GREENFIELD — Madison Wise reached two career milestones last week to kick off the New Year, but the Greenfield-Central senior wasn’t quite done yet.
Wise picked up another accolade Tuesday by being named a 2017 McDonald’s All American nominee, joining seven other girls basketball players from Indiana to earn the distinction.
Wise, a 6-foot-1 guard, is ranked 45th overall in the Class of 2017 by ESPN HoopGurlz and 10th at her position. A five-star prospect, Wise was an Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Supreme All-State selection in 2015 and 2016.
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An 2017 Indiana Miss Basketball candidate, Wise signed with the Iowa State Cyclones in November after considering offers from Arkansas, Ball State, DePaul, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan State, Iowa State and Pittsburgh, among others.
Gary West Side senior Dana Evans, a five-star Louisville recruit, Fountain Central senior Macee Williams, a four-star IUPUI commit, and Homestead’s Karissa McLaughlin, a four-star Florida prospect, also were nominated for McDonald’s All American honors.
The nation’s top 24 players will be chosen at a later date to compete in the McDonald’s All American Game on March 29 at the United Center in Chicago.
“She’s a great kid, and she’s a better person than she is a player,” Greenfield-Central head coach Doug Laker said of Wise’s achievements. “She works extremely hard, and that says everything about it.”
On Jan. 5, Wise led the Class 4A Cougars to a 73-32 win against Delta while reaching 1,000 career rebounds. She currently owns the school’s career rebounding record with 1,011, which ranks her 11th on the state’s all-time list.
Wise is tied with Avon’s Heather Farrell (1988-89) and is chasing Indian Creek’s Ally Lehman (2010-13) for 10th at 1,076 rebounds.
During a loss against sixth-ranked Mason County (Kentucky) on Saturday in the Indiana-Kentucky Challenge Cup at New Castle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Wise became the Cougars’ all-time leading scorer.
She posted a game-high 23 points to surpass Ellen Hamilton’s mark of 1,885 career points set in 2002. Wise has 1,905 points with six regular-season games remaining. She is 80 points away from tying Mt. Vernon graduate and Butler freshman Sydney Shelton for Hancock County’s girls basketball scoring title at 1,985.
The 2016 Indiana Junior All-Star is contributing 23.9 points per game this season for the Cougars (11-8) and 20.7 through 92 career games. She has averaged a double-double the past four seasons with 11.0 rebounds.
On pace to score 2,000 career points, Wise would become the first girls basketball player in the county to achieve the feat and the fifth to do so with at least 1,000 rebounds.
Princeton’s Jackie Young, the 2016 Indiana Miss Basketball award winner, finished her career with 3,268 points and 1,090 rebounds. Ben Davis’ Shyra Ely, who was the 2001 Indiana Miss Basketball, had 1,218 rebounds and 2,004 career points in 2001.
In 1993, Charlestown graduate and Indiana Miss Basketball winner Abby Conklin had 1,269 career rebounds and 2,616 points. Stephanie White of Seeger, who was voted the Indiana Miss Basketball winner in 1995, posted 1,109 rebounds and 2,869 points.
Powell Signs with IU East
Mt. Vernon senior Josh Powell cemented his future and made history simultaneously last week.
The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper signed his letter of intent on Friday to continue his career at Indiana University East, while marking the men’s soccer program’s first-ever signee.
Powell was named All-Hoosier Heritage Conference, all-county and all-district in his final season at Mt. Vernon in 2016. The Marauders posted a team record of 48-20-4 during his career.
He had 16 shutouts with the Marauders and helped the team win a sectional title in 2015.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Josh’s commitment,” IU East head coach Steve Moore commented in a press release. “Goalkeeper is a crucial position, so to have a keeper of Josh’s caliber in the fold in tremendous.”
Josh is the son of Kris and David Powell.
IU East announced this past March the addition of both NAIA men’s and women’s soccer. The teams will begin competing in 2017-18.
Smith heading to Concordia
New Palestine senior Jake Smith is going to Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to continue his baseball career.
Smith, a catcher, hit .333 with 14 RBI in 19 games as a junior. He has played in 28 varsity games and is hitting .314 in his career with 16 RBI in 51 at-bats. He led the Dragons to a Hoosier Heritage Conference title in 2016 and was part of the program’s regional finalist team in 2015.
