Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
Blake Ress, Commissioner
_________________________________________________________________________
February 23, 2008
CHESTERTON WINS FIRST
SWIMMING & DIVING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Chesterton swimmers
set two state meet records in winning three individual events and two relays
and captured the team title in the 71st annual IHSAA Boys Swimming
& Diving State Finals at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
The Trojans
accumulated 271 points to edge defending state champion Hamilton Southeastern with
266. North Central of Indianapolis (232) was third, Carmel (188) was fourth and
Homestead (154) rounded out the top five teams. The five-point difference
between the top two teams was the closest margin of victory since Anderson
topped Bloomington South by one point in 1989.
It was the
first swimming and diving state title in school history and Chesterton becomes
the first northwest Indiana school to take home the championship since Lake
Central in 1987. It was the fifth state title overall for the school which has
three girls gymnastics (1993, 2000, 2002) and one wrestling (1989) crown to its
credit.
The Trojans’
200 medley relay team of Adam Thieling, Albert
Miller, Kyle Whitaker and Tyler Fozkos picked up
right where it left off during prelims. After turning in a state meet record
performance on Friday evening in 1:32.20, the same foursome lowered the mark
again on Saturday with a time of 1:32.05. The previous record in the event had
been held by North Central of Indianapolis in 1:32.95 set in 2006.
Whitaker, a
sophomore who will participate in the US Olympic Trials later this year, won
the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly for
the second straight year setting a state meet record in the former with a time
of 1:46.75. His performance bettered the 1:46.90 put up by Jason Lancaster of
Carmel in 1994. It was the oldest individual record on the books. He went on to
clock a 48.44 in the butterfly and now totals six blue ribbon medals through
his first two prep years.
Trailing Hamilton
Southeastern, 153-148, in the team standings through seven events, junior William
Bass vaulted Chesterton into the lead with a win in the 500 freestyle. HSE did
not have anyone entered in either championship or consolation final to score
points. Bass and North Central’s Brandon Siemasko
battled through the distance event and were nearly even with 50 yards to go. Bass
used a big push off the final flip turn, however, to gain the lead and touched
in 4:32.64, .75 ahead of Siemasko. Chesterton would
never relinquish the top spot again.
Fozkos, Thieling, Bass and Gregory Franzen
teamed up to win the 200 freestyle relay while Hamilton Southeastern won the
400 free relay in 3:04.12 with Matthew Kruse, Nathan Kinney, Austin Mudd and Cameron Owen. Chesterton took second to seal the
team title.
One other state
meet record was set during the afternoon as Penn senior Andrew Elliot turned in
a 48.99 in the 100 backstroke, bettering the previous mark of 49.12 set in 2004
by Benedict Hesen of Jeffersonville.
Westfield
senior Ben Wachtel matched Whitaker with two
individual championships winning the 100 (45.82) and 200 (1:39.25) freestyles
for the second straight year.
The 50 yard
sprint was won by Wheeler senior Victor Sikorski in a
time of 20.89. He became the first swimmer in his school’s history to win
a state championship. Senior Jimmy Page became Crown Point’s first state
champion diver winning the one meter event with 510.20 points for his 11 dives.
And Lake Central junior Chris Johnson won the 100 breaststroke in 56.56.
71st Annual IHSAA Boys Swimming
& Diving State Finals
Feb. 22-23,
2008
Indiana
University Natatorium, IUPUI, Indianapolis
Top 10
Teams
1. |
Chesterton |
271 |
2. |
Hamilton
Southeastern |
266 |
3. |
North
Central (Indianapolis) |
232 |
4. |
Carmel |
188 |
5. |
Homestead |
154 |
6. |
Munster |
149 |
7. |
Lake
Central |
84 |
8. |
East
Central |
83 |
9. |
Zionsville |
71 |
10. |
Crown
Point |
70 |
State
Champions
200 Medley Relay – Chesterton (Adam Thieling 12, Albert Miller 12, Kyle Whitaker 10, Tyler Fozkos 9) 1:32.05. State Meet Record
200 Freestyle
– Ben Wachtel, 12, Westfield, 1:39.25.
200 Individual Medley
– Kyle
Whitaker, 10, Chesterton, 1:46.75. State Meet Record
50 Freestyle
– Victor Sikorski, 12, Wheeler, 20.89.
One Meter Diving – Jimmy Page, 12, Crown Point, 510.20.
100 Butterfly
– Kyle
Whitaker, 10, Chesterton, 48.44.
100 Freestyle
– Ben Wachtel, 12, Westfield, 45.82.
500 Freestyle
– William
Bass, 11, Chesterton, 4:32.64.
200 Freestyle Relay – Chesterton (Tyler Fozkos 9, Adam Thieling 12, Gregory
Franzen 12, William Bass 11) 1:24.89.
100 Backstroke
– Andrew
Elliot, 12, Penn, 48.99. State Meet Record
100 Breaststroke
– Chris
Johnson, 11, Lake Central, 56.56.
400 Freestyle Relay – Hamilton Southeastern (Matthew
Kruse 12, Nathan Kinney 10, Austin Mudd 12, Cameron
Owen 12) 3:04.12.
KYLE
HOUSE NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD WINNER
Following
the meet, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee awarded the Herman F. Keller
Mental Attitude Award to Kyle House of East Central High School.
The
recipient of this award, who is nominated by his principal and coach, is
selected for demonstrating excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership
and athletic ability in swimming and diving.
House was
the 2007 state champion in the 50 freestyle and finished as the runner-up in
Saturday’s competition. He was a top eight finalist all four years of his
high school career.
He was
selected a team captain by his teammates the last three seasons, is a United
States Swimming Scholastic All-American the last two years and a member of the
National Honor Society and Senior Scholarship Committee.
Ranking
first in his class of 325 students, House intends to enroll at Purdue
University in the fall and study Communications and Broadcasting, in
particular.
He is the
son of Susan and Ray House of Lawrenceburg and becomes the first East Central
student-athlete to win a state mental attitude award.
Indiana
Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s proud corporate
partner, presented East Central High School with a $1,000 scholarship in the
name of House that goes to the school’s general scholarship fund.
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
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 (