Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.

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

_________________________________________________________________________

February 24, 2007

 

ROYALS CROWNED SWIMMING STATE CHAMPS

Hamilton Southeastern led from start to finish capturing the school’s first swimming and diving state championship during the 70th Annual IHSAA Boys State Finals on Saturday at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis.

 

The Royals won their first and only event, the 200 medley relay, to start the day as Jason Beyerl, Derek Paul, Cameron Owen and Nathan Kinney combined for a 1:34.72 effort. The Royals placed second in both the 200 and 400 free relay events and collected a boatload of points in the championship and consolation heats in nearly every event. Senior Spencer Osborne finished second in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

 

Two-time defending state champion North Central of Indianapolis had pulled to within nine points heading into the championship heat of the 100 breaststroke, the second to last event of the day. But junior Derek Paul’s third place finish in the race gave Hamilton Southeastern a 25-point cushion sealing the state title.

 

The Royals totaled 262 points to North Central’s 235. Chesterton placed third with 193, Carmel was fourth with 157 and Homestead fifth with 154. It was the closest finish between the top two teams since the 1999 state meet.

 

Hamilton Southeastern, which had never placed higher than third (2000), was coached by Andy Pedersen.

 

Chesterton freshman Kyle Whitaker offered a glimpse of things to come winning the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly and was also part of the Trojans’ winning 400 free relay. In the 200 individual medley, North Central’s Mike Christy, the defending champion, led nearly the entire race before Whitaker caught him in the last 25 yards during the freestyle sprint to the wall. Whitaker’s time of 1:49.43 was just .14 seconds ahead of Christy who was also the 2004 champ in the event.

 

Christy successfully defended his championship in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.93.

 

Ben Wachtel, a junior from Westfield, became the first swimmer in his school’s history to win a state title taking both the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

 

Tyler Lemert won the 100 breaststroke event in 55.65 after setting the state meet record in the event during Friday’s prelims. His time of 54.82 bettered the 55.33 put up by Chesterton’s Jeff McDaniel in 1992.

 

70th Annual IHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving State Finals

Feb. 23-24, 2007

Indiana University Natatorium, IUPUI, Indianapolis

 

Top 10 Teams

  1.    Hamilton Southeastern                     262

  2.    North Central (Indianapolis)               235

  3.    Chesterton                                       193

  4.    Carmel                                             157

  5.    Homestead                                      154

  6.    Munster                                           134

  7.    Northridge                                       125

  8.    South Bend Riley                             124

  9.    Zionsville                                           82

10.     Lake Central                                       71

 

State Champions

200 Medley Relay – Hamilton Southeastern (Jason Beyerl 12, Derek Paul 11, Cameron Owen 11, Nathan Kinney 9) 1:34.72.

200 Freestyle – Ben Wachtel, 11, Westfield, 1:39.84.

200 Individual Medley – Kyle Whitaker, 9, Chesterton, 1:49.43.

50 Freestyle – Kyle House, 11, East Central, 21.21.

One Meter Diving – Kurt Barttrum, 11, Yorktown, 426.50.

100 Butterfly – Kyle Whitaker, 9, Chesterton, 50.16.

100 Freestyle – Ben Wachtel, 11, Westfield, 45.76.

500 Freestyle – Edward Minturn, 10, North Central (Indianapolis), 4:34.79.

200 Freestyle Relay – South Bend Riley (Zachary Stockman 12, Daniel Lucero-Dixon 12, Christopher Pfaff 12, Eric Blue 10), 1:26.14.

100 Backstroke – Mike Christy, 12, North Central (Indianapolis), 49.93.

100 Breaststroke – Tyler Lemert, 12, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, 55.65.

400 Freestyle Relay – Chesterton (Kyle Whitaker 9, Albert Miller 11, Adam Thieling 11, William Bass 10), 3:08.63.

 

 

SPENCER OSBORNE NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD WINNER

Following the meet, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee awarded the Herman F. Keller Mental Attitude Award to Spencer Osborne of Hamilton Southeastern High School.

 

Osborne is the second Hamilton Southeastern boys swimmer in three years to win the award and third overall. Joe Retrum earned the honor in 2005 and Matt McDonald was selected in 2001.

 

Osborne is a member of National Honor Society, Math Club, Spanish Club and National Spanish Honor Society. He was also the lone elected student representative to the Indiana Swimming Board of Directors from 2005-2007.

 

Osborne finished as the runner-up in the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

 

“Spencer is very in tune with team dynamics and uses his role as team captain to make a positive impact on not only the boys swim team but the entire swim program,” says Hamilton Southeastern principal Charles Hoover.  “He is a rare find and the HSE swim program has taken great strides with Spencer as one of its most important leaders.”

 

He is the son of Mike and Leslie Osborne of Fishers.

 

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s proud corporate partner, presented Hamilton Southeastern High School with a $1,000 scholarship in the name of Osborne that goes to the school’s general scholarship fund.  Since 1989, over $512,000 in college scholarships have been presented to deserving high school students in Indiana.

 

The recipient of this award, who was nominated by his principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in swimming and diving.

 

The award, renamed in 1974, honors former IHSAA assistant commissioner Herman F. Keller, who served the association from 1961-73.

 

 

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 Friday and Saturday, has captured hundreds of images from this year’s State Finals and will have them ready for viewing and purchase beginning Monday.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE STILL AVAILABLE

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 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).