Indiana High School Athletic Association

9150 North Meridian Street, Box 40650, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240-0650

Phone: 317-846-6601    Fax: 317-575-4244    Website: www.ihsaa.org

Blake Ress, Commissioner

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June 14, 2006

 

Floyd Central earns first state championship; Michigan City’s Novak earns medalist honors

 

Top-ranked Floyd Central roared back from 16 strokes down after the first 18 holes to win its first IHSAA boys golf state championship in the 70th Annual Finals at The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin.  Coach Mike Cason’s Highlanders started the day in a four-way tie for seventh, 16 strokes behind day one leader Terre Haute South and just one shot away from missing Tuesday’s nine-team cut.

 

Floyd Central, who finished with 308-286-594, started strong and never looked back in Wednesday’s final round, taking the lead early and extending it to 11 strokes over Columbus North and Terre Haute South, who tied for second at 605.  Bloomington South shot Wednesday’s second-best round with a 300 to finish fourth place overall at 606.

 

Floyd Central junior Ben Engle led all players in the final 18 holes with a four-under-par 68, moving him into a fourth-place tie overall with a two-day total of 143.  Junior Jon Shackelford and senior Kyle Welch each fired even-par 72’s on Wednesday, with junior Steven Shaffer adding a 74 to give the Highlanders a record 286 round.  That total eclipsed the previous standard of 288 by Richmond in the 2003 first round.  Floyd Central’s two-day total of 594 is tied for fourth all-time.  The 2003 Richmond team owns the 36-hole record with a 587.

 

Michigan City junior Anthony Novak earned medalist honors by one stroke with an even-par 72 in the final round, after a record-tying 66 on Tuesday.  His two-day total of 138 is the second-best ever, trailing only the 68-67-135 effort of Brownstown Central’s Chris Baker in 2003.

 

Delta sophomore Chase Wright was the only other player to break 70 on the final day, shooting a three-under-par 69 to go with a 70 in the opening round for a 36-hole total of 139.  That total is tied for third all-time with the 139 by Gary Gant of North Central (Indianapolis) in 1970.

 

Wawasee senior Andrew Wolf finished third with a pair of 70s for a 140 total, followed by the three-way tie for fourth between Engle and seniors Travis Smith of Terre Haute South and Nate Wine of Homestead.  Wine had matched Novak’s 66 in Tuesday’s opening round to equal the state record of Warren Central’s Justin Wenger in the 2002 first round.

 

 

Seth Fair wins Fred A. Keesling Mental Attitude Award

Brownsburg senior Seth Fair is the 2005-06 Fred A. Keesling Mental Attitude Award winner for boys’ golf as selected by members of the IHSAA Board of Directors.

 

Fair tied for eighth at the state finals with a 67-78-145 total.  He is a two-time all-state selection who competed in the state finals in both 2005 and 2006.  Fair was the medalist of the Martinsville Sectional last month with a 68.  He is a two-time Hoosier Crossroads Conference and Hendricks County medalist and a four-time all-conference and all-county selection.

Fair was a three-sport athlete, competing in football and basketball along with golf.

 

He has served on the IHSAA Student-Advisory Committee in both 2004-05 and 2005-06.

 

Fair graduated 30th in a senior class of 407 with a 3.94 cumulative grade point average.  The National Honor Society student was active as a class officer and student council representative all four years, participating in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 2005-06.

 

“I have never heard so many positive comments about an athlete from opposing coaches, athletic directors, officials, fans, and members of an athlete’s own team as with Seth,” said Brownsburg principal Dr. Russell E. Hodgkin.  “They compliment his sportsmanship, character, hustle, attitude, and above all—his heart.”

 

The recipient, nominated by his principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in boys golf.

 

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000 check to Brownsburg High School in the name of Seth Fair.

 

Fair, the son of Rick and Gayle Fair, plans to attend the University of Indianapolis and major in business.

 

VSN means Action Photography

Visit our friends at Visual Sports Network, the IHSAA’s official photographer for all state championship events and one of the leading action photographers in the Midwest. VSN, which was on site both Tuesday and Wednesday, has captured hundreds of images from this year’s State Finals and will have them ready for viewing and purchase beginning Thursday.

 

State Finals Programs available

Couldn’t be there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in person at the IHSAA Office (9150 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis) or $5.00 by mail (postage included). To order, have your Visa or MasterCard ready and call us at 317-846-6601 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EST).