Local champion to be honored as member of 20th Women’s Induction Class

Loaded with basketball talent and tradition, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame proudly announces their 2022 women’s induction class, to be honored at the 20th Women’s Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 30, 2022. A local champion from Noblesville, Cami Cass, will be honored at the banquet on Saturday with the rest of the 2022 Women’s Induction Class.

Cami Cass was the starting point guard for Noblesville’s 1987 undefeated state championship team and 1988 state runner-up squad.  Her senior season, she was the team’s leader in assists and 2nd in points, rebounds and steals, teaming with 2015 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Courtney (Cox) Cole.   During Cass’s career, Noblesville teams were 100-7, including four sectional titles, three regional titles, and two semi-state championships. A four-year starting point guard at Fordham University, she led their teams in steals all four seasons and was their leader in assists for three years.  She completed her career with the program record in career steals (188), remains 2nd in career assists (487) and remains tied for the single-game steals record (8).  A senior on the Rams’ first Patriot League championship team in 1992, in 2021 she was one of five players named to Fordham’s 1990’s all-decade team.  A member of the United States’ 1997 Deaf Olympics gold medal team in Copenhagen, Denmark, she was a teacher at the Indiana School for the Deaf and coached in their girls basketball program.  She has received numerous awards and recognitions as a deaf athlete and was featured in Sports Illustrated in 1989.

Gary Andrews led the Fort Wayne Bishop Luers girls to three consecutive 2A championships as part of his coaching success.  Leading the Luers girls program to a 167-44 record (.791) from 1992 – 2001, winning five Summit Athletic Conference titles, SAC tournament championships, six sectional titles, four regionals, three semi-states and IHSAA 2A girls basketball championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001, with an 81-2 record those three seasons.

Krista Blunk was a 1989 Indiana All-Star after scoring a school record 1,044 points at Tell City, graduating with career averages of 19.2 points per game, 10.2 rebounds and a 48% career FG percentage.  A three-time all-conference selection and conference Player of the Year her senior season, she averaged 18.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game that year. 

Charles Mair retired in 2017 as one of the winningest coaches in Indiana high school girls basketball history.  Leading teams to 465 wins in 36 seasons leading North Posey and Princeton high schools, his teams claimed 11 conference championships, eight sectional titles, two regionals, one semi-state and his Princeton team won the 2015 IHSAA 3A girls basketball championship, led by 2016 Indiana Miss Basketball and Naismith National Player of the Year Jackie Young.

Monica Maxwell was a 1995 Indiana All-Star, high school All-American and finalist for the Naismith Award for the top prep player in the nation.  The East Chicago Central graduate was a unanimous 1st team all-state selection after averaging 24.4 points her senior season.  Maxwell was a member of teams that won four sectional titles, including a 22-1 team her senior season.

Julie (Rotramel) Meeks totaled 1,227 points and 233 career assists at Sullivan High School, including a 22.7 scoring average for her 1983-84 senior season.  Averaging in double figures for three seasons while Sullivan accumulated a 61-5 record, she was a sophomore starter for Sullivan’s 1982 state finalist squad.  Helping write the record book for IUPUI women’s basketball, her 1,809 career points remained the school record for 30 years and remains 2nd in program history.

Kristin (Pritchett) Messmore was a four-year letterwinner on Bedford North Lawrence teams that were 83-13 and winners of four sectionals and three regionals. Scoring 1,017 career points, she set the BNL single-game scoring record of 53 points. Averaging 15.5 points per game as a junior and 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and hitting 52% of field goals her senior season, she was a two-time Bedford Times-Mail Player of the Year (‘87, ’88), was Hoosier Hills all-conference four years, all-sectional four years, all-regional four years, all-semi-state three years and an all-state selection her senior year.

Christy Smith was a 1994 Indiana All-Star after totaling 1,113 career points at Benton Central, setting school records for career assists (506), single-season assists, career steals (418) and single-season steals.  Averaging 21.6 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 steals and 3.4 rebounds as a senior for 16-4 team her senior season, she earned 1st team all-state honors and was named academic all-state.  A stellar career at the University of Arkansas included 1,459 career points, along with 507 assists, 239 steals, and a .837 career free throw percentage. 

Stephanie White was the 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball, 1995 Gatorade National Player of the Year, USA Today National Player of the Year, WBCA High School All-American, and MVP of the WBCA All-American game.  A three-time AP all-state selection from Seeger High School, she set the IHSAA girls basketball scoring record at 2,869 career points, after averaging 28.3 points per game as a sophomore, 31.0 as a junior and a state-best 36.9 as a senior, including a single-game high of 66 points.

Amy Vanderkolk was an all-state player at Lafayette Jeff H.S., helping the Bronchos to a pair of sectional titles, including reaching the 1983 semi-state finals and 1985 regional finals.  Selected three times to the Lafayette Journal & Courier all-area team, she totaled 784 career points and was the recipient of the Golden Broncho Academic Award.  At Indiana State University, she graduated 4th in career scoring (1,484), set the single-game scoring record of 43 points, tied the school record for season scoring average (19.8) and had two of the top six single-season scoring efforts. 

The Silver Medal Award, including induction for contributions other than as an Indiana high school basketball player or Indiana high school basketball coach, is presented to Darlene Mathew.  Mathew had a 46-year career as teacher, coach and athletic administrator at Westview High School.  She became the girls basketball and volleyball coach in 1975, winning three straight basketball sectionals the first three seasons of IHSAA competition with an 84-38 record (.689) with no losing seasons in seven seasons as head coach. 

The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 20th Women’s Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The day’s events will include a free reception at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame museum that afternoon and a banquet that evening at the Primo Banquet Hall in Indianapolis.

 Reservations are available online now or through mail order in early 2022.  Call the Hall at 765-529-1891, visit www.hoopshall.com or email info@hoopshall.com for more information.