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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                                                                                                   February 28, 2004

 

 

CARMEL BOYS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT SWIMMING TITLE

The Carmel Boys Swimming & Diving Team fell short of setting the scoring record for the third consecutive year, but still managed to easily outdistance the competition for its fourth straight state championship during the 67th Annual IHSAA State Finals in Indianapolis.

 

The Greyhounds, coached by first year leader Tom Burchill, had three individual state champions and won all three relays for a total of 352 points. The team put an exclamation point on its day setting the meet record in the final event, the 400 Freestyle Relay in a winning time of 3:03.43. It was the second championship for Burchill in two weeks after leading the girls team to its 18th straight title. Carmel scored 369 points in this meet a year ago.

 

Homestead finished as this year’s runner-up, its highest finish ever, with 206 points, Northridge finished third with 145, North Central of Indianapolis was fourth with 144 and Penn rounded out the top five with 126.

 

Carmel’s Grant Wieczorek led off the Greyhounds’ 200 Medley Relay team which won the opening event for the third consecutive year in a time of 1:33.40. It would be the first win of a championship-filled day for he and his teammates.

 

Wieczorek came right back in the next event and impressively defended his state title from a year ago in the 200 Freestyle in a time of 1:38.93. Wieczorek separated himself from the other swimmers almost immediately and touched the wall over two seconds quicker than the next competitor. He also would go on to win the 100 Freestyle and was part of that record-setting 400 Freestyle Relay team. With his four medals on the day, he ends his prep career with 11 total for second place on the all-time list just behind Jason Lancaster, another Greyhound, who collected 12 from 1991-94. Junior teammate Sebastian Cousins accounted for the team’s other victory winning the 500 Freestyle in 4:36.02.

 

Besides the 400 Freestyle Relay, two other state meet records fell as Yorktown senior Eric Mattingly won the 50 Freestyle in a time of :20.40. His effort bested the previous mark of :20.46 set four years ago by Bremen’s Michael Stoller. The other was set by Benedict Hesen of Jeffersonville whose :49.12 in the 100 Backstroke lowered the mark of :49.42 set by Castle’s Bryce Hunt in 2000. It was Hesen’s third consecutive state championship in the event and second of the day. He earlier won the blue ribbon medal in the 100 Butterfly in :49.36.

 

Elwood diver Caleb Dunnichay accumulated 495.75 points to best the one meter springboard field and become the first athlete from his school to win a first place medal at this meet.

 

South Bend Riley’s Andrew Wray won the 100 Breaststroke in a time of :57.48. Wray had the state’s second best time in the event at sectionals but finished eighth in Friday’s preliminaries and ended up winning the state championship from the unlikely eighth lane.

 

Freshman Michael Christy of North Central of Indianapolis offered a glimpse of the future winning the 200 Individual Medley in 1:50.69 giving the Panthers the event’s champ for the second time in three years. Alex Dawson won the race in 2002 representing North Central.

 

Top 10 Teams

1. Carmel                                                  352

2. Homestead                                           206

3. Northridge                                             145

4. North Central (Indianapolis)                  144

5. Penn                                                      126

6. Center Grove                                        125

7. Yorktown                                               109

8. Chesterton                                              95

9. Hamilton Southeastern                           93

10. Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran          86

 

State Champions

200 Medley Relay – Carmel (Grant Wieczorek, Eric Johnson, Chip Bartels, Jason Cousins) 1:33.40.

200 Freestyle – Grant Wieczorek, Carmel, 1:38.93.

200 Individual Medley – Michael Christy, North Central (Indpls.) 1:50.69.

50 Freestyle – Eric Mattingly, Yorktown, :20.40, State Meet Record.

One Meter Diving – Caleb Dunnichay, Elwood, 495.75 points.

100 Butterfly – Benedict Hesen, Jeffersonville, :49.36.

100 Freestyle – Grant Wieczorek, Carmel, :45.22.

500 Freestyle – Sebastian Cousins, Carmel, 4:36.02.

200 Freestyle Relay – Carmel (Jason Cousins, Fiete Stegger, Sebastian Cousins, Chris Belcher) 1:24.92.

100 Backstroke – Benedict Hesen, Jeffersonville, :49.12, State Meet Record.

100 Breaststroke – Andrew Wray, South Bend Riley, :57.48.

400 Freestyle Relay – Carmel (Chip Bartels, Grant Wieczorek, Fiete Stegger, Chris Belcher) 3:03.43, State Meet Record.

 

Plainfield’s Adam Effinger Named Herman F. Keller Mental Attitude Award Winner

Adam Effinger of Plainfield High School was announced as the winner of this year’s Herman F. Keller Mental Attitude Award in Boys Swimming & Diving by the IHSAA’s Executive Committee.

 

The award, named in honor of the former IHSAA Assistant Commissioner who served from 1961-73, is presented annually to an outstanding senior participant who displays mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and was nominated by his principal and coach.

 

Effinger placed seventh in the 100 Butterfly and 16th in the 200 Individual Medley and anchored the Quakers’ seventh place 200 Freestyle Relay team at this year’s state meet.

 

Academically, Effinger ranks in the top 40 of his senior class with a 3.7 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. Among his school activities are the Key Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is also involved in the Boy Scouts of America and is an Eagle Scout.

 

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Effinger of Plainfield.

 

Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s proud corporate partner, presented Plainfield High School with a $1,000 scholarship in the name of Adam Effinger that goes to the school’s general scholarship fund.

 

New IHSAA Book, Play On, Recaps 100 Years Of High School Sports in Indiana

The exciting new book, Play On, celebrating 100 years of high school sports in Indiana, is perfect for that sports fan or the history buff you know. Filled with 150 pages of engaging photographs, captivating stories and a walk down memory lane, it’s now on sale through the Indiana High School Athletic Association. It’s not available in book stores, so contact the IHSAA at 317-846-6601 or click on the link above to learn more about this special tribute to 100 years of Indiana high school athletics.

 

Team Posters And Individual Action Photographs Available

Visit 20-20 Photographic, the IHSAA’s photographer and the Midwest’s Leader in Sports Action Photography, for images captured during Saturday’s state championship meet! Action photos, individual medalist photos as well as 20-20’s Ultimate Sports Poster will be available for purchase later in the week following the state finals.

 

IHSAA State Championship Merchandise

For t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.

 

State Finals Programs Available

Couldn’t be there for the state championship meet? To commemorate the event, you can still purchase a copy of the official state finals 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, send a check for $5.00 made payable to the IHSAA, a note including your return address and brief description of your request and mail to: IHSAA Programs, PO Box 40650, Indianapolis, IN 46240-0650. Sorry, no credit cards.