This sharp-shooting guard is the latest in a long line of Indiana high school phenoms.

Since becoming a starter as a freshman at Wawasee High School in Syracuse, Ind., Shanna Zolman has led the state in scoring. Only sixty-eight games into her high school career, the 5-10 guard has racked up 2,239 points--which means Stephanie White (McCarty)'s all-time state scoring record of 2,869 points is well within reach during her senior season.

Zolman isn't just a gunner, though. Fundamentally strong, she always gets her points within Wawasee's offense, and she almost never takes a bad shot. She's also very team-oriented, according to her head coach and father, Kem Zolman, and possesses excellent leadership skills.

As a junior, Shanna was named to Parade's All-American first team, and she lived up to her billing. Zolman helped lead the Warriors to an undefeated regular season and to their second straight sectional title, before the team fell in the state regionals. She averaged 34.3 points per game, shooting an amazing 46 percent from three-point range. And after the season, she was named an alternate to the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Team.

While Zolman is obviously talented, she doesn't take her gifts for granted. ''Basketball just comes easy to me,'' she told the Louisville Journal-Courier recently. ''God has given me the ability to go out and just have fun playing basketball. I just work hard at it, and I work hard away from the season to make sure I stay in the best shape I can.''

Last October, Zolman announced an early commitment to attend the University of Tennessee, no doubt breaking the hearts of dozens of college coaches around the country. "The reason why I have committed early is merely because I am fulfilling a dream that I have had," she said during her press conference. "Once I have found something that I like or want, I go after it, I stick to it. Once I realized that I had an opportunity for my dream to come true, I did not want anything else." She'll sign an official Letter of Intent in November.

With three excellent seasons under her belt, and her college decision already announced, Zolman is poised to have another great year as a senior. But she's not focused on breaking Stephanie White's record--just on continuing to improve as a player.

''That's my goal, to get better and better each year,'' she told the Journal-Courier. ''If I don't, then there's something wrong. I feel that I have a good work ethic, one that I'm really proud of. Michael Jordan is the best player in the world, and he always works his butt off to get better. I believe that if he can, then I can work harder.''

Article written by Gball Associate Editor Jim Catalano.

Nominate someone you know as a High School Hero. Email us at info@gballmag.com.