Superiority reigns: Hamilton Heights’ own Camryn Runner wins Wooden/MCL Award

The REPORTER

Superior athletes. Strong students. Outstanding citizens.

In a phrase, those labels accurately describe Indiana All-Star basketball players and recent high school graduates Camryn Runner of Hamilton Heights and Isaac Andrews of Wapahani. Thus, each athlete has been named a winner of a Wooden/MCL Citizenship Award for 2024 as presented by the IndyStar Indiana All-Stars.

Runner, a 5-9 guard, averaged 26.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 4.0 steals in leading Hamilton Heights to a 24-3 season as a senior that included Class 3A regional title. For her career, she set school records for points in a game (64), season (727) and career (1,962) while also totaling 570 rebounds, 195 assists and 288 steals.

The University of Evansville signee was a two-time IBCA Supreme 15 honoree and a 2024 AP third-team All-State selection. She also was a 2024 IndyStar first-team Super Team pick, a four-time all-Hoosier Conference honoree, a four-time all-Hamilton County selection by the Hamilton County Reporter and the 2023 Hamilton County Player of the Year. In addition to four letters in basketball, she also had two letters in track & field and one letter in golf.

Scholastically, Runner ranked fifth in her class of 189 students, was IBCA first-team Academic All-State and was named a Rising Star of Indiana by the Indiana Association of School Principals. She also served as her school’s student-body president, was selected to National Honor Society and participated in Business Professionals of American and the Hamilton Heights student athletic council.

Runner plans to major in business management at the University of Evansville.

Andrews, a 6-1 guard, averaged 24.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in leading Wapahani to a 26-3 season and a Class 2A state runner-up finish. For his career, he totaled a school and Delaware County record 2,151 points plus 652 rebounds and 419 assists. He also posted school records for points in a game (45), points in a season (706), career 3-pointers (294) and career 3-point accuracy (42.1 percent on 294 of 699).

The Indiana Wesleyan University recruit was a two-time IBCA Supreme 15 selection, a 2024 AP second-team All-State honoree and the 2024 Ball State Daily News Player of the Year. He also was a four-time all Delaware County pick by the Muncie Star-Press and a four-time all-Mid-Eastern Conference choice. In addition to four years of basketball, he also lettered twice in baseball and once in golf.

Academically, Andrews was an IBCA first-team Academic All-State selection, was named a Rising Star of Indiana by the Indiana Association of School Principals, earned an IBCA Marion Crawley Scholarship and was 2024 Class 2A winner of the IHSAA Trester Award for Mental Attitude. He also was part of National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and RADD – Raiders Against Destructive Decisions.

Andrews is undecided on what he will major in at Indiana Wesleyan.

“Isaac and Camryn are great representatives for the Wooden/MCL Citizenship Award for the 2024 Indiana All-Stars,” Indiana All-Star games director Mike Broughton said. “Both Isaac and Camryn had strong high school careers on and off the court. We wish them well as they take their talents to the college level.”

The Wooden/MCL Citizenship Awards have been presented to one All-Star boy and one All-Star girl annually since 1992. The awards are named for the late John Wooden, an outstanding player at Martinsville High School and Purdue University and later a 10-time NCAA championship coach at UCLA.

“Since I am a strong believer in academic and citizenship awards, I am honored that MCL desires to use my name for this honor,” Wooden said when the award established in 1992.

MCL Restaurant & Bakery, based in Indianapolis, has sponsored the Wooden Citizenship Award for all 33 years that it has been presented. MCL also has supported the Indiana All-Star program for more than 35 years. The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, organizers of the Indiana All-Stars, thanks MCL for its continued support.

Runner joins three other Hamilton County girls basketball players in winning the award. They are Lisa Williams, Carmel 1995, Courtney Osborn, Hamilton Southeastern 2009 and Emily Kiser, Noblesville 2018.