Latest news with #Class3A
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Andrean's Charlie Sollars loves ‘that adrenaline rush.' Just wait until the state championship game.
If the Class 3A state championship game is on the line on Friday, Andrean senior outfielder Charlie Sollars wants to be the one at the plate. The Lincoln Trail commit doesn't shy away from those high-pressure moments. He embraces them. 'I just love to compete,' Sollars said. 'That pressure you have sometimes when the bases are loaded and there's a 3-2 count … I love the feeling of that adrenaline rush.' Sollars could get his chance when the 59ers (30-3), who are ranked No. 1 in the 3A state coaches poll, play No. 7 Jasper (28-6) at Victory Field in Indianapolis at 7 p.m. Friday. They will try to win their ninth state title and first since 2022. Although Sollars pitched earlier this season, he has made most of his impact with his bat. He's hitting .357 with six doubles, one home run, a team-high 36 RBIs, 38 runs scored and 12 steals. Sollars was in the cleanup spot during Andrean's 4-0 win over NorthWood in the LaPorte Semistate championship game on Saturday. 'He's been a consistent offensive player the whole year,' Andrean coach Dave Pishkur said. 'He's a competitor, and he likes the moment, whatever that moment may be.' Sollars has had plenty of moments like that during his high school career, which included time as an outside linebacker on Andrean's football team. He had 71 tackles and two interceptions for the 2A semistate runner-up last season. Pishkur said Sollars sometimes approaches baseball like he's on a football field. 'You'd expect him, being a linebacker, to take some of that mentality onto the baseball field,' Pishkur said. 'He doesn't do it in baseball because it's a different sport, but in football he's a talker. If he makes a tackle, he might say something to you as well.' Sollars noted that he doesn't have as many opportunities to talk like that because he's in the outfield for half of the game. 'Football's a much more emotional sport,' he said. 'Baseball is more of a mental battle, so you try to keep your emotions to a minimum.' It can be a different story during practices, however. Sollars takes advantage of opportunities to be heard by his teammates. 'Any way to create competition in practice is a good thing,' he said. Andrean senior catcher Blake Kouder said Sollars has a knack for making practices feel like game situations. 'He can get on your nerves for sure,' Kouder said with a laugh. 'There's no harm intended with it, but sometimes during practices it can be hard to find that competition, so he just implements it himself.' Sollars implemented that in the weight room during the offseason too. 'It's more about flexibility rather than just heavy lifting,' he said. 'Instead of getting on the bench press and trying to lift as much as you can, it's about explosive movements and power, moving the weights as fast as I can to build up the smaller, faster-twitch muscles for baseball.' Kouder said Sollars savors any chance to compete. 'It just comes with his personality,' Kouder said. 'He's not a guy who's going to stand down to anybody. He's just competing with the guy on the mound, and he's not going to let them beat him.'
Indianapolis Star
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Noblesville's Meredith Tippner repeats as Gatorade Indiana Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Meredith Tippner added one last accolade to her high school resume this week, garnering Gatorade Indiana Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors for a second straight season. The Noblesville senior forward led the Millers to a 19-0-2 record and a third consecutive Class 3A state championship last fall, scoring 24 goals and 16 assists. 12 of her goals were game-winners and she assisted on all three goals in the state final vs. Center Grove. She went 24-1 in state tournament games with with four sectional titles and three state championships. Gatorade Player of the Year honors the nation's best high school athletes for their success on the court, in the classroom and in the community, and distinguishes Tippner as the state's best high school girls soccer player. IndyStar ALL-USA Central Indiana POY: Meredith Tippner Noblesville honors assistant's memory: 'If you were coached by him, you knew what love was.' 'Her athleticism is off the charts,' Hamilton Southeastern coach Greg Davidson said of the two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American and 2024-25 Indiana Miss Soccer. 'She can singlehandedly take over a game. Her mental toughness is key and helps her teammates believe in themselves.' Tippner has maintained a 4.34 weighted GPA in the classroom and has volunteered locally with the White River Food Pantry. She has also donated her time with the Humane Society of Hamilton County. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport. Recent Indiana recipients include Noblesville's Ava Bramblett (2022-23) and Homestead's Amelia White (2021-22). As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cypress Bay's Tyler Johnson is the Broward County Boys' Volleyball Player of the Year
