Local Sports News: June 5, 2025

Indiana University Football Lands Three Star Offensive Lineman Kenton Mondeau for 2026 Class of 2026 offensive tackle Kenton Mondeau announced his commitment to Indiana on Monday evening. The 6-foot-7 and 315-pound Mondeau attends North High School in Eau Claire, Wisc.  He also plays basketball and throws the shot put and disc on the track and field team. According to the average of the national rankings, Mondeau is a 3-star prospect and the No. 91 overall offensive tackle in the 2026 class. Mondeau previously visited IU in March, and the Hoosiers offered him in May.  He’s scheduled to be back in Bloomington for an official visit later this month. He also had offers from Iowa State, Wake Forest, Ohio, Air Force, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois and others. Indiana now has a ten-player class of 2026, and two offensive linemen verbally committed.  IU’s class is ranked No. 32 in the nation and 12th in the Big Ten.

The Indiana Fever Snap a Three Game Loing Streak with a Commissioners Cup Win over the Washington Mystics The Indiana Fever (3-4) secured an 85-76 home victory over the Washington Mystics, earning $3,000 for their Commissioner Cup beneficiary, Peace Learning Center.  Indiana got on the board first and led throughout the first quarter, with Damiris Dantas scoring eight points in the opening 10 minutes, including two three-pointers. The first quarter also saw Aari McDonald’s first points with the Fever, closing the night with seven points in her Indiana debut. McDonald was signed via the emergency hardship exemption on Monday.   The Fever ended the second quarter with a four-point lead thanks to eight points from Aliyah Boston and five from both DeWanna Bonner and Kelsey Mitchell.  Indiana began the third quarter with consecutive three pointers from Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Sydney Colson. The Fever extended their third-quarter lead, jumping out in front by 14, backed by the explosiveness of Hull’s 12-point quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Mystics created a close game going on a 14-0 run, however late points from Mitchell, who ended the game with 24 points, pushed the Fever to the home victory. 

Newly signed guard, Aari McDonald, made her Fever debut at 6:19 of the first quarter, just a day after being signed via emergency hardship, leading the game with five assists and three steals.  Sydney Colson had a season-high seven points. Kelsey Mitchell matched a season-high 24 points.  Lexie Hull had a season-high four assists.  Collectively, the Fever recorded a season high 11 three pointers made.  The Indiana Fever head north to take on the Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast nationally on CBS. 

Carmel’s Alex Shackell Named 2024-25 Max Preps National Female Athlete of the Year Carmel (Ind.) swimming coach Chris Plumb remembers Alex Shackell showing up to practice as a freshman with ink circles drawn on her knuckles. They were Olympic rings; she explained to him. “She’s always had the dream,” Plumb said. But the longtime coach of perhaps the greatest dynasty in high school sports — 39 girls state championships and counting — has seen plenty of talent pass through the powerhouse program. “I knew she had the drive, but to see it come to fruition, so few capitalize on their potential,” Plumb said. “Talent is everywhere, willingness is rare.” Shackell put in the work and has been named the 2024-25 MaxPreps Female National Athlete of the Year.

Shortly before her senior year at Carmel began, she won two Olympic medals while competing in three events at the 2024 Paris Games. She grabbed gold in the 100-meter medley relay (helping set a world record in the process), silver in the 200-yard freestyle relay and finished sixth in the 200-meter butterfly. Shackell followed her Olympic exploits with four state titles this year at Carmel, bringing her career total to 15. That included four straight first-place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly.”I’m honestly kind of shocked,” Shackell said upon learning she joins a list of exceptional female athletes like fellow Olympian Missy Franklin and WNBA players Alissa Pili and Paige Bueckers. “It’s a huge honor.”

Shackell said she began doodling on her knuckles as well as having the Olympic rings on her phone background as motivation for her childhood dream. “I started doing it my freshman year one day in class. I had the rings on my phone and knew I wouldn’t change it until I made the team,” Shackell said. “I was obsessed with the Olympics when I got to high school in 2021 after the Tokyo Games. “I knew what age I would be for each of the next Olympics and I kind of thought 17 was young, but when I made my first world team, I started gaining confidence.” Beyond her Olympic success, Shackell’s high school resume is beyond impressive: four straight 100 fly titles, a 100 back title as a junior and 50 free title as a sophomore along with eight relay championships, including three this year. She was the catalyst of a Carmel team that tallied 448 points at this year’s state meet, good for fourth-most in state history. “Just to be part of the Carmel legacy and dynasty is amazing,” Shackell said. “I’m so proud to be a Greyhound. I remember being in eighth grade and I couldn’t wait to compete for Carmel at state and be a part of the legacy.

