HIGH SCHOOL

Indiana Athletes of the Week (Jan. 8-13)

Zach Horrall
Special for the Star

IndyStar is recognizing the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Indiana high school athletes of the week. Top Hoosier athletes are nominated by their athletic directors and coaches. For more information about our Indiana Sports Awards, contact Matthew VanTryon at matthew.vantryon@indystar.com or Matthew Glenesk at matthew.glenesk@indystar.com. These athletes were chosen for the week ending Jan. 13.

Boys Swimming

Jared Holder, Hamilton Heights

Jared Holder, Hamilton Heights

The junior swimmer currently holds the No. 4 time in the state in the 100 backstroke with 52.52 that he scored in Kokomo on Jan. 13. He competes in seven categories total and is undefeated in all individual events. This season, he has 11 first place finishes and five second place finishes. Holder is also good at breaking records. Last season he set the Hoosier Athletic Conference record in the 100 backstroke, and he set Hamilton Heights’ record for both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. He competed in the state finals last year, making him the only Hamilton Heights boys swimmer to ever qualify for two events at state.

Girls Swimming

Sydnee Emerson, Northridge

Sydnee Emerson, Northridge

Last week, Emerson grabbed her fourth state leading time. She swam to the No. 5 spot in the 100 fly at the Girls NLC Championships Jan. 13. She swims in seven categories total, and she holds state leading times in three others, including the No. 1 time in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:00.27. The senior holds the No. 2 time in the 200 individual medley and the 400 free relay as well and has 32 first place finishes and five second place finishes this season.

Boys Basketball

Craig Young, Wayne

Craig Young, Wayne High School (Ft. Wayne)

Young scored 62 points and had two double-doubles in three games last week to lead Wayne High School to a 3-0 week. Against Norwell, he scored 15 points and added eight rebounds and two assists. Against Bishop Dwenger, he scored 24 points and 11 rebounds, and against South Bend Washington he had 23 points and 10 rebounds. This season, the junior forward averages 16 points per game and has 146 on the season.

Girls Basketball

Taylor Austin, Lake Edison

Taylor Austin, Lake Station Edison

With a 59-point week last week, Austin, a freshman point guard, helped lead her team to two consecutive victories. In a Jan. 11 game against Washington Township, she scored 32 points and added four assists in the 57-43 victory. Two days later against Calumet, she scored 27 points and had six assists in the 57-33 win. She is averaging 26 points per game this season and has 312 total, almost three times as many points as the next highest scorer on the team.

Boys Bowling

Nikolas Bowman, Ben Davis

Nikolas Bowman, Ben Davis

2016 state champion Bowman won his third straight sectional championship in the Indy West sectional last week. The senior was the No. 1 qualifier in his sectional with a 740, and he went on to win the title 268-267. Bowman helped lead Ben Davis as on Ja. 10 with the No. 5 spot in the state in team series with 2138, and Ben Davis was the No. 3 team in the state for overall team average with 975.

Girls Bowling

Kennedy Craig, Evansville Reitz

Kennedy Craig, Evansville Reitz

Craig took home her third career sectional title last week. The junior has won sectionals every year she has entered. She qualified this season with the No. 1 seed in her sectional with a 638. Then, at the match, she won 234-213.

Wrestling

Ryan Hammond, Whiteland

Ryan Hammond, Whiteland

Hammond is sitting at 23-0 on the season, 15 of which are by fall, and is wrestling in the 220lbs weight class. This season, the senior wrestler won the Johnson County and Mid-State Conference meets. He is looking to make the state finals for the second time in his career. He made it his freshman year, and he also made it to semi-state last year.