Tyler Johnson embraced the underdog mentality during his time playing for the Weston Cypress Bay boys' volleyball team. During his high school career there, Johnson, a 6-foot, 3-inch outside hitter, has never been part of the tallest or deepest roster in the state or even Broward County. And yet Johnson and the Lightning have consistently remained among the best. 'Since sophomore year, it's been an honor to be part of such a great program. We've had two great coaches during my time here, who have built a great culture there,' Johnson said. 'The mentality we had. We were understaffed compared to other teams we played, but we didn't let it stop us.' Johnson is taking that approach to his next step - playing collegiate volleyball at Brigham Young University. And he'll head there after finishing a stellar senior season and earning his second consecutive Miami Herald Broward County Boys' Volleyball Player of the Year honor. Johnson finished the season with 302 kills, 147 digs and 52 blocks. His efforts helped Cypress Bay advance to the Class 3A regional semifinals before losing in four sets to Miami Columbus. The Lightning went 19-7 and navigated through a tough schedule in Class 3A, which was considered the toughest of the three classes this season after the state expanded to a three-class format. Cypress Bay lost only once to a team from Broward and beat several of the top teams in the state along the way. 'We took a lot of younger kids on the team this year and helped them fall in love with volleyball and really embrace the sport,' said Johnson, who also played a lot at the setter position during his career. Johnson, who has played on Team Florida on the boys' national select team in recent years, will join one of the country's top-notch programs at BYU. He plans to take the most he can from the lessons he learned while helping the Lightning evolve into one of Broward's best teams over the past four years. 'I think I have to have that mentality (in college),' Johnson said. 'I'm a little undersized and gonna be among a bunch of giants so I have to have that mentality when I go over there.'
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Lincoln-Way East's Ellie Feigl is the 2025 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year: ‘Most special for me.'
Ellie Feigl entered her final season for Lincoln-Way East this spring with something to prove. The senior forward was a four-year varsity regular for the Griffins who made an immediate impact as a freshman. Then as a sophomore in 2023, she tied for the team-lead in goals with 17 as Lincoln-Way East finished fourth in Class 3A. Last spring, however, her production dipped. She ended up with 11 goals and the Griffins were shut down 1-0 by district rival Lincoln-Way Central in the sectional semifinals. That left a bitter taste in Feigl's mouth. 'Last season, I had set some goals for myself that I didn't quite meet,' she said. 'Coming into this season, it was my last hurrah for high school soccer. I wanted to give it all I had and leave everything out there. 'There was, for sure, motivation for me to come back that much stronger, faster than I did last year. I think I did that, and I'm happy to end my high school career on a high note.' Feigl, a Missouri State recruit, hit all of those high notes. The 2025 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year scored 22 goals and dished out nine assists while leading the Griffins (18-4-1) to their second sectional championship in the last three years. It took eventual Class 3A state champion O'Fallon to knock out Lincoln-Way East with a 3-0 decision in the Bloomington Supersectional. 'It didn't end exactly the way we wanted it to,' Feigl said. 'We would have loved to go to state. But we had a really special ride and a really special group of girls. 'I think what made it the most special for me was just being a leader, being a team captain. That's something I've wanted to do since I was a freshman, and I'm thankful that my coaches and my teammates believed in me.' Lincoln-Way East coach Mike Murphy said there was 'no doubt' about Feigl being a captain. 'She always has a positive attitude and she's always friendly,' Murphy said. 'The nice thing was we had a lot of young players and she took them under her wing and tried to help them develop and also taught them about what's expected in our program. She did a great job with that.' Freshman midfielder Adelyn Thomas, who tied for the team lead with 22 goals, said Feigl provided invaluable help. 'Playing with Ellie has been amazing,' Thomas said. 'She's a great player. She's taught me about Lincoln-Way East soccer. Everyone on our team looks up to her.' One of those young players Feigl tried to mentor was her sister, Ava, a sophomore defender who was a starter for the Griffins. Their youngest sister, Mia, also plays soccer. 'Soccer has brought my family closer together,' Feigl said. 'It's awesome. It's really cool for me to be the oldest and just watch them grow. I've seen them both accomplish so many things already and I can't wait to see what the future holds for them. 'Being a good role model to them is something that has meant a lot to me.' In the process, Feigl was named the SouthWest Suburban Conference's player of the year and earned all-Midwest and all-state honors. She's now off to play Division I soccer, something she first set as a goal when she was in 'fifth or sixth grade.' 'It became more real in eighth grade and freshman year when that recruiting process kind of started,' Feigl said. 'It's been a dream of mine for so long and I'm so excited to step into this new chapter of life.' Feigl is leaving quite a legacy at Lincoln-Way East. Her 57 career goals rank second in program history. And especially this season, they were well-earned. 'Not only was she scoring goals, she was scoring against elite teams,' Murphy said. 'In past seasons, she might have had a couple hat tricks against weaker teams that inflated her numbers. 'This year, she scored the first goal against Lincoln-Way Central to lead us to the sectional championship. She scored against Naperville North, scored against Naperville Central, scored against Oswego, and you can keep going.' Feigl, though, hopes to be remembered at Lincoln-Way East for more than just the big goals. 'I hope they'll say I was a great person, a great friend, a great encourager and someone that motivated our team,' she said. 'I'm so thankful I was able to make the impact that I have, especially this year.'
