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ALL-USA Central Indiana girls soccer 2024 Player of Year: Noblesville's Meredith Tippner
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- ALL-USA Central Indiana girls soccer 2024 Player of Year: Noblesville's Meredith Tippner
NOBLESVILLE — Mike Brady pauses thoughtfully following the question, then smirks. Do you have a favorite Meredith Tippner goal? "I have a favorite missed goal," the longtime Noblesville girls soccer coach quips, citing the "12-15 times" his senior forward tried a bicycle kick and missed.
"I can't believe I didn't get a single one in my career," Tippner laughs.
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"There was one she took from 22 yards out. It was absurd," Brady continues. "That was silly in itself … but even that attempt shows me the effort and what it means for her in front of the goal. It's painful to land on your back, but she puts herself out there."
From there, Brady shifts focus. Tippner scored plenty of big goals during her four-year varsity career, but she was distinguished during the Millers' latest state championship run by her ability (and willingness) to create for her teammates.
The team's leading scorer with a career-best 24 goals, the nationally ranked Miami basketball commit accounted for six of her career-high 16 assists during Noblesville's seven postseason games. She set up the game-winner in the sectional championship vs. top-ranked Hamilton Southeastern, then assisted on all three goals in the Class 3A final vs. Center Grove.
Noblesville Millers Meredith Tippner (23) brings the ball up the field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, during the class 3A state finals matchup between the Nobelsville Millers and Center Grove at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis. Noblesville defeated Center Grove, 3-1.
"I think she'd be the first to say (creating goals for others) is just as meaningful as scoring yourself," Brady said. "That's what impresses me most about her nature."
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Many athletes say they refuse to lose; Tippner followed through more times than not.
The inaugural IndyStar ALL-USA Central Indiana Player of the Year for girls soccer, Tippner is 24-1 in state tournament games — 35-3 including basketball — with four sectional titles and three state championships. Her lone postseason loss came her freshman year at eventual state champion Homestead in the regional semifinal, and she led the 2024 Millers to their third unbeaten finish in program history (19-0-2).
"When I was younger, my dad always asked, 'What do you want when you get to high school?' I told him I just wanted to win state championships. That's all I wanted. I wanted to bring the winning factor to the Millers program," said Tippner, who finished her career with 70 goals and 39 assists.
"You don't get to any of these (championships) without a whole team and every year you learn a little bit more about what it takes."
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The competitive drive that distinguishes Tippner was honed at the high school level, where she gained invaluable experience playing alongside 2022 Indiana Miss Soccer Ava Bramblett (now at Ohio State) and Lauren Adam (now at Purdue) for two seasons. But it was forged as a youngster. The two-sport standout fondly remembers watching her older brother, AJ, play for Noblesville United Soccer Club, the local community program, and not knowing what was happening, before starting to play herself as a kindergartener.
Somehow, Tippner continued, she was placed with the group a year older than her.
What happened? Her parents asked. She's so tiny out there. She's doing great, but why is she so much shorter than everyone else?
Noblesville High School senior forward Meredith Tippner (23) and Hamilton Southeastern High School senior midfielder Anna Tittle (8) during the second half of an IHSAA Girls Soccer Sectional Championship game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at Noblesville High School. Noblesville won 1-0.
NUSC directors offered to fix their mistake, but Katie and Matt politely declined.
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She'll be fine. She'll figure it out.
"It sparked me as a competitor and helped build me as a person and an athlete," Tippner said of playing against AJ and older kids growing up. "I was like, I don't care that I'm younger. I don't care that I'm smaller. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win."
"She's just a hard-working kid. She always has been," added senior goalkeeper Bella Wyatt, whose lone career assist came on a Tippner goal this season.
Tippner described this year's state championship win as more emotional, the final hurrah for a senior class that's "been through it all" and for a number of the girls — Tippner included — their last-ever soccer game.
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Last year's title run was more gratifying. 2023 looked to be a potential rebuilding year for the Millers, who graduated six starters, including Bramblett and most of their backline. Naturally, the external doubt served as motivation. Noblesville went 17-1-3 en route to its second consecutive title, with Tippner registering 23 goals and seven assists as the team's primary attacker.
She clocked a goal and an assist in the sectional semis vs. rival HSE, netted a hat trick against Fishers in the sectional final, then closed out her all-state campaign with a goal and two assists in the 3A final against Bloomington South.
"Never tell me it's a rebuilding year, because that's motivation," Tippner said. "That's the competitor in me. 'OK, let's prove them wrong. It'll be a chip on my shoulder each and every single day.'"
Noblesville Millers Meredith Tippner (23) and Center Grove Center Grove defender Taylor Baier (3) eye the ball Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, during the class 3A state finals matchup between the Nobelsville Millers and Center Grove at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis. Noblesville defeated Center Grove, 3-1.
Tippner's on-field contributions are immortalized in the halls of Noblesville's athletic wing and the record books.
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But her legacy extends far beyond that.
Tippner is a nurturing individual, Wyatt said of her longtime friend, describing her as a sweet, outgoing person who'll be honest with you and as a teammate is "the greatest hype woman on and off the field."
"She's just a great person all-around."
Tippner would routinely stay after practice to spend extra time working with the younger players, like Delaney Stone. The sophomore forward played sparingly as a freshman, but moved into a more prominent role this season. Stone credits Tippner with helping prepare her for the jump and pushing her to be the best player she could be. "She helped me get into that mindset and made me a better player overall."
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"I said a couple years ago I wouldn't want to play checkers against Meredith, because of how competitive she is," Brady said.
"But over the years, I've realized I'd like to because I'd lose, but I would at least see what went into being a winning checkers player. She is going to be prepared and she is going to outwork you. When you have that attitude and you combine that with her 'team first' mentality, you can't help but be successful and a leader and all the things we call Meredith. She's deserving of all the accolades she receives."
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls soccer: Meredith Tippner named Central Indiana player of year
