1998 IHSAA BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING STATE FINALS

Justin Hoggatt of Homestead and Jon Karr of Columbus North won their third straight individual titles, while Columbus North claimed its first team state championship since 1985 in the 61^st Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Boys Swimming & Diving State Finals Saturday at the I.U. Natatorium in Indianapolis.

Hoggatt, a senior at Homestead, became the first athlete in more than 40 years to win three straight titles in the 50 freestyle. Hoggatt successfully defended his title with a 20.5 effort, his best time during the three-year run of state championships. The only other athlete to achieve the 50 freestyle three-peat was Leslie Lobaugh of South Bend Central in 1953-54-55.

Karr, a senior at Columbus North, collected his third straight 100 backstroke title with a winning time of 49.90. It was his best winning time during the three-year run.

Hoggatt came back to win the 100 butterfly in 49.47 and was one of three athletes to win two individual titles. He was joined by Jason Mallory of Penn and Jeff Lee of Munster.

Mallory, a senior at Penn, shattered the meet record in the 500 freestyle by more than 3 seconds in 4:26.25. He earlier won the 200 individual medley title in 1:48.53. It was the only record set in the finals. The 100 backstroke record fell during Friday's preliminaries. Lee, a junior at Munster, doubled in the 100 freestyle (44.96) and the 200 freestyle (1:38.67).

Columbus North won its first title since 1985 with a strong team effort that resulted in 247 points. Two-time defending state champion Carmel was second with 201 points, followed by Mount Vernon with 171.50, Munster with 150 and Homestead with 142.

A two-day crowd of 5,332 witnessed the meet, including 3,038 for the finals.

Justin Hoggatt of Homestead was named by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 1998 recipient of the Herman F. Keller Award for Mental Attitude in Boys Swimming. The senior completed his high school career with four individual state titles -- three in the 50 freestyle and one in the 100 butterfly. He also swam a leg on Homestead's victorious 200 medley relay team in the 1998 meet. 

Hoggatt served as the Homestead boys swimming captain the past two seasons and ranks in the top 25 percent of his senior class. He plans to attend the University of Tennessee on a swimming scholarship and major in engineering.  

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, awarded a $1,000 scholarship in Hoggatt's name to Homestead High School.

200 Medley Relay -- Homestead (Shawn Cismowski, Kyle Laux, Joel Hageman, Justin Hoggatt), 1:35.36.

200 Freestyle -- Jeff Lee, Munster, 1:38.67.

200 Individual Medley -- Jason Mallory, Penn, 1:48.53.

50 Freestyle -- Justin Hoggatt, 20.56.

Diving -- Aaron Kirkpatrick, Pendleton Heights, 462.40.

100 Butterfly -- Justin Hoggatt, Homestead, 49.47.

100 Freestyle -- Jeff Lee, Munster, 44.96.

500 Freestyle -- Jason Mallory, Penn, 4:26.25. Meet record; former record: 4:29.29, John Retrum, Anderson, 1997.

200 Freestyle Relay -- Mount Vernon (John Wainman, David Franklin, Ryan McNally, Tom Rueger), 1:25.52.

100 Backstroke -- Jon Karr, Columbus North, 49.90.

100 Breaststroke -- Matt Gouwens, Highland, 57.60.

400 Freestyle Relay -- Columbus North (Conor Leehaug, Jeremy Wright, Patrick Norman, Jon Karr).