Grassroots Preview: Indiana Flight 17U
The Indiana Flight does a nice job every year of fielding competitive teams, while also attempting to make sure each girl interested in playing on a team has that opportunity. This season, they have hooked up with Under Armour and will begin having a couple of their teams travel to the Under Armour Association tournaments. In the 17U age group, that UAA team happens to be a partnership with the Sky Digg-Sullivan team, but we will preview that team later on in the Sky Digg preview article. This season, Indiana Flight has six additional 17U teams taking to the hardwood, and this program is headed up by Mr. Gregg Mason.
Indiana Flight Attack/Silver
Coach Jeff Casteel
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
1 | Anneke Furr | 5-9 | F | 2020 | Bloomington South |
2 | Sally Mortensen | 5-8 | F | 2021 | Perry Meridian |
4 | Cameron Gillard | 5-6 | G | 2020 | Bloomington South |
5 | Alexa McKinley | 5-7 | G | 2021 | Columbus North |
20 | Kiara “Kiki” Crabtree | 5-5 | G | 2020 | Franklin Community |
23 | Sarah O’Day | 5-9 | G | 2020 | Plainfield |
25 | Hailee Robbins | 5-9 | F | 2020 | Franklin Community |
34 | Tenleigh Phelps | 5-10 | F | 2021 | Triton Central |
40 | Micha Morrison | 5-5 | G | 2020 | Greensburg |
42 | Ashley Pettigrew | 6-1 | C | 2020 | Heritage Christian |
Overview: The Attack team this season has a mixture of some Flight regulars and some newbies to the program. This group has a nice mixture of guard and wing play as well. Alexa McKinley is a skilled and athletic combo guard who is probably a little under-recruited at this point in time. Sarah O’Day is a long and skilled wing guard who can handle or score it. Anneke Furr is another long athlete who plays with a good motor. Hailee Robbins and Tenleigh Phelps are strong but skilled forwards who can play in the mid-post or around the perimeter. I can definitely see some Division-I schools, as well as every small college in the Midwest keeping tabs on this team.
Indiana Flight Blue/Duke
Coach Mike Duke
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
2 | Sydney Deters | 5-8 | F | 2023 | Castle |
5 | Bayleigh Runner | 5-7 | PG | 2020 | Hamilton Heights |
11 | Rylie Boezeman | 5-6 | W | 2023 | Columbus North |
12 | Kylie Stepp | 5-10 | W | 2021 | West Vigo |
13 | Erica Bostwick | 5-10 | W | 2022 | Zionsville Community |
21 | Alexis Venihel | 5-6 | G | 2020 | South Putnam |
24 | Karly Kirkpatrick | 5-7 | G | 2021 | East Noble |
31 | Maddie Patterson | 5-9 | W | 2021 | Danville Community |
33 | Maycee Woods | 5-8 | W | 2021 | Plainfield |
40 | Kelsey Coffman | 5-9 | F | 2020 | Benton Central |
42 | Isabelle Miller | 6-0 | F | 2022 | Southmont |
Overview: Coach Duke always has a mixture of seasoned veterans and youthful potential on his teams, and this season is no different. The girl likely to draw the most attention from colleges immediately is point guard Bayleigh Runner. She is skilled, athletic, and she plays with a good motor. Maddie Patterson and Maycee Woods are long and fairly athletic wings who play with a great deal of versatility. Kelsey Coffman is a do-everything forward who helped Benton Central get to the Class 3A State Finals this season. Belle Miller flashes nice potential for a young frontline prospect. I think a variety of low-major Division-I, Division-II, Division-III, and NAIA schools will enjoy watching this team play.
Indiana Flight Green
Coach J.R. Long
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
10 | Erin Lillis | 5-7 | W | 2020 | Bloomington North |
11 | Kyla Maxwell | 5-8 | F | 2021 | East Central |
13 | Dani Simon | 5-4 | G | 2022 | Indian Creek |
20 | Taylor Cooney | 5-6 | PG | 2021 | Greensburg |
21 | Hallie Rogers | 5-7 | G | 2021 | Hagerstown |
23 | Meghan Sandifer | 5-7 | W | 2020 | Cardinal Ritter |
32 | Kylie Appman | 5-9 | F | 2021 | Heritage Hills |
40 | Madison Gray | 5-10 | F | 2021 | Union County |
42 | Ali Barber | 5-9 | F | 2020 | Washington |
Overview: This Green team is an interesting mix of players from different parts of the Southern half of the state. Taylor Cooney is one of my favorites to watch, because she is long, fluid, and really understands how to play the point guard position the right way and value possessions. Madison Gray is a versatile mid-post forward who can take smaller defenders to the block, but she’s also comfortable around the perimeter. Hallie Rogers is a nice, athletic wing guard who plays with a great deal of energy. I think this is one of those teams that small colleges sit on to maybe start building relationships with younger prospects who could end up being real “sleepers”.
