said. “Those are places they can move from athletics to whatever they decide to do within their world of education.”

Here are the other award winners:

Boys Athlete of the Year, presented by the Indiana Pacers – Michael White from Lawrence North High School

White, a state champion with a 47-0 record in the 190-pound weight class, also became the first wrestler from Indiana to win the Ironman meet as the nation’s top wrestler. White overcame major obstacles in his life, including six months of homelessness, to become of the most talented wrestlers in the country.

Girls Athlete of the Year, presented by the Indiana Fever – Molly Sweeney from Carmel High School

Sweeney is the daughter of Butler Hall of Fame soccer players Joy (Aschenbrener) Sweeney and Casey Sweeney but made her mark in swimming. As a senior, Sweeney won the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke, and helped Carmel win the 200-meter medley relay. As a senior, she increased her total state titles to 13, the fifth most in IHSAA history. 

Courage Award – Brayden Collins from Roncalli High School

Collins was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June of 2024, following his sophomore year of high school. He lost 55 pounds and went through many dark days, told he would be unable to play sports for nine months. Collins was able to be part of the Roncalli basketball team as a junior, but was fully involved as a senior last season. In a January game against Perry Meridian, Collins entered the game and swished a 3-pointer on his first shot. “A divine moment,” said his father, Steve Collins.

Team of the Year – Carmel boys soccer

The Greyhounds started the season unranked with only three returning starters from their 2024 sectional championship team. They finished the year with only one loss, 10 goals against and the program’s first state championship since 2006. The title was Carmel’s first title under longtime coach Shane Schmidt. 

Coach of the Year – Christina Erazmus, Roncalli girls volleyball

The Royals were dealt a devastating blow when senior setter Addie Haberthy tore her ACL a week before the season opener. Erazmus pulled up freshman defensive specialist Norah Bell and reconfigured her system accordingly, then held the team together through some early growing pains. By season’s end, Roncalli was 33-5 and back-to-back 3A state champions. 

IndyStar Trailblazer Award

Theresia Wynns had a 50-year career in education at the local, state and national levels prior to her retirement in 2021. Wynns is a native of Easley, S.C., graduating from Clear View High School in Easley before going to South Carolina State. She came to Indianapolis in 1971 and spent the next 26 years as a teacher and administrator in Indianapolis Public Schools and Warren Township Schools. Wynns officiated the state girls’ basketball championship games in 1977, 1981 and 1986. She went on to a role with the Indiana High School Athletic Association from 1997 to 2012, administering the sports of boys and girls soccer, girls basketball and girls and boys tennis. She also handled the licensing of more than 8,000 IHSAA officials. She took a position with the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2012.

IndyStar Miss Basketball, presented by the Indiana Fever – Gracyn Gilliard, Center Grove

The Stanford-bound Gilliard was voted IndyStar Miss Basketball following a sensational senior season that saw her average 26 points, 4 rebounds and three steals as she led Center Grove to an undefeated state championship. Gilliard finished with nearly 1,900 career points.

IndyStar Mr. Basketball, presented by the Indiana Pacers – Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon

Ertel, a Purdue recruit, was voted IndyStar Mr. Basketball after leading Mt. Vernon to the Class 4A state championship, including posting a triple double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Mt. Vernon’s 77-69 win over New Albany in the semistate championship. Ertel was named on 207 of 230 ballots for Mr. Basketball. He averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals as a senior. 

IndyStar Mr. Football – Myles McLaughlin, Knox

The Murray State recruit attracted national attention as a senior, setting national records for rushing yards in a single season with 4,846 yards and 71 rushing TDs. He helped 13-1 Knox to the semistate in Class 3A. McLaughlin finished his high school career with 11,839 rushing yards to rank third nationally. He also had 66 tackles and eight interceptions as a senior. 

Girls wrestling – Corabella Wesley, Hobart

Wesley won the state championship at the second sanctioned IHSAA meet in the 125-pound weight class, completing a remarkable 42-0 season. Wesley is also the 16U Folkstyle Nationals Champion.

Boys wrestling – Michael White, Lawrence North

White completed his remarkable season with a state championship in the 190-pound weight class and a sparkling 47-0 record. White will wrestle at Oklahoma State. 

