Fort Wayne Northrop won two events and capitalized on superior depth to capture its first state championship June 6 at North Central High School in Indianapolis in the 94th Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Boys & Track Field State Finals.

Ranked No. 1 by the state coaches association, Fort Wayne Northrop finished with 37 points to edge Fort Wayne Concordia with 35. Fort Wayne Wayne and Evansville Reitz tied for third with 30 points, followed by Pike and Carmel with 29. The meet was conducted under cloudy and cool conditions. Following rains early in the day, the track was damp. But there was little precipitation during the meet.

It was the seventh IHSAA state championship overall for Fort Wayne Northrop and the first since the Bruins won the girls track and field state championship in 1991. Their other state championships have come in baseball, boys basketball, girls basketball and boys golf.

Junior pole vaulter Jo’l Gerardot gave Fort Wayne Northrop its only individual title with a 16-0 effort. Teammate Joseph Strong provided valuable points with his fourth-place finish in the event. The Bruins also won the 3,200 meter relay, and won key points with fifth-place finishes in the shot put and discus, and a ninth-place effort in the 800 meters.

Also repeating was Damian Sherck, a senior at Elkhart Central, in the 1,600 meter run with a time of 4:18.54. Sherck outdueled 1996 IHSAA Boys Cross Country champion Fasil Bizuneh of Ben Davis, who finished at 4:19.70. Sherck was the third-place finisher by 11 seconds to Bizuneh in the 1996 IHSAA Boys Cross Country Championships.

Bizuneh came back to finish second in the 3,200 meters to senior Steve Casebolt of Richmond. Bizuneh mounted a challenge down the stretch, but Casebolt had enough grab the victory in 9:21.41. Casebolt also was a cross country standout, finishing ninth in the 1996 state meet and 11th in 1995 when Richmond was the team champion.

Ian Baker of Jeffersonville, who won the 300 meter low hurdles in 1996, finished second this time but won the 110 meter low hurdles in 14.26. A senior, Baker took second in the 300 meter low hurdles to senior Adrian Swanson of South Bend Adams in 36.48.

Tyrone Browning of Evansville Reitz, a football recruit at Indiana University, blazed to the 800 meter championship in 1:54.73, while junior teammate Chad Schwartz dethroned 1996 state champion Kendall McCroy of Peru in the 400 meters with a 48.50.

Other athletes winning individual championships, all for the first time, were seniors Mike Adams of Ben Davis in the 100 meters, Thomas Brashear of Bloomington North in the 200 meters and Corey Eloms of Fort Wayne Concordia in the long jump. Eloms also ran the opening leg on Fort Wayne Concordia’s championship 4 x 100 meters relay team.

Jeremy Allen of Pike High School was named the 1997 recipient of the Robert S. Hinshaw Award for Mental Attitude in Boys Track. Allen was the meet’s only double winner, capturing the shot put with a record effort and the discus. Allen, who won eight varsity letters in track, football and wrestling at Pike, graduated in the top third of his class. He will attend the University of Iowa on a track scholarship and major in business. Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, will present a $1,000 scholarship in Allen’s name to Pike High School.

Team Standings

1. Thomas Brashear, Bloomington North, 21.44; 2. Ruben Carter, Lawrence North, 21.57; 3. Kevin Craig, Fort Wayne Wayne, 22.07; 4. Rolando Scott, Fort Wayne Concordia, 22.27; 5. Zeb Gathright, South Bend Washington, 22.34; 6. Kendall McCroy, Peru, 22.36; 7. Adam Williams, Evansville Bosse, 22.37; 8. Corey Parchman, Indianapolis Manual, 22.38; 9. Wesley Davis, Gary Roosevelt, 22.77.

1. Chad Schwartz, Evansville Reitz, 48.50; 2. Kendall McCroy, Peru, 48.53; 3. Andy Leininger, Cass, 48.83; 4. Jeff Huser, Hamilton Southeastern, 48.96; 5. Barry Day, Morton Memorial, 48.99; 6. Kem Footman, Lawrence Central, 49.10; 7. Wesley Davis, Gary Roosevelt, 49.24; 8. William Bumphus, Warren Central, 49.42; 9. Corky Gray, Gary Wallace, 49.54.

1. Tyrone Browning, Evansville Reitz, 1:54.73; 2. Benjamin Norton, Fort Wayne Snider, 1:55.62; 3. P.J. Little, Maconaquah, 1:55.89; 4. Matt Hartman, Evansville Memorial, 1:56.39; 5. Nolan Richhart, Woodlan, 1:57.17; 6. Casey Rains, Jay County, 1:57.24; 7. Jason Briggs, Richmond, 1:57.29; 8. Andre Beasley, Fort Wayne Wayne, 1:57.33; 9. Ryan Fritz, Fort Wayne Northrop, 1:57.43.

1. Damian Sherck, Elkhart Central, 4:18.54; 2. Fasil Bizuneh, Ben Davis, 4:19.70; 3. Tom Taylor, Portage, 4:19.98; 4. Jason Floyd, Elkhart Central, 4:21.55; 5. Ayron King, Pike, 4:23.08; 6. Kevin Chandler, East Noble, 4:24.15; 7. Jeff Zeha, Portage, 4:25.45; 8. Chris Boesch, Clinton Prairie, 4:25.48; 9. Chris Powers, Muncie Central, 4:26.52.

