MY VIEWPOINT
2024-25 was Southern Indiana’ s Best in Sports
By PATRICK MURPHY
The 2024-25 school year will go down as one of the best sports years here in southern Indiana. Through the three high-school sports seasons – fall, winter and spring – we had teams and individuals competing for state championships. In fact, we had a state champion, either individual or team, in each of the three seasons.
The fall season started with girls’ golf. Floyd Central’ s Paige Giovenco, playing for University of Indianapolis, finished tied for third at the first IHSAA State Tournament. That led us to Silver Creek’ s Camden Smith finishing as a State quarterfinalist in boys’ tennis. Smith is a freshman at Southern Indiana for the Screaming Eagles.
Floyd Central was represented again in cross country with their teams finishing 13th in the girls and 18th for the boys. Adeline Shultz was the top girls’ runner in 29th and Luca Cirincione paced the boys in 21st.
As the weather started to get colder, our focus turned to boys and girls soccer. Providence girls’ soccer finished as the Class A State runner-up after falling 2-1 to Faith Christian in Indianapolis. The Pioneers made Indianapolis their home to close out the fall with their football team playing against North Judson-San Pierre in the Class A State Championship.
The Pioneers came away victorious as Preston Kempf, playing for Hanover College, provided the offensive firepower with 208 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He helped Providence complete an undefeated season.
As the weather turned bitter cold, basketball, swimming and wrestling started heating up in the gymnasiums, pools and on the mats.
From our area, we had Floyd Central and Jeffersonville girls’ swimmers along with a diver for New Albany represented at one of the most competitive state meets in the country. Cali Kruer dove for the Bulldogs and finished on the podium in ninth on Feb. 15.
The Borden girls’ basketball team would capture its first State title in program history on March 1. The Braves had a record comeback en route to a 49-40 triumph over Lafayette Central Catholic.
About two miles away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Floyd Central and Providence had individuals and relays at the IU Natatorium at IU Indianapolis. Floyd Central’ s 400-yard freestyle
relay included Eli Coomer, Takeru Wheatley, Carter Bolling and Jack Hildreth finishing 13th, which was the highest for the Highlanders during that meet.
As the winter season was winding down, the Jeffersonville Red Devils boys’ basketball team was heating up en route to playing against previously undefeated Fishers for the Class 4A State Championship. The Red Devils stunned top-ranked Fishers with a 67-66 overtime triumph for their second state title.
The weather thawed and birds began to tweet again as the calendar turned to spring the final season. Our final state champion came from sophomore Jada Harper. Harper not only won the 300 hurdles in 41.52 seconds. She would then claim two national titles later in the summer.
Additionally, Floyd Central’ s Brock Conrad finished twice on the podium – third in in discus and ninth in shot put. Along with him, New Albany’ s Henry Dixon sixth in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. Charlestown’ s Camran Mitchell was third in the 400 to round out our areas top athletes.
The Providence girls’ tennis team finished as state quarterfinalists. Meanwhile, Riley Trinkle, playing at College of Charleston, finished as a semifinalist to close out her career.
This success from our high schools bleed into the summer. The summer, though busy, was for Floyds Knobs Community Club 12U All-Stars. These young and up-and-coming softball players – who will predominantly end up at Floyd Central – went from the losers’ bracket of the Little League World Series to the final game in Greenville, North Carolina.
Though FKCC’ s run didn’ t end with gold medals but rather silver, they will remember the trip for a long team playing against foreign countries in the losers’ bracket.
This year, we have already had athletes compete in the girls’ golf, boys’ tennis and cross country State meets.
What schools this year will be the next to bring home state championships to our area?
Contributors
Tom May is a freelance writer who has written for the News and Tribune for more than 10 years. An avid sports enthusiast, Tom also teaches as an adjunct instructor at Indiana University Southeast.
Brandi Jones is a seasoned marketing and design professional who leads the marketing team for a local engineering firm. She regularly contributes her graphic design skills to numerous regional clients.
NOV / DEC 2025 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE PAGE NO. 3