Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Judi Warren, who guided Warsaw's undefeated state championship team in the IHSAA's first year of girls basketball, is one of 12 players named to the First Silver Era team.
The First Era Team was created by the IHSAA to celebrate the first 25 years of its sponsorship of the girls basketball state tournament.
Joining Warren are Cheryl Cook (Indianapolis Washington, 1981), Tiffany Gooden (Fort Wayne Snider, 1994), Jennifer Jacoby (Rossville, 1991), Kennitra Johnson (New Albany, 1999), Jodie Whitaker (Austin, 1985), Abby Conklin (Charlestown, 1993), Courtney Cox (Noblesville, 1989), Vicki Hall (Indianapolis Brebeuf, 1988), LaTaunya Pollard (East Chicago Roosevelt, 1979), Maria Stack (Columbus East, 1980) and Stephanie White (Seeger, 1995).
A 19-person panel that includes broadcasters, coaches, sportswriters, game officials and athletic administrators picked the 12 players. Fifty-two players received at least one vote. Only one player - White - was named on every ballot.
All 12 players have been invited to participate in special events at the 25th IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals March 4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Hinkle hosted the first girls basketball state finals in 1976, when Warsaw beat Bloomfield 57-52.
Tickets to the 2000 girls basketball state finals are available for purchase through the IHSAA office. Cost is $15 for the four class state championship games. For more information call the IHSAA office at (317) 846-6601 or go to the Web site at www.ihsaa.org.
Capsules on each of the players are listed above.
JUDI WARREN, WARSAW, 1976
Guard who hit five free throws in the final 64 seconds to ice Warsaw's 57-52 win over Bloomfield in the first state championship in 1976 ... chosen as the first IHSAA Mental Attitude Award recipient ... voted first Miss Basketball ... played at Franklin College ... has been girls basketball head coach for 20 seasons, including the last 12 at Carmel.
CHERYL COOK, INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON, 1981
Led the state in scoring as a senior with a 29.7 ppg. average ... voted Miss Basketball ... played at the University of Cincinnati, where she was a two-time All-America selection ... is still Cincinnati's career scoring leader and member of its athletic hall of fame ... played professionally overseas.
JODIE WHITAKER, AUSTIN, 1985
First girl in state history to score 2,000 career points ... Her total of 2,095 points ranks 10th on the current state chart ... an IHSAA Mental Attitude Award recipient ... voted Miss Basketball ... played at the University of Kentucky ... In her third season as coach at Lawrence North.
JENNIFER JACOBY, ROSSVILLE, 1991
Ranks fourth on the state's career scoring list with 2,344 points ... voted Miss Basketball ... played at Purdue University ... played professionally in the ABL ... now an assistant coach at Indiana University.
TIFFANY GOODEN, FORT WAYNE SNIDER, 1994
Ranks seventh all-time on the state's career scoring list with 2,198 points ... played at Iowa, where she was Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1995 ... ranks 15th on Iowa's career scoring list ... played professionally for the Colorado Explosion in the now defunct American Baskeball League ... now a law student at Iowa.
KENNITRA JOHNSON, NEW ALBANY, 1999
Guard who averaged 20.9 ppg. while leading New Albany to a 28-0 record in 1998-1999 ... Led New Albany to 1999 class 4A state championship by beating Fort Wayne Snider 46-41 ... Scored career-best 47 in 66-61 double-overtime win over Connersville in 1999 Southport Semistate ... Ranks 31st on state's all-time scoring list with 1,837 points ... Now a freshman at the University of Connecticut.
ABBY CONKLIN, CHARLESTOWN, 1993
Center who finished with 2,616 career points, No. 2 on the state's scoring list ... Selected as IHSAA Mental Attitude Award Recipient ... Voted Miss Basketball ... Played at Tennessee when the Volunteers won NCAA titles in 1996 and 1997 ... Now an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina-Asheville.
COURTNEY COX, NOBLESVILLE, 1989
Led the Millers to three straight IHSAA state finals, highlighted by a state title in 1987 and a state runner-up in 1988 ... Ranks 27th on the state's career scoring chart with 1,869 points ... Played basketball and golf at Indiana ... Now in private business in Fishers.
VICKI HALL, INDIANAPOLIS BREBEUF, 1988
Voted Miss Basketball ... Played collegiately at Texas and was a member of the U.S. Pan-American team in 1991 ... Now plays professionally in Europe.
LaTAUNYA POLLARD, EAST CHICAGO ROOSEVELT, 1979
Led the Rough Riders to four straight Sweet 16 appearances and three trips to the IHSAA state finals ... Roosevelt's four-year record wtih Pollard was 92-2 ... Led Roosevelt to the state title in 1979 ... Played at Long Beach State, earning All-America honors and the Wade Trophy as the nation's outstanding player in 1983 ... Chosen to play for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980 ... Played professionally in Italy ... Now lives in Houston.
MARIA STACK, COLUMBUS EAST, 1980
Her performance in the 1980 state championship ranks as one of the greatest efforts in Indiana basketball history ... She tallied 42 points and 22 rebounds in a 67-63 overtime loss to Southport in the 1980 state championship ... The 42 points and 22 rebounds still rank as championship game records ... Played at San Diego State and Gonzaga ... Won the Naismith Award at Gonzaga.
STEPHANIE WHITE, SEEGER, 1995
Indiana's career scoring leader with 2,869 points ... Her scoring totals of 886 (senior year) and 838 (junior year) rank second and third on the state's season scoring chart ... Averaged a state-record 36.9 points per game in 1994-1995 ... Led Seeger to the Sweet 16 four straight seasons ... Earned national player of the year honors and was voted Miss Basketball in 1995 ... played at Purdue when the Boilermakers won the 1999 NCAA Championship ... Played for the WNBA's Carolina Sting and is now property of the WNBA's Indiana Fever ... Serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Seeger this season ... Her sister, Stacy, is a senior on Seeger's team.