Indiana Flight Pearl White
Coach Greg Piper
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
3 | Brooklyn Edwards | 5-0 | PG | 2021 | Carmel |
4 | Jasmine Williams | 5-5 | G | 2021 | Heritage Christian |
5 | Emily Robinson | 5-6 | W | 2021 | Westfield |
11 | Cassie Piper | 5-6 | G | 2020 | Cathedral |
11 | Anna Pruitt | 5-8 | W | 2020 | Bishop Chatard |
12 | Ava Henson | 5-7 | F | 2020 | Westfield |
23 | Makenzie Ryle | 5-2 | G | 2021 | Triton Central |
23 | McKaylie Kant | 5-5 | W | 2020 | Westfield |
32 | Allison Morrison | 5-10 | F/C | 2020 | Monroe Central |
40 | Devon Ray | 6-1 | C | 2020 | Noblesville |
42 | Emery Deaton | 6-0 | F/C | 2020 | Heritage Christian |
Overview: This specific Flight team didn’t exist a year ago, but if you look through the roster, you’ll see a lot of what used to be the Sky Digg Elite-Ryle roster. Devon Ray is a big-bodied, strong post, but she has good hands and has some skill facing the basket. Emery Deaton is a bit more versatile on the frontline, but she has good experience and some skill in the mid-post. Ava Henson is a really nice slashing athlete who can play in the mid-post or on the perimeter. And Makenzie Ryle and Brooklyn Edwards are a pair of really nice point guards who can handle and shoot. This group is another small college buffet, and I think they have several really nice pieces to recruit.
Indiana Flight Storm
Coach Chris Phillips
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
4 | Chelsi Giesige | 5-7 | G | 2020 | Paulding (OH) |
5 | Lauren Pendleton | 5-9 | W | 2020 | Indian Creek |
11 | Taylor Pinkerton | 5-6 | G | 2020 | Union County |
23 | Claire Rake | 5-8 | G | 2020 | Center Grove |
24 | Emily Rake | 5-7 | F | 2020 | Center Grove |
30 | Aliyah Evans | 5-9 | F | 2020 | Greensburg |
33 | Jaylah Mays | 5-5 | G | 2020 | Scottsburg |
40 | Tessa Lomax | 6-0 | F/C | 2020 | Columbus North |
Overview: The core of this Storm team has been together for a few years now. Aliyah Evans is a strong forward who also possesses perimeter skill. She can handle it at times and knock down open jumpers. Chelsi Giesige is an athletic combo guard who spent her first two years of high school at Columbus North. Tessa Lomax is an impressive looking front-liner who has some athleticism on the interior. Claire Rake is a really nice combo guard who is starting to pick up college interest. I think this is a group that will see a lot of the better Division-II and NAIA schools following them around, and possibly a handful of Division-I schools here and there.
Indiana Flight West
Coach Jason Myers
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
1 | Jenna Gates | 5-6 | PG | 2020 | Paris (IL) |
2 | Tayler Barry | 5-6 | G | 2021 | Tri-County (IL) |
11 | Karrington Krabel | 5-7 | G | 2020 | Paris (IL) |
14 | Sarah Isaf | 5-10 | F | 2020 | Paris (IL) |
15 | Claire Wilhour | 5-5 | G | 2020 | Saint Elmo (IL) |
23 | Rylee Dowers | 5-7 | G | 2020 | North Vermillion |
24 | Mallory Hawkins | 5-9 | W | 2020 | South Vermillion |
25 | Kelsie Crampton | 5-9 | F | 2020 | Paris (IL) |
30 | Jenna Myers | 5-8 | F | 2020 | South Vermillion |
32 | Stella Hart | 5-9 | W | 2020 | Terre Haute North |
40 | Shaelynn Bell | 6-0 | F/C | 2020 | Terre Haute North |
55 | Rebecca Berry | 5-11 | F/C | 2020 | South Vermillion |
Chloe Noel | 5-7 | W | 2020 | Paris (IL) | |
Michaela Cox | 5-11 | F/C | 2020 | Terre Haute South |
Overview: The Flight West group has been a combination of Illinois and border county kids from Indiana. I am not as terribly familiar with the Illinois kids, so I’ll stick with the Indiana kids here. Mallory Hawkins had a big year for South Vermillion, and she’s a long and athetic wing scorer. Shaelynn Bell is intriguing because of her height and length. She could stand to get stronger, but she has solid skill inside of 15-feet. Stella Hart is another long and athletic wing who plays with a good motor. Rylee Dowers had a good season for North Vermillion, helping to lead them to 24 wins this year. Jenna Myers and Becca Berry are a pair of nice role-playing front-liners. Myers is a long athlete, while Berry is a physical but skilled face-up ‘5’. Like many of the other Flight teams, this West group will see its share of small college followers all Spring and Summer.