Reporter announces all-county teams

Hamilton Southeastern’s Maya Makalusky named Player of the Year

The REPORTER

The 2025 girls basketball season was certainly one for the books for our nine schools in Hamilton County.

Once again, there were two county teams that advanced all the way to the semi-state. No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern (27-1) took a 26-0 record into the 4A Frankfort semi-state. The Royals eliminated Valparaiso in the semifinal, but were outlasted by third-ranked and eventual state runner-up Warsaw, 67-61 in the championship. HSE was 7-0 to win the Hoosier Crossroads Conference.

2A No. 11 Sheridan (25-2) made their second consecutive semi-state appearance. The Blackhawks’ dream season ended in the Logansport semi-state semifinal to No. 2 and eventual state runner-up Rensselaer Central, 61-36. Sheridan went 8-0 and won the Hoosier Heartland Conference.

Westfield (16-9) fell to the HSE in the Sectional 8 championship, 46-38.

No. 10 Noblesville lost the sectional semifinal to Westfield, 61-52. The Fishers Tigers were knocked out in the first round of Sectional 8 by HSE.

Carmel (10-13) had a pair of three-game winning streaks mid-season. The Greyhounds fell to Noblesville in the first round of Sectional 8, 51-40.

Hamilton Heights (5-17) won four of six in the middle of the season. The Huskies went out in the first round in Sectional 24 at Connersville to Delta, 63-37.

The Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles (10-11) were edged out by Tri-West in Sectional 25 at Lebanon, 42-36.

University (8-14) ended its season with a semifinal loss against Covenant Christian (47-38) in Sectional 42 at Monrovia.

Here’s a look at the Reporter’s First Team:

Maya Makalusky has committed to Indiana University. Maya averaged 22.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.8 steals this season. In 99 games over four years, Makalusky is now the all-time career points leader at HSE with 1,933 points, breaking the record previously held by current IU standout and 2020 Miss Basketball, Sydney Parrish (1,925). She also grabbed 487 rebounds, had 139 assists and 138 steals to her credit.

Her junior year in 2023-24, Makalusky broke the single-season scoring record for the Royals with 652 points, previously held by Parris (619) in 2019-20. Over her varsity career, Maya helped Hamilton Southeastern to an 83-16 record, including their first sectional and regional titles since 2019, winding up with a Final Four finish.

Meredith Tippner averaged 26 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.0 steals per game in 24 games in her senior season. The University of Miami (Florida) commit scored 1,779 points, starting in all 105 games in her four-year career for the Millers, which is now 2nd all-time, just 90 points behind the late Courtney Cox Cole (1,869). She also grabbed 913 rebounds (2nd all-time), had 337 assists (2nd all-time) and 326 steals (school record). She also had 40 career double-doubles.

Meredith broke the single-season scoring record with 623 points this season, previously held by Ashlynn Shade (622) in the 2020-21 season. The two-sport phenom guided Noblesville to an 83-22 record while winning two sectionals, two regionals, one semi-state and the 2022 Class 4A state championship. Tippner was the leading scorer during the Millers’ 2024 run to the semi-state championship game. She also was named the 2023 and 2024 Gatorade Indiana Soccer Player of the Year and 2024 Miss Soccer.

Kenzie Garner has put Sheridan girls basketball on the map during her four years as a Blackhawk. Ferris State will be her home for the next four years. As a senior, Garner averaged 21.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.1 assist, 3.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. Kenzie is second in scoring all-time at Sheridan with 1,699 career points, just behind Audrey Reed’s 1,725. She also totaled 816 rebounds, 335 assists, 324 steals and 129 blocked shots in 87 games at Sheridan.

Garner led Sheridan to two straight semi-state semifinal appearances during her junior and senior seasons. In 2024, the Blackhawks lost in the semi-state semifinal to Eastern Hancock and lost in this season’s semifinal of the semi-state to eventual state runner-up Rensselaer Central. During her four seasons, Garner helped Sheridan become a prominent program in Class 2A. The Blackhawks went 72-23 over the last four years with two sectional and two regional titles.

Nevaeh Dickman has been pivotal in the recent success of the Fishers Tigers. The University of Buffalo signee had a solid senior campaign, scoring 15.5 per game and grabbing 6.4 rebounds. She also dished out 1.8 assists and had 1.2 steals. Dickman finished two-plus years with 635 points, 303 rebounds, along with 75 assists and 43 steals shot 73 percent at the free throw line and 51 percent on field goals for her career.

The future Buffalo Bull had a role off the bench in the Tigers’ 2023 run to the Class 4A state championship game. Over her three varsity seasons, Fishers went 57-19, winning the 2023 sectional, regional and semi-states before falling to Bedford North Lawrence in the state championship, 46-42.

Kennedy Holman is the lone junior on the first team. The junior all-state candidate was one of the key components in the Royals’ first sectional and regional titles this season since 2019. Holman averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.

Holman already has numerous Division I offers but has yet to determine where she will play collegiately after her senior year next season. Already through three full seasons and 77 games played, Kennedy has scored 780 points, grabbed 377 rebounds, has 409 assists and 152 steals. During her first three years, HSE has gone 69-8 overall. She is also already being mentioned as a top candidate for Miss Basketball in 2026.