Freshmen of the Year (All Classes)

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='999408' first='Hillary' last='Labis'] (2028) of Westville High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that the 2024-2025 season has come to a close, I wanted to take this time, as I have done in years past, to offer up several awards to those her performed well throughout the 2024-2025 IHSAA season. I am changing my format a little, and instead of offering every award for each classification in one article, I wanted to aim more focus toward the bigger awards and our recipients for those awards. Below is a look at the Freshmen of the Year in each of the four classifications. There were some tough calls this season, as the Freshman class contributed in big ways in different areas of the state. While that rings true, it's difficult to argue against how each of the four ladies below represent this award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Class 4A FOY: </font></strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='879936' first='Janaya' last='Cooper'], 2028, 5-10 SF, Fort Wayne Snider H.S.</font><br>- Janaya began her rookie season with an offer from the University of Notre Dame, and she finished it by helping the Panthers to a Sectional title. In between, she averaged 14.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.4 blocked shots per game, while shooting solid percentages from the field <em>(49%)</em>, 3-point range <em>(32%)</em>, and the free throw line <em>(68%)</em>. And that was against the state's 17th toughest schedule. What's scary for opponents is, she's considered to still have a ceiling well above her current status. She is extremely athletic, energetic, and active. She can make secondary movements before most players finish their primary movements, and she can defend multiple positions. If you haven't seen her yet, you should soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Class 3A FOY: </font></strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='1144630' first='Nyomi' last='Hahn'], 2028, 6-0 SF, Marion H.S.</font><br>- Entering the season, the Marion Lady Giants had won eight games over the previous four seasons, averaging two wins per year. What Nyomi helped with, was making the Lady Giants respectable once again, as they finished the year 10-14 with a lot of hope for the future. She is a real talent with good size, solid all-around athleticism, and nice versatility. She can handle the ball and facilitate, she can score it from the perimeter and mid-post, plus she can use her size at the rim to post smaller defenders or protect the paint defensively. Nyomi averaged an impressive 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.7 steals, and 2.8 blocked shots per game, and she shot 55% from the field. She's another one who should only continue to improve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Class 2A FOY: </font></strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='999405' first='Riley' last='Johnson'], 2028, 5-10 SG, Heritage Christian H.S.</font><br>- Riley began the year by scoring 25 points and 24 points in each of her first two games, as the Eagles went 2-0. But then they worked through a rough 5-12 stretch, and she saw defenses concentrate a lot more on her. However, she found consistency, learned how to move better without the ball, and subsequently the team won eight games in a row before falling in the Class 2A Final Four, one game away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Despite having some talented teammates as well, Riley led the Eagles in scoring at 14.7 points pe game, plus she contributed 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.0 steals per game versus Class 2A's 5th toughest schedule. She also made 55 3-pointers in 28 games and shot 86% From the charity stripe.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Class 1A FOY: </font></strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='999408' first='Hillary' last='Labis'], 2028, 5-11 W, Westville H.S.</font><br>- Let's be honest, Hillary is a Class 4A talent in a Class 1A uniform. She would likely play and even start for most Class 4A teams in the state. She has good size, nice length, and she's strong enough at her age that she understands how to absorb contact and finish. She is difficult to define by position, because she can handle in transition and create on the fly, she can knock down open jumper from the wing, and she has some experience playing around the paint from being taller than most of her peers at a younger age. All she did for Westville was score 20.6 points and pull down 8.3 rebounds per game, while chipping in 2.3 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.7 blocked shots per contest. And her high school career is just taking off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->