 3200 Meters

1. Steve Casebolt, Richmond, 9:21.41; 2. Fasil Bizuneh, Ben Davis, 9:22.21; 3. Tito Downer, Carmel, 9:27.35; 4. Jeff Headrick, Concord, 9:29.25; 5. Bart Phariss, North Central (Indpls.), 9:37.19; 6. Aaron Crague, Lake Central, 9:37.92; 7. Mike Griffith, Portage, 9:40.79; 8. Jeff Glant, Southport, 9:41.63; 9. Phil Yoder, East Noble, 9:42.46.

1. Ian Baker, Jeffersonville, 14.26; 2. Starr Roberts, Terre Haute North, 14.39; 3. Larry Hines, Hammond, 14.40; 4. Curtis Holt, Elkhart Central, 14.63; 5. Adrian Swanson, South Bend Adams, 14.64; 6. Ryan Johnson, Gary Roosevelt, 14.66; 7. Kenny Franklin, Lawrence Central, 14.73; 8. Kenny Beatty, Lawrence Central, 14.83; 9. Andy Leininger, Cass, 14.98.

1. Adrian Swanson, South Bend Adams, 36.48; 2. Ian Baker, Jeffersonville, 36.49; 3. Larry Hines, Hammond, 37.52; 4. Andy Morris, Carmel, 37.58; 5. Raymond Stewart, Fort Wayne Snider, 37.66; 6. Nathan Weisenborn, Union County, 37.69; 7. Curtis Holt, Elkhart Central, 37.85; 8. Evan Smith, Vincennes Lincoln, 38.18; 9. Starr Roberts, Terre Haute North, 38.25.

1. Warren Central (Jamel Perryman, William Bumphus, Justin Smith, Paul Harden) 3:20.89; 2. Gary Mann 3:22.16; 3. North Central (Indpls.) 3:22.19; 4. Noblesville 3:22.87; 5. Fort Wayne Snider 3:23.26; 6. Evansville Reitz 3:23.30; 7. Lawrence North 3:23.96; 8. Bloomington North 3:24.06; 9. South Bend Adams 3:24.53.

1. Fort Wayne Northrop (Jordan Butler, Brett Tipton, Ryan McNeil, Ryan Fritz) 7:56.44; 2. Richmond 7:58.33; 3. Franklin 7:58.91; 4. Carmel 8:01.05; 5. Gary Mann 8:02.53; 6. Valparaiso 8:03.41; 7. Goshen 8:05.78; 8. Bloomington North 8:07.00; 9. Noblesville 8:07.11.

1. Jeremy Allen, Pike, 194-3; 2. Tyler Garrett, Southport, 183-10; 3. Adam Vrabel, Munster, 182-7; 4. Nick Swathwood, Harrison (W. Laf.), 177-10; 5. Joe Koczan, Fort Wayne Northrop, 167-10; 6. Jonathan Chase, Maconaquah, 164-7; 7. Dustin Pennycuff, Noblesville, 160-6; 8. Derek Dyer, Huntington North, 159-3; 9. Allen Lidy, Castle, 156-2.

1. Jeremy Allen, Pike, 66-8.5 (State Meet Record); 2. Adam Vrabel, Munster, 66-8; 3. Tony Fey, Bluffton, 59-5; 4. Tyler Garrett, Southport, 59-3.5; 5. Joe Koczan, Fort Wayne Northrop, 58-3.5; 6. Pete Lougheed, Homestead, 58-1.5; 7. Nick Swathwood, Harrison (W. Laf.), 57-10.25; 8. Brian Ridings, Providence, 55-6.75; Travis Buntin, Tri-County, 55-1.75.

1. Corey Eloms, Fort Wayne Concordia, 23-3.5; 2. Kendall McCroy, Peru, 22-11; 3. Charlie Perkins, Morton Memorial, 22-8.25; 4. Eric Fikes, Fort Wayne Wayne, 22-3.25; 5. Nathan Kelly, Salem, 22-0.75; 6. Rick Bellamy, Lawrence Central, 21-10.5; 7. Grover Davis, Gary West Side, 21-9.75; 8. Jason Teeters, Yorktown, 21-7.75; 9. Terrance Carr, Indianapolis Ars. Technical, 21-7.75.

1. Todd Beyerlein, Carmel, 7-0; 2. Andy Leininger, Cass, 6-9; 3. Kenneth Green, Bloomfield, 6-7; 4. Adam Kemple, Charlestown, 6-7; 5. Branden Boyd, Lawrenceburg, 6-6; 6. Desmond Jones, Michigan City, 6-6; 7. (tie) Charles Austin, Southport, 6-4; Aaron Pister, Corydon Central, 6-4; Adam Shunk, Delta, 6-4.

1. Jo’L Gerardot, Fort Wayne Northrop, 16-0; 2. Benjamin Gensic, Carroll (Fort Wayne), 15-6; 3. Jason Blair, South Spencer, 15-6; 4. Joseph Strong, Fort Wayne Northrop, 15-3; 5. Aaron Arnold, Bellmont, 14-3; 6. Darrick Thomas, Hamilton Heights, 14-3; 7. Ben Lewis, Fort Wayne Concordia, 14-0; 8. John Watts, Austin, 14-0; 9. Collin Gayde, Lawrence North, 14-0.