Chicago Tribune
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Hanover Central's Rebecca Ferguson shines in the spotlight in the 3A state final: ‘She knew she could do it'
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana — In the moment Saturday night, Hanover Central's Rebecca Ferguson knew she wasn't alone. The junior second baseman stepped to the plate with two outs and two teammates in scoring position in the seventh inning of the Class 3A state championship game. Top-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral had a three-run lead. 'There was a lot of pressure,' Ferguson said. 'But I had my teammates and my family, and everyone who came out was there to support me.' Ferguson came through, hitting a two-run single to give the Wildcats hope, but Cathedral pulled out a 5-4 win at Purdue's Bittinger Stadium. 'Everyone fought to the end and gave it everything they had,' Ferguson said. 'I don't think one person wasn't ready every second.' Ferguson, who entered the game hitting .324 with 15 RBIs, certainly seemed ready when it mattered most. 'Big hit,' Hanover Central coach Sam Antkiewicz said. 'Everyone on our team has had key hits throughout the year. She was right there battling, and she was able to get a barrel on it and put that ball over the second baseman's head. 'That's just a testament to her, knowing what to do, the softball IQ, and looking for a pitch she could handle and put the ball in play. She put the ball in play, and good things happen.' In the seventh, Hanover Central junior center fielder Adeline McMahon and junior designated player Kaden Poppe walked with one out and advanced on a wild pitch before Ferguson's hit. 'That was great,' Hanover Central junior catcher Sienna Stilley said. 'You could tell by the way she was just looking to attack, and that's exactly what she did. She had so much confidence in herself, and she knew she could do it. 'She got so much energy from the dugout because we were telling her, 'You got it,' and she did. I'm very, very happy for her.' Stilley crushed a two-run homer to left-center to give the Wildcats (18-3) the lead in the third inning against Cathedral (29-2), which was ranked No. 1 in the final state coaches poll and won its first championship. 'It was electric,' Stilley said. 'That's the only word for it. You look up from running the bases and you see your entire fan base standing there and cheering you on. That's one of the best feelings I've ever had in my entire life. 'We worked really, really hard. It just goes to show that no matter what your record looks like, you can't count us out. It just goes to show how much we care and how much we love it. We stuck together.' Cathedral scored four runs in the fourth against freshman pitcher Jillian DeYoung, who continued to excel in the circle and also had one of the Wildcats' four hits, and added a run in the fifth. Sophomore left fielder Nora Edgerton also had a hit for Hanover Central. 'You can't ask for anything more,' Antkiewicz said. 'Obviously, we'd like to be in the opposite position where we're up a couple of runs going into that last inning. But we're down, and credit to our girls, they didn't give up, they kept chipping away, kept getting girls on base. 'Then the next thing you know, we have the tying run up to the plate, and that's what I told them all along — just hang in there, just hang in there. When you're within three runs, you're within striking distance.' Antkiewicz came away impressed. 'I can't be prouder of this group,' he said. 'I'm so proud of the way they fought back and the way they handled themselves and the way they showed they deserve to be here.' Indeed, the Wildcats weren't the most likely of state finalists, but they proved worthy. 'We were really the underdogs,' Ferguson said. 'It was amazing we came through and beat everyone who we weren't expected to beat, even though we got here and couldn't do it.'
