LANI WORTHINGTON
INDUCTION YEAR: 2025
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL | COACH
WHEN MCCUTCHEON HIGH SCHOOL OPENED ITS DOORS, THERE WAS NO FOUNDATION FOR GIRLS’ ATHLETICS. BUT THAT CHANGED WHEN COACH WORTHINGTON STEPPED ONTO CAMPUS. TASKED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A GIRLS' SPORTS PROGRAM, SHE NOT ONLY BUILT IT FROM THE GROUND UP BUT ALSO SET A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE THAT WOULD DEFINE MCCUTCHEON ATHLETICS FOR DECADES TO COME.
THROUGH HER LEADERSHIP, YOUNG WOMEN FOUND OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE, GROW, AND EXCEL. SHE HELPED OPEN DOORS GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING FOR CHERYL WIEDEMAN SUTER, MCCUTCHEON'S FIRST DIVISION I SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETE.
COACH WORTHINGTON’S VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH SUCCESS. OVER 24 YEARS AT MCCUTCHEON, SHE AMASSED AN INCREDIBLE CAREER RECORD OF 716 WINS AND JUST 208 LOSSES, AN ASTONISHING 77.5% WINNING PERCENTAGE. HER TEAMS CAPTURED 15 SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, 6 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, 4 SEMI-STATE TITLES, AND MADE 5 STATE FINAL APPEARANCES, TWICE FINISHING AS STATE RUNNER-UP IN THE PRE-CLASS SYSTEM.
HER IMPACT EXTENDED BEYOND TROPHIES. THIRTY OF HER ATHLETES EARNED COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS, AND HER COACHING LEGACY WAS CEMENTED WITH NUMEROUS ACCOLADES, INCLUDING BEING NAMED THE INDIANA STATE COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1989 AND HER INDUCTION INTO THE INDIANA VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1999.
FOR HER UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO MCCUTCHEON ATHLETICS, HER TRAILBLAZING EFFORTS FOR FEMALE ATHLETES, AND HER REMARKABLE COACHING CAREER, WE ARE HONORED TO INDUCT COACH LANI WORTHINGTON INTO THE MCCUTCHEON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME.