Recently, we unveiled our plan to name area programs’ top five players of the 21st century, which sits at 25 seasons in both football and basketball.
Reminder, this is based on high school career performance ONLY. This is by no means a definitive list and, if anything, is encouraging debate on potential omissions to this list.
Through exhaustive research, reaching out to former coaches and players and our own personal opinion, here is the OTH Quarter Century Team for Central Noble Cougars girls basketball.
Note: The list is in alphabetical order
Sydney Freeman
A four-year varsity star, Freeman led Central Noble to a 95–16 record capped by the 2018 Class 2A state title, stacking three straight sectional and regional championships and multiple NECC crowns. She graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,741) and rewrote the record book in assists and steals, while earning Indiana All-Star and IBCA Supreme 15 honors. After averaging 18.3 points, 5 steals, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists as a senior and sweeping All-NECC recognition all four years, she went on to play in college, most recently at Purdue Fort Wayne.
Chelsea Gallmeyer
A 2004 graduate of Central Noble, Gallmeyer led the Cougars early in the century, helping them to a 30-13 record her last two seasons, winning 14 games a senior. She was a two-time First Team All-NECC selection in 2002–03 and 2003–04. While her season by season stats are not readily available, Gallmeyer did finish her career with over 900 total points, including a career best 299 during her senior season where she averaged just around 14 points per game.
Meleah Leatherman
A 6’1″ center graduating in 2019, Leatherman was one half of one of the area’s best duos of the area. In her senior year, she averaged 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over 28 games, and by the end of her senior season had amassed 1,649 career points — just shy of the school’s all-time scoring record – while also surpassing 1,000 career rebounds and being name IBCA All-State. Leatherman earned a place in Central Noble’s Athletic Hall of Fame (Class of 2025) and went on to continue her career at the University of Saint Francis
Carey Magnuson
A 2006 Central Noble graduate, she was a four-year letterwinner, earned All-NECC honors three times, made the Kendallville All-Area team in 2004 and 2005, and was named Co-Prep of the Year for KPC in 2006. She competed in the USA Junior Nationals, the Nancy Rehm All-Star Classic, and won the Indiana East/West All-Star 3-point contest. Magnuson set numerous school records, including 163 career three-pointers, 36 points in a game, 446 in a season, and 1,220 career points, along with a free-throw mark of 86.5% and a single-game assist record of eight. She went on to play at Grace.
Madison Vice
In her senior season (2022–23), she averaged 18.4 points, 5.0 assists, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 steals, ranking among the top players in Class 2A. During her senior season, Vice led the Cougars to a 26-3 record, losing in the semi state finals. She had 33 points on 69 percent shooting in a senior year Regional title victory. Vice broke out during her junior season with her 3.2 assists per game; she also led the Cougars with 5.8 rebounds, 14.1 points and 3 steals per contest.
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