“Looking back on the past four years, it’s everything I wanted and it’s crazy to think it’s over.” Shackell comes from her own dynastic swimming family. Her father, Nick, was an 1996 Olympian for Great Britain and All-American at Auburn. Her mom, Ali (Hansen), also was an All-American at Auburn. Her brother Aaron swam for Carmel and also competed for the United States at the Paris Olympics. Alex’s twin Andrew will swim at the University of Texas along with Aaron. “We’ve got the competitive gene, for sure,” Alex joked, saying they don’t hold family game nights anymore. “But it’s an advantage having a talented family. You have to have the mindset and will to be great and my parents taught me what it takes to be the best.” Born in California, Shackell said she lived in Tennessee and Missouri before moving to the Indianapolis area in eighth grade.

Plumb said Nick and Ali Shackell put their children in a position to be successful but also knew from their own experience that youth success wasn’t necessarily their goal. “They weren’t in a hurry to have their children be the best at 10, 12 or 14,” Plumb said. “She’s proven (the payoff) through her consistency. People only see the highlights and not the work in the dark behind the scenes. “In many ways, she was able to take what has been done here to another level. We’ve had a lot of elite swimmers, but the first Olympian is unprecedented. She set the standard and hopefully paves the way for future Olympians.”

In and out of the pool, Shackell says she’s just a normal teenager who likes to hang out with friends. Her Olympic summer, she said, was also spent going to a Pitbull concert, hanging in the Indiana dunes and having a weekend streak of meeting friends for breakfast or lunch. “When I’m in the water, I’m focused on what I’m doing,” she said. “Out of the pool, I’m laughing, energetic and pretty normal. If you saw me walking on the streets, you wouldn’t think ‘she’s an Olympic swimmer.’ ” But it’s also something she’s proud to say she’s accomplished. “It’s hard not to think about it at least once a day,” she said of competing for the USA. “But I try to keep it in the back of my mind. I have other goals and don’t want to mooch off one moment. I took the time to enjoy it, but once the new year hit, I was refocused.”

And that focus was bringing home Carmel’s 39th title and then preparing for college. She initially committed to California before opting out to take a gap year. But Shackell recently committed to swim at home for Indiana. “My college journey is kind of ridiculous and it hasn’t even started,” she laughed. “I am a family person. I always thought I’d want to go far away but I realized Indiana is perfect.” In addition to swimming for the home-state Hoosiers, Shackell has her eyes on Los Angeles in 2028 and making it to a second Olympics. “Swimming in SoFi Stadium in a home Olympics keeps me motivated,” she said. “It’s three years away, but it’s already going by quick.” But in May, she was preparing for graduation, a grad party and then getting locked in for the national dhampionships in early June in Indianapolis.  “I think we’ve really only seen the beginning of what she can do,” Plumb said.

An “Indiana Basketball Tradition” Returns to Anderson University  The 17th annual Indiana All Star Basketball Classic returns to the Anderson University Campus at the Kardatzke Wellness Center, in Anderson Indiana on Friday June 13th and Saturday June 14th. There will be four games both days with the Boys kicking off the weekend on Friday and the Girls finishing the weekend on Saturday. There will be two futures games both days featuring the class of 2027 and 2028 at 10:30 AM and 1 PM and then class of 2026 which is this year’s Junior Class will take floor for two games both days at 4 PM and 6:30 PM. “We are honored to have our committed student athletes participating!” Steven Stremming said.

Executive Director and Co-Founder Steven Stremming said, “It has been a longtime partnership between us and Anderson University, and we are looking forward to what has been called by Rob Hunt of the Anderson Herald Bulletin, “An Indiana Basketball Tradition”. “Looking forward to year 17 for our event at Anderson University.” Steven Stremming said.  “Anderson University has been a crucial element for our event success, and we are pleased to return and of course, the coverage of the Anderson Herald Bulletin provides and Indiana Sports Networks LIVE coverage of our games.” Stremming added.

The Event began at New Castle High School then was moved to Anderson to give more exposure for these young players to get noticed and with the fluid landscape of College Athletics it is important now, more than ever. “Our team saw the changes the NCAA were about to make years ago, so it is important more than ever, to present our student-athletes for college coaches, both Girls and Boys to evaluate” Stremming said. Players from all over the State of Indiana will descend on Anderson to be seen in front of coaches at all different levels of College Basketball, which has been Stremming’s focus and the team from Indiana Basketball All Star Classic; for these players to get that opportunity to play at the next level. “D1 power 5 coaches are only recruiting five- and four-star high school athletes, junior college athletes and using the transfer portal to their advantage so as I said earlier, our product on the floor is what mid-majors, low-mid majors and NAIA, D2, D3, Christian Colleges and HBCU (Historic Black Colleges and Universities) are looking for, more than ever!” Stremming said.

