The Marion County Athletic Association will soon name its City and County Athletes of the Year, an award that dates to 1950 and grew to include girls’ achievements in 1979.
The awards are geared toward athletic achievement, but almost every winner over the years has exhibited impressive credentials in and out of their athletic, academic and personal areas. Generally, multi-sport athletes are given consideration over single-sport athletes, though in some cases a single-sport athlete has been so outstanding that he or she has been selected as the winner.
Here are the four finalists for Marion County Male Athlete of the Year (last year’s winner was Ben Davis’ Mark Zackery IV):
Rylan Hainje, Franklin Central
Hainje is one of the most accomplished track and field athletes in recent years, winning double state championships in the 110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles last season as a junior, setting state records in both events. Hainje is the school record holder in both hurdles’ events, along with the 4×100-meter relay, 60-meter indoor hurdles (also a state record) and 100 meters. He was also a sectional and regional champion both years and qualified for the New Balance Nationals in 2025 and ’26. Hainje, who is committed to Marian University, helped his team to a regional championship as a junior and was named the Hoosier Crossroads Conference track athlete of the year.
Munachimdinanma Newman-Nwodika, Pike
Newman-Nwodika was a six-time letterwinner in football and basketball at Pike, earning distinction in football as an All-County selection as a senior and the 2026 Jim Mills Memorial Academic MVP Scholar Athlete as the county’s senior basketball player with the highest grade-point average. He was part of Pike’s sectional championship and Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference title in basketball as a senior. Newman-Nwodika’s academic achievements include two-time All-MIC in football and basketball as a junior and senior, all-state in football as a junior and senior and Pike’s Most Outstanding Scholar Athlete in football and basketball as a junior and senior. He was named the 2025 Great American Rivalry Scholar Athlete winner. He was also all-conference and all-state on the field as a junior and senior. Newman-Nwodika plans to play football and study mechanical engineering at Western Michigan.
Alec Surber, Decatur Central
Surber was a seven-time letterwinner in football and basketball at Decatur Central, earning All-Marion County honors as a junior and senior. He was part of three sectional championships in football (two in Class 5A and one in 6A) and helped Decatur Central win its first state championship as a junior in 2024. Surber was also part of Decatur Central’s sectional and regional championship team as a senior. He was named IFCA Academic All-State and to the Mid-State Conference All-Academic team. Surber was IFCA 5A Junior All-State and IFCA 6A Senior All-State and all-conference in the Mid-State. Surber started 50 consecutive games, was a two-year captain and earned the Kyle Thompson Character Award. He plans to attend Austin Peay to play football and study finance.
Michael White, Lawrence North
White was a four-time letterman in wrestling, winning two Marion County championships, three sectional titles, two regional championships and the state title as a senior with a perfect 47-0 record. White was also the state runner-up as a junior. He was named to the IndyStar Super Team as a junior and senior and earned 2026 Indiana Wrestler of the Year honors. He was named All-American as a senior as the No. 1 wrestler in the country in the 190-pound class. He is the first wrestler from Indiana to win the Ironman Tournament in Ohio. White plans to wrestle and study exercise science at Oklahoma State. He hopes to become an NCAA champion and possibly compete in the Olympics or UFC and coach one day.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: High school sports: Four finalists for Marion County Male Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
