Carmel won the first event and the final event to go with superior depth in between on its way to repeating as the team champion in the 26^th Annual IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Finals at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.

Carmel opened the meet with a record performance in the 3200 meter relay and sealed the victory with a come-from-behind triumph in the 1600 relay. The Greyhounds finished with 45 points, followed by Pike with 38.

Carmel bettered its own state finals mark in the 3200 relay, winning by three seconds in 9:17.45. It broke the 9:20.72 it ran in the 1998 state finals.

The state championship was Carmel's second in girls track and 63rd IHSAA title overall, the state high.

Stacy Martin of Edgewood shattered the 13-year-old state finals record in the discus by nearly 11 feet and doubled her victory by capturing the shot put in another record.

A senior, Martin broke the discus record on her second of six throws and subsequently extended the mark three more times, topped by a 165-4 effort. The former record was 154-5 by Michelle Luecke of Rensselaer Central in 1986. Finishing second to Martin was Sara Fields of Bloomington North in 152-5.

Martin followed in the shot put by going 49-7 to win by more than two feet over defending champion Kerri McClung of Jay County at 45-2. Martin's toss broke the record of 46-5 set by Alisa Raymond of Castle at the 1993 state finals.

Wheeler's Michelle DelaVina matched Martin in winning two events. The sophomore bested the field in the 1600 in 4:55.22, and then outkicked Westview's Nicole Williams in the front stretch by two-hundredths of a second. DelaVina finished in 10:48.48 to Williams' 10:48.50. Williams was the 1997 cross country state champion.

Danielle Kerr of Pioneer returned to the winner's platform in the high jump with a winning height of 5-9. The senior was the state champion in 1997 as a sophomore and runner-up in 1998. Abby Brown of Northeast Dubois was second to Kerr at 5-5, while defending champion Melyssa Reinhardt of Southport was 10^th at 5-4.

Tandra Foster, a senior at Lafayette Jefferson, captured the long jump title with an effort of 19-2.25. Foster finished third in the event in 1998. Jan Eichenauer of Wabash took second to Foster at 19-0, while defending champion Erica Thurman of Pike was third at 18-6.

Senior Brooke Beckort of South Central (Elizabeth) became the first athlete in school history to win a girls track and field individual title when she captured the 300 low hurdles in 43.28.

The 800 title went to Rholonda Ash of Harding with a three-second triumph over Victoria Bassett of Michigan City in 2:12.31.

TEAM SCORES
  1. Carmel, 45; 2. Pike, 38; 3. FW Northrop, 32; 4. Muncie
 Central, 30; 5. Hammond Noll, 23; 6. S B Adams, 22; 6. North Central (Indpls),
 22; 8. Wheeler, 20; 8. Edgewood, 20; 10. Wabash, 19; 11. Lakeland, 18; 12.    
 Westview, 16; 12. Bellmont, 16; 12. Lawrence Central, 16; 12. EV Bosse, 16;   
 16. Gary West Side, 15; 17. Bluffton, 14; 17. South Central (Elizabeth), 14;  
 17. Bloomington North, 14; 20. Homestead, 13; 20. Harding, 13; 20. FW Wayne,  
 13; 20. Bloomington South, 13; 24. Michigan City, 12; 24. Jeffersonville, 12; 
 26. Brebeuf, 11; 27. Center Grove, 10.50; 28. Pioneer, 10; 28. Lafayette      
 Jefferson, 10; 30. West Lafayette, 9; 31. Northeast Dubois, 8; 31. Indpls     
 Chatard, 8; 31. Jay County, 8; 34. Merrillville, 7; 34. Mishawaka, 7; 34. FW  
 Elmhurst, 7; 34. Wawasee, 7; 34. Terre Haute South, 7; 34. North Vermillion,  
 7; 40. Indpls Ars. Technical, 6; 40. Indpls Broad Ripple, 6; 40. Elkhart      
 Central, 6; 40. S B Clay, 6; 40. Valparaiso, 6; 45. Marion, 5; 45. Brownsburg,
 5; 45. Columbus East, 5; 45. Hamilton Southeastern HS, 5; 45. Clarksville, 5; 
 50. FW Snider, 4.50; 51. Gary Wallace, 4; 52. FW Luers, 3; 52. Madison, 3; 52.
 Greensburg, 3; 55. Mount Vernon (Fortville), 2; 55. FW North, 2; 55. Rising   
 Sun, 2; 55. Lawrence North, 2; 59. Indpls Northwest, 1; 59. Terre Haute North,
 1; 59. Eastern Hancock, 1; 59. Floyd Central, 1; 59. Waldron, 1; 59.          

Stacy Martin of Edgewood was selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award in Girls Track & Field.

Martin set records in capturing top honors in both the discus and shot put during the state finals.

Academically, she ranks fifth in her senior class of 177 students with a 3.9 GPA and plans on studying medicine or science at Auburn University where she has received a full scholarship.

The award is presented annually to the senior who best demonstrates excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in girls track and field. Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Edgewood High School in the name of Martin.