Concordia is an NAIA school and competes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
Call to the wall for Dragons
Eight student-athletes from the Class of 2016 were inducted into the New Palestine High School’s Athletic Wall of Fame this past Saturday.
• Izzy Hoyt, a four-year varsity softball player, was named ICGSA First Team All-State in 2016 and a member of the South All-Star team. A freshman at Purdue University, Hoyt is the Dragons’ career leader in home runs with 26.
• Nick Brickens was an The Associated Press All-State selection in both 2014 (Class 4A) and 2015 (5A). He is attending the University of St. Francis where he playing football for the 2016 NAIA national champions.
• Joe Izbicki was named IFCA First Team Class 4A Underclassmen All-State in 2014 and 5A All-State in 2015. He is playing football at Marian University.
• Alex Neligh, who finished runner for Indiana Mr. Football in 2015, was selected to the IFCA Top 50 players list in 2015. He was a two-time First-Team The Associated Press and IFCA All-State selection in 2014 and 2015. Neligh is playing football at the University of Indianapolis.
• Andrew Yazel was named first-team All-State in 2015 by the The Associated Press and IFCA. The offensive lineman is playing at St. Joseph’s College.
• Cameron Diep, a four-year wrestler and regional champion in 2015, was an eighth-place finisher at 106 pounds during the State Finals in 2014. He finished his career with a 106-9 record. He is wrestling at Lindwood University.
• Jared Timberman placed eighth at the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals in 2016 at 145 pounds. A two-time regional runner-up, Timberman was a 132-pound sectional champion in 2015. His career record was 132-34.
• Chad Red finished his career a perfect 183-0 with 133 victories by pin. He won four consecutive state titles at 106, 120, 126 and 132 pounds to become only the third undefeated four-time state champion in state history. He is wrestling at the University of Nebraska.
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2017 McDonald’s All American nominees
Girls: Madison Wise, Greenfield-Central; Dana Evans, Gary West Side; Karissa McLaughlin, Homestead; Rachel McLimore, Zionsville; Aly Reiff, Whitko; Daly Sullivan, South Bend St. Joseph’s; Mason VanHouten, Fort Wayne Canterbury; Macee Williams, Fountain Central.
Boys: Brian Bowen, La Lumiere; Isaiah Coleman-Lands, La Lumiere; Jacob Epperson, La Lumiere; Jaren Jackson Jr., La Lumiere; Cooper Neese, Cloverdale; Jordan Poole, La Lumiere; Marcus Smith, Horizon Christian; Isiah Stokes, La Lumiere; Kris Wilkes, North Central; Malik Williams, Fort Wayne Snider.
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Royals to induct trio into hall of fame
This Saturday the Eastern Hancock Athletic Boosters will induct four new members into the Eastern Hancock Athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the home boys varsity basketball game against Union County at 7:30 p.m.
• David Dunbar earned four varsity letters in both tennis and wrestling. He was part of three consecutive sectional champion wrestling teams and a three-time regional qualifier. Dunbar was a sectional champion his junior and senior years.
He finished runner-up at regional and semistate to earn a trip to the 1982 state finals his senior year.
• Joe Havlin, along with Dunbar, were the first wrestlers from Eastern Hancock and the Big Blue River Conference to advance to the state finals. He earned four varsity letters in wrestling and two in football.
A 1982 graduate, Havlin was a three-time sectional champion, three-time conference winner and won two regional titles. He wrestled at the state finals as a senior.
• Lexi Vincz is a 2009 Eastern Hancock graduate and competed in track, cross-country and swimming. She remains the school record-holder in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Vincz was a two-time Hancock County champion in the 100 hurdles and four-time champion in the 300 hurdles.
She was a four-year regional qualifier in the 300 hurdles and advanced to the State Finals as a senior. She placed 10th in the state before attending Hanover College where set six school records, five of which she still holds.
• Jeremy Wisehart graduated in 2000. He is the school record holder for tackles in a single game with 30, in a single season with 211, and in a career with 544.
He was named honorable mention All-State as a sophomore and was first team All-State as a junior and senior. He was selected All-White River Conference and all-county three times.
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