Park Tudor struck early with three runs in the first inning and cruised to a 7-3 victory over Milan in the IHSAA Class A State Finals at Victory Field in Indianapolis.

Senior pitcher Todd Grant, who went the distance for his 12^th victory, put Park Tudor ahead to stay in the bottom of the first when he scored on a throwing error.

Milan kept the game within reach, and threatened to pull even in the final inning. Milan senior catcher Ryan Ingram led off the sixth inning with a towering shot that cleared the left field fence by 40 feet to pull Milan within 6-3. It was the ninth home run hit in an IHSAA state championship game and the first in a Class A title game. Five of the championship game home runs have been hit in the three years since the IHSAA state finals moved to Victory Field.

After Park Tudor added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 7-3, Milan filled the bases in the top of the seventh with one out. Grant struck out designated hitter Barry Webster for the second out and got Ingram, the Milan cleanup hitter, out on a short fly ball to rightfield to end the game.

Sophomore Courtney Clency had two hits and drove in two runs for Park Tudor as part of the first-inning outburst. Junior second baseman Neil Quigley also stroked two hits for the Panthers. Grant went the distance on the mound, striking out three and yielding eight hits.

It is the sixth IHSAA state title overall for Park Tudor, all coming in the 1990s. The Panthers claimed the IHSAA boys tennis title in 1991, 1997, 1998 and 1999. They were the girls tennis state champions in 1998.

Ronnie Kennett, a senior at Milan High School, was chosen by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 1999 recipient of the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award in Class A baseball.

The first baseman hit .360 with five home runs in helping the Indians to their first appearance in the baseball state finals. Also a starter on the Milan basketball team that reached the Class A semi-state in 1999, Kennett ranked 14^th in his graduating class of 80 students. He is a member of the National Honor Society and will attend Hanover College.

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 check to Milan High School in the name of Kennett.

E — Ingram, Kilburn. 2B — Langferman, Black. 3B — Grant. HR — Ingram. SB — Langferman, Grant, Quigley 3, Markley, Fleck, Kleymeyer, Clency 2. CS — Dust. WP — Mattl 2. PB — Ingram. DP — Milan 1. LOB — Milan 7, Park Tudor 7. SF -- Markley. Umpires — Larry Wetzel (Home Plate), Richard Watkins (First Base), Norm Delph (Second Base), Ron Jobst (Third Base). Time of Game — 1:41.