Gizzi, Minch, Stapleton make AP All-State team

By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — South Bend Washington teammates RaShunda Jones, Amiyah Reynolds and Kira Reynolds helped the Panthers make a seamless transition to Class 4A this season.

After getting bumped up one class because of the IHSAA’s success factor, the 2022 Class 3A state champs responded with yet another big season. They went 27-1, won sectional and regional titles and were ranked No. 1 before losing to Lake Central in the state semifinals. And they might have done even more if Amiyah Reynolds hadn’t needed season-ending foot surgery in February.

Still, Jones and the Reynolds sisters were popular picks on this year’s Associated Press Girls All-State Team.

Jones received the most votes, barely edging Laila Hull of Zionsville. Amiyah Reynolds finished fourth in balloting from a panel of Indiana’s sports writers, broadcasters and coaches, and Kira Reynolds was sixth after a breakout season while being coached by her father, Steve.

Players are selected regardless of their grade level or in which class their school competes.

Joining Jones and Amiyah Reynolds on the first team are Hull, Mishawaka Marian senior Nevaeh Foster and Bedford North Lawrence junior Chloe Spreen. Hull was named the IndyStar Miss Basketball Award winner in March.

But the 5-foot-8 Jones won this polling battle after averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 steals last season. She is joining Katie Gearld’s Purdue program next season, breaking up South Bend Washington’s strong three-pronged attack.

Kira Reynolds, a 6-4 sophomore, will return to the Panthers next season after scoring 16.1 points, grabbing 12.0 rebounds and blocking 5.8 shots, but Amiyah Reynolds’ future has suddenly become unclear.

The 6-foot senior who averaged 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists had signed a national letter of intent to join her older sister, Mila, at Maryland. But after Mila Reynolds announced in late March she was entering the transfer portal, Amiyah Reynolds decommitted from the Terrapins and reopened her recruitment.

Neither has dropped hints about where she might land. Mila Reynolds still has three years of eligibility after appearing in 22 games with the Terrapins this season, and the sisters could find something enticing about staying in their home state, which featured two top-10 programs this season, Indiana and Notre Dame, as well as the resurgent Boilermakers.

“Right now, as a family, we’re trying to do our due diligence and find the right spot for Mila,” Steve Reynolds told The South Bend Tribune last week. “Will both of them now go to the same college, not necessarily. It’s about finding the right fit for both of them as we move forward.”

Reynolds added: “There is no timetable right now for Amiyah to return to the court. With her type of injury, you are normally talking a year to get back and she will be redshirting next season. But all is going good with her recovery from the surgery.”

Hull, a 6-1 forward who will play at North Carolina, averaged 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds during Zionsville’s 20-3 season.

Foster, a 5-9 senior, scored 25.1 points with Marian’s 22-win team. Spreen, a 5-10 junior, helped power Bedford North Lawrence to a 27-3 mark and the Class 4A state title by scoring 19.0 points. She is attending college at Western Kentucky.

Both were second-team all-state selections last year.

This year, Kira Reynolds is the only underclassmen on the second team. She was joined by Riley Makalusky of Hamilton Southeastern, Karsyn Norman, Spreen’s teammate, Saige Stahl of Columbus East and Asia Donald of Hobart.

Donald led the state with in scoring at 26.7 points per game while Stahl finished second at 26.0.

Makalusky and Norman are both Butler-bound and Stahl and Donald are both Indiana State signees.

McKenna Layden of Northwestern, Amber Tretter of two-time Class 2A state champion Forest Park and Juliann Woodard of Jennings County were joined on the third team by Cristen Carter of Ben Davis and Renna Schwieterman of Jay County.

Layden was a second-team selection last season and will join Jones at Purdue.

Tretter and Carter are headed to Miami (Ohio) while Schwieterman will play next season at Purdue Fort Wayne. Woodard is a junior.

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — These are the results of the 2023 Indiana Girls All-State teams as selected by a statewide panel of sports writers, broadcasters and coaches, with names, schools, height and scholastic class:

FIRST TEAM

RaShunda Jones, South Bend Washington, 5-8, Sr.

Laila Hull, Zionsville, 6-1, Sr.

Nevaeh Foster, Mishawaka Marian, 5-9, Sr.

Amiyah Reynolds, South Bend Washington, 6-0, Sr.

Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence, 5-10, Jr.

SECOND TEAM

Kira Reynolds, South Bend Washington, 6-3 Soph.

Riley Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern, 6-2, Sr.

Karsyn Norman, Bedford North Lawrence, 5-6, Sr.

Saige Stahl Columbus East, 6-1, Sr.

Asia Donald, Hobart, 5-9, Sr.

THIRD TEAM

McKenna Layden, Northwestern, 6-2, Sr.

Amber Tretter, Forest Park, 6-1, Sr.

Juliann Woodard, Jennings County, 6-0, Jr.

Cristen Carter, Ben Davis, 6-3, Sr.

Renna Schwieterman, Jay County, 6-0, Sr.

HIGH HONORABLE MENTION

Ava Weber, Corydon Central; Ashlynn Brooke, Pioneer; Josie Trabel, East Central; Brea Garber, Fairfield; Hailey Smith, Fishers; Reagan Wilson, Noblesville; Jordyn Poole, Fort Wayne Snider; Asiah Baxter, Warren Central; Gloria Brewer, Greencastle; Isabella Gizzi, New Palestine; Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern; Lillian Barnes, Valparaiso; Linzie Wernert, Lanesville; Faith Wiseman, Indian Creek; Jaylah Lampley, Lawrence Central; Meredith Tippner, Noblesville; Olivia Nickerson, Twin Lakes; Alli Harness, Carroll (Flora); Aniyah Bishop, Lake Central; Camryn Runner, Hamilton Heights; Bailey Parham, Tri; Carley Barrett, Lafayette Catholic; Kelsey DuBois, University; Addison Baxter, Columbia City; Layla Gold, Indianapolis Cathedral; Bailey Tabeling, Trinity Lutheran.

HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetical order)

Addison Baxter, Columbia City; Lydia Betz, Forest Park; Addison Bowsman, Twin Lakes; Trinity Britton, South Spencer; Olivia Brown, Hamilton Southeastern; Amiyah Buchanan, Evansville North; Caitlyn Campbell, Winchester; Maci Chamberlin, Blue River Valley; Destini Craig, Fort Wayne Snider; Hadley Crosier, Lanesville; Ava Couch, North Central (Indianapolis); Mya Davis, Heritage Christian; Joh’nea Donahue, Fort Wayne Snider; Taylor Double, Huntington North; Bailey Duke, Riverton Parke; Julia Economou, Penn; Kylee Edwards, Shelbyville; Aijia Elliott, Kokomo; Eva Fisher, Northridge; Riley Flinn, Harrison (West Lafayette); Lauren Foster, Indian Creek; Kennedy Fuelling, Norwell; Morgan Gawthrop, Fairfield; Avery Gordon, Brownsburg; Kendall Hale, Cannelton; Talia Harris, Fishers; Rachel Harshman, Mooresville; Kyra Hill, Goshen; Jacklynn Hosier, Alexandria; Nevaeh Jackson, Fort Wayne Northrop; Saniya Jackson, Fort Wayne Northrop; Denyha Jacobs, Warren Central; Bailey Kelham, Garrett; Ellie Kelleher, Westfield; Avery Kelley, Evansville Memorial; Lola Lampley, Lawrence Central; Maya Layton, Faith Christian; Olivia Leas, Blackford; Emily Mattingly, Evansville Memorial; Kaydence Mellot, Tippecanoe Valley; Ellery Minch, Mt. Vernon; Sophia Morrison, Eastbrook; Makaya Porter, Mishawaka Marian; Gabby Richie, Logansport; Ashlee Schram, Tipton; Payton Seay, University; Olivia Smith, Fishers; Emma Sperry, Frankton; Grace Stapleton, Eastern Hancock; Ali Stephens, Homestead; Mariah Stoltzfus, Bethany Christian; Samiyah Stout, Elkhart; Bailey Tabeling, Trinity Lutheran; Adrianne Tolen, West Lafayette; Kaleah Toomer, Ben Davis; Madison Vice, Central Noble; Lauren Walsh, Penn; Kaycie Warfel, Pendleton Heights; Whitney Warfel, Pendleton Heights; Trinity Wilburn, Faith Christian; Monica Williams, Lawrence North; Laniah Wills, Lapel; Camryn Wise, Wapahani.