Among top Junior Boys Players are Roosevelt Franklin of Indianapolis George Washington who averaged 23.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Terrance Hayes from Gary 21st Century averages 22.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Grady Gardner from Martinsville averages 22.7 points per game. Brody Baker of McCutcheon averaged 20.2 points per game as Sophomore Kendrick Martin from Liberty Christian which is a mile from the Anderson University Campus averaged 20 points per game this season. Tegan Leonard of North Vermillion averaged 20.5 points as a freshman.

Among the Top Junior Girls Players are Brynn Owens from Austin who averaged 26.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Mayrose Felling from Triton Central averaged 22.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and she is the Granddaughter of Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Ron Felling and Kamri Rowland from state finals Rensselaer Central just to mention a few. Kylah Patterson from Hammond Morton averaged 24.1 points and 14 rebounds as Sophomore and Evansville Memorial and Butler University Commit Rylee Cannan is a player to watch with her quick release on her shot.  Hillary Labis from Westville averaged 20.8 points and 9.1 rebounds as Freshman and Aubrey Sparks from Owen Valley averaged 20.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and rising star Indiah Hutchinson of Hammond Central among many others.

“There are many student/athletes from all across the State of Indiana who deserve the recognition of their skills,” Stremming added, “The commitment of our student/athletes, Anderson University and our top-notch staff make this a very special endeavor of love.” The Games will be televised on the Indiana Sports Network, which is available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV+, Google Chromecast, Facebook Live, Roku and YouTube Live. “We have another strong and capable group of student/athletes ready to showcase their skills for these coaches, not only to the coaches in person, but the coaches who tune into our broadcast of the game through Indiana Sports Network.” Stremming said. Indiana Sports Network will be broadcasting the game FREE on its X (Formerly Twitter Page and you visit their websites www.indianasportsnetwork.com and www.indianaportsnetwork.net. For more information on the event including Rosters, Game, Ticket and Hotel Information visit www.excelhsports.com

Indiana University Baseball Signee Matthew Fisher Named Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year Indiana baseball signee, and nationally ranked right-handed pitcher, Matthew Fisher was tabbed as the 2024-25 Indiana Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year. The organization announced the winners for all 50 states, and the D.C. metro area, on Tuesday afternoon. It’s the second-straight year that IU has signed the premier talent in the state. Freshman outfielder Hogan Denny won the award out of Mooresville High School last year and went on to collect 40 hits, 33 runs and 24 RBIs in his debut season in 2025. Fisher – from Evansville Memorial High School – was dominant on the mound as a senior in 2025. The 6-foor-3 righty worked a 6-0 record with a 0.76 earned run average. He had 61 strikeouts to only 11 walks in 36.2 innings of action. To help himself, he also had one home run and 16 RBIs at the plate. The Indiana native is a top 100 consensus national recruit and one of the top 20 right-handed arms nationally in the senior class. He’s one of 11 top 500 recruits in the class of 2025 currently signed to play for head coach Jeff Mercer and the Hoosiers next year. Seven of those are homegrown players.

Indiana University Baseball Pitchers Cole Gilley and Gavin Seebold Named to the CSC Academic All-District Team  Veteran pitchers Cole Gilley and Gavin Seebold were honored for their academic and athletic achievements on Tuesday afternoon. The College Sports Communicators (CSC) named the Indiana baseball duo to its Academic All-District Team as postseason awards continue to roll out from the 2025 season. The organization honors nominated student-athletes that maintained a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and met the strict requirement of athletic performance during the designated year. Over 30,000 nominations across all sports are submitted annually.

Gilley was tabbed as one of the advancing players to the Academic All-America ledger. Members of the CSC will submit ballots in the next two weeks that select First through Third Team Academic All-Americans. IU’s last Academic All-American was Drew Ashley in 2021 (3rd Team). Both Gilley and Seebold transferred to Bloomington ahead of the 2025 season and contributed valuable innings on the mound. Gilley was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection and finished with a 10-3 record – the second-most wins of any Big Ten pitcher. Gilley completed his Public Management Graduate Certificate this past school year and maintained a 3.62 grade point average. Seebold obtained his Graduate Certificate in Safety Management while working a 3.60 grade point average. Seebold also led the team with three saves this past year. Academic All-Americans will be released at Noon E.T. on Tuesday, July 1st.