Girls swimming and diving – Molly Sweeney, Carmel

Sweeney is the owner of 13 state titles. She struggled with burnout as a junior but returned to finish off her remarkable high school career with the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke titles. She also helped Carmel win the 200-meter medley relay. She adjusted her workout regiment to again become one of the nation’s top swimmers.

Boys swimming and diving – Peter Kovacs, Bloomington South

Kovacs, a sophomore, swept the sprint freestyles at the state meet, winning the 50-yard freestyle in 20.12 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle in 43.79 seconds. Those are the first two state titles for Kovacs, whose older brother David was the state champion in the IM and backstroke last year. 

Girls gymnastics – Jillian Creager, Homestead

Creager, a junior, won the uneven bars and the all-round competition at the state meet. She tied for the state championship in the bars, took third on the balance beam, tied for fourth in the floor exercise and finished fifth in the vault to accumulate 37.975 points and earn the all-around crown. Creager is the first Homestead all round winner since 2000. She also won the vault as a freshman. This is the second consecutive year Creager won the award.

Girls volleyball presented by the Indy Ignite – Bailey Sinish, Fort Wayne Carroll

Sinish, a senior outside hitter, was named Miss Volleyball and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana after leading the Chargers to a 37-0 record and Class 4A state championship. She compiled 557 kills and 219 digs, including 17 kills in the sweep of Plainfield in the state finals. Sinish concluded her career with 1,808 kills and 854 digs. She will continue her volleyball career at IU Indy. 

Girls soccer presented by the Indy Eleven – Adalyn Cameron, Carmel

Cameron closed out her high school career with a bang, scoring a school-record 40 goals for the 19-2-1 state runner-up Greyhounds. The senior striker had multiple hat tricks and a couple four-goal games, finishing her career with nearly 100 goals in 56 games played. 

Boys soccer presented by the Indy Eleven – Christian Zermeno, Guerin Catholic

The senior midfielder helped the nationally ranked Golden Eagles win their third state championship in program history this fall, netting a team-high 23 assists and 19 goals. He also aided a defense that allowed just 18 goals in 22 games. Zermeno scored six goals in six state tournament games, including two goals vs. Hanover Central at semistate. 

Girls golf – Taylor Snively, Zionsville

Snively staged a second-round comeback at this year’s state championship to repeat as individual medalist with a two-day score of 3-under 141. It’s the fourth-best 36-hole total in event history and helped Zionsville secure its second straight team title. Snively was the eighth golfer in IHSAA history to win back-to-back state championships this fall and the first to do so as a freshman and sophomore. 

Girls cross country – Libby Dowty, Indian Creek

Dowty won the state championship in cross country last fall, winning her second state championship in three years. Dowty finished with a time of 17 minutes, 10.2 seconds. She is the three-time winner of the Gatorade cross country runner of the year for Indiana. Dowty, a University of Louisville recruit, finished sixth in the 3,200 meters as a junior and second as a sophomore. Dowty is also a state champion in girls’ wrestling with a title in the 110-pound weight class. 

Boys cross country – Calvin Seitz, Springs Valley

Seitz, a junior, went head-to-head with one of the state’s top distance runners, Westview’s Noah Bontrager, dueling down the stretch to win the state meet by two-hundredths of a second with a time of 15:01.22 to Bontrager’s 15:01.24. As a freshman, Seitz took 12^th at state. Seitz was second behind Bontrager in the 3,200 meters at the state track meet this spring.

Boys tennis – Joe Garrean, Homestead

Garrean led the Spartans to a runner-up finish at the team state championship event in October. He made history a week later, becoming the first freshman in IHSAA history to win the singles state championship, doing so with back-to-back Saturday sweeps. Garrean is the second Homestead Spartan to win a singles title. 

Girls flag football – Alivia Dawson, Penn

In the first IHSAA girls flag football state championship, Penn defeated Lawrence North 35-12. In the championship game, Dawson had four interceptions and also caught a touchdown pass. Dawson caught 46 passes for 638 yards and 14 touchdowns during the season and had six interceptions on defense. She also averaged 8.0 points per game for her basketball team. 

Athletes of the year in the spring sports of baseball, softball, boys golf, girls and boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, girls tennis, boys volleyball and girls and boys track and field, will be announced by July 1.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.