Southwestern's Newton earns IBCA scholarship

Forty Indiana high school seniors have been named winners of the 2026 scholarship awards from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

The IBCA – a statewide coaches group with about 2,400 members – this year is presenting a grant of $500 to each recipient in the names of Marion Crawley, Junior Mannies Pat Aikman and Steve and Jean Witty.

Through the years, the IBCA has awarded about $840,000 in scholarships to Indiana student-athletes.

“I would like to congratulate you for being selected as a recipient,” IBCA executive director emeritus Steve Witty wrote in informing winners of the various selections. “Thank you for your contributions to Indiana high school basketball, and best of luck as you move on to the college of your choice.”

A total of 34 Crawley Scholarships were presented to 12 boys, 16 girls, four student managers, one cheerleader and one student trainer/team statistician.

Southwestern’s Cecil Newton was one of 12 boys selected.

Other boys honored were Columbus North’s Caleb Ferguson, Centerville’s Landyn Keiser, Jasper’s Kash Kendall, Gary West’s Damien Maldonado, Brownstown Central’s Lane Pendleton, Connersville’s Maddox Rees, Greensburg’s Ethan Smith, Evansville North’s Lance Smith, Floyd Central’s Tate Smith, Sheridan’s Chance Spencer, and Mt. Vernon’s Brady Webber.

The girls scholarship recipients are Cathedral’s Precious Anuka, Trinity Lutheran’s Bailey Bonde, Carmel’s Sydney Bonds, North Harrison’s Lillian Burks, Columbus North’s Kenna Conrad, Princeton’s Nya Dame, West Washington’s Meredith Deaton, New Washington’s Izabel Ford, Oldenburg Academy’s Norah Haverkos, Maconaquah’s Addie Maiben, Madison’s Mylee McQueary, Knightstown’s Anna Roberson, Eastern’s Addison Smith, Central Noble’s Grace Swank, White River Valley’s Ella Welsh, and Washington’s Ella Williams.

The student manager recipients are Cardinal Ritter’s Alyssa Clay, Maconaquah’s Kira Ropes, and Gibson Southern’s Maci Spindler.

The cheerleader recipient is Edgewood’s Victoria Wadsworth.

The student trainer/statistician recipient in LaPorte’s Wyatt Wilczynski.

Criteria for the Crawley Scholarship includes achievement in basketball, achievement in academics, participation in extracurricular activities and service to one’s school and community. Crawley was a former four-time boys basketball state championship coach – two with the Washington Hatchets and two with the Lafayette Jeff Bronchos – who amassed 644 career wins. He later became the first executive director of the IBCA, serving in that role from 1970-74. He then served as the IBCA assistant executive director from 1974 until he passed away in 1982.

Noah Cupp of Brownsburg and Jacob Emerick of Manchester, student managers at their respective schools, are winners of 2026 IBCA Junior Mannies Scholarships.

Mannies Scholarships are presented to students who have a physical handicap but have contributed to their school basketball program. Mannies posted a 309-301 record in 29 seasons as a boys basketball coach at Delphi, Mississinewa Lewis Cass and Elwood. He later served as athletic director at Danville and as the IBCA Job Placement Director from 1977-83. From 1983 through 2026, 76 students have been awarded Mannies Scholarships.

Two players – Grace Behny of the Knightstown girls’ team and Jack Guerre of Mt. Vernon’s boys’ team – are recipients of the 16^th Annual Pat Aikman Character and Leadership Awards. This scholarship is named for Aikman, the Indiana All-Star games director from 1988-2007 and former IBCA Coordinator of Special Projects.

Criteria for the Aikman Award include achievements and contributions in basketball, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, and service to school and community. Also, those considered for the Aikman Award are students who plan to enter the fields of journalism, sports management, athletic training or physical therapy. Behny and Guerre are the 43^rd and 44^th recipients of Aikman Awards presented since 2011.

Lincoln Garrett of Batesville and Leah Shappell of Leo, both players for successful programs, are 2026 winners of the Steve & Jeanie Witty Scholarship, named for the IBCA’s current executive director emeritus and his late wife. Steve Witty posted a 266-68 record and was a two-time boys basketball state champion coach at Ben Davis, then served from 2002 to 2022 as IBCA executive director. Jeanie Witty was a registered nurse who upon retirement became Steve’s administrative assistant. Jeanie passed away in April 2023 after serving the IBCA for 18 years.

The Witty Scholarship awards go to student-athletes who are the child of a current-year IBCA-member coach who plans to pursue a career in education/coaching or a something in the medical field such as a physician, physician’s assistant, nurse or medical technician. This award was started in 2024, and this is the third year for it.

Garrett, son of Batesville boys coach Aaron Garrett, and Shappell, daughter of Leo girls coach Carrie Shappell, are the fifth and sixth winners of the Witty Scholarship. Past winners are J.D. Lynch of Brownsburg and Kaitlin White of Columbus North in 2024 as well as Abigayle Clayton of Hamilton Southeastern and Nate Luce of Wapahani in 2025.

“They are deserving young people who help make coaching a great profession,” Witty said of the 40 winners for 2026.

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