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Fax: 317-575-4244 Website:
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_____________________________________________________________________________
February 11, 2006
CARMEL EXTENDS RECORD RUN, CHESTERTON SWIMMERS WIN FOUR EVENTS
Though no
state records were set, the 32nd Annual IHSAA Girls Swimming and
Diving State Finals at the Indiana University Natatorium at IUPUI certainly wasn’t short on storylines including a first place tie in
one event.
Carmel
completed its second decade of dominance as the Greyhounds extended their record
string of girls swimming state championships to 20 straight years. Coached by
third year leader Tom Burchill, Carmel had one winning relay team and totaled
291.5 points to outdistance first-time runner-up Yorktown with 217.5 points. It
continues to be the longest title streak in IHSAA sports history, is tied for
the nation’s seventh longest all-time in any sport and is the longest active
run. The nation’s longest girls swimming streak is 22 consecutive years.
North
Central of Indianapolis finished third with 210 points, Hamilton Southeastern
was fourth (187) and Columbus North fifth overall (170.5).
Carmel
opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay as Jessie Hammes, Emily
DiBenigno, Alyssa Rosinko and Megan Sparks combined for a time of 1:46.48. It
was the 18th time in the last 20 years the Greyhounds opened the
state meet with the victory including the fourth time in the last five.
Brittney
Feldman proved to be the class of this year’s one meter diving competition
winning the event for the second time in three years. The Indianapolis Broad
Ripple senior, who finished as the state runner-up in 2005, tallied 482.25
points in her 11 dives outdistancing her nearest competitor by 48 points.
Following
the diving competition, Chesterton proceeded to claim four of the final seven
events of the meet, including two relays. Christy Grcevich returned to the top
spot on the awards podium in the 100 butterfly winning the event for the second
time in three seasons. The junior, who settled for sixth last year, turned in a
winning time of 56.28 for her third state title overall. She also was part of
the Trojans’ winning 200 freestyle relay team last year. Another part of that
same relay was junior Talor Whitaker, who won the 100 freestyle in 51.34, her
first individual state championship. The pair teamed up once again this year in
the 200 free relay along with Taylor Lipniskis and Sarah Kehe with the same
combination and sequence of swimmers posting a winning time of 1:35.63. The
same foursome also clocked the fastest time in the 400 free relay in 3:29.49.
Michelle
McKeehan of Center Grove and Maggie Bird of Yorktown both won two individual
events a piece.
By winning
both the 200 individual medley (2:00.99) and 100 breaststroke (1:02.07),
McKeehan became just the fourth girls swimmer to win the same two individual
events as a freshman and sophomore joining Buffy Horlander of Ben Davis (1979,
1980), Debbie Daniel of Anderson (1981, 1982) and Lindsay Benko of Elkhart
Central (1991, 1992).
Bird was
successful in defending her state title in the 200 freestyle. With a time of
1:50.02, the senior became the first back-to-back winner in the event since
Lindsay Benko won four straight from 1991-94. She added a second crown to her
day winning the 500 freestyle in 4:55.09.
For the
first time in the 32 year history of the state finals, a tie for first place
occurred in an event. Yorktown sophomore Kelsi Hall and Jeffersonville junior
Ariel Martin touched the wall in an identical 23.54 in the 50 freestyle. Last
year, Martin had finished as the runner-up in the event while Hall was the 16th
place finisher.
Harrison
(West Lafayette) sophomore Jenny Connolly touched first in the 100 backstroke
in 56.97 for her first state title. Martin, the defending champion placed fifth
in the event.
Top 10 Teams
|
1. |
Carmel |
291.5 |
|
2. |
Yorktown |
217.5 |
|
3. |
North
Central (Indianapolis) |
210 |
|
4. |
Hamilton
Southeastern |
187 |
|
5. |
Columbus
North |
170.5 |
|
6. |
Chesterton |
163 |
|
7. |
Center
Grove |
140 |
|
8. |
Homestead |
117 |
|
9. |
Fort
Wayne Snider |
113 |
|
10. |
Munster |
94 |
State Champions
200 Medley Relay – Carmel (Jessie Hammes 9, Emily DiBenigno 10, Alyssa Rosinko 12, Megan
Sparks 11), 1:46.48.
200 Freestyle – Maggie Bird, 12,
200 Individual Medley – Michelle McKeehan, 10, Center
Grove, 2:00.99.
50 Freestyle – (Tie) Kelsi Hall, 10, Yorktown; Ariel Martin, 11,
One Meter Diving – Brittney Feldman, 12, Indianapolis Broad Ripple, 482.25.
100 Butterfly – Christy Grcevich, 11, Chesterton,
56.28.
100 Freestyle – Talor Whitaker, 11, Chesterton, 51.34.
500 Freestyle – Maggie Bird, 12,
200 Freestyle Relay – Chesterton (Talor Whitaker 11, Taylor Lipniskis 10, Sarah
Kehe 12, Christy Grcevich 11), 1:35.63.
100 Backstroke – Jenny Connolly, 10, Harrison (
100 Breaststroke – Michelle McKeehan, 10, Center
Grove, 1:02.07.
400 Freestyle Relay – Chesterton (Talor Whitaker 11, Taylor Lipniskis 10, Sarah
Kehe 12, Christy Grcevich 11), 3:29.49.
BRITTNEY FELDMAN HONORED AS MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD WINNER
Two-time
IHSAA diving state champion Brittney Feldman of
Feldman earned her second state title with a dominating performance in the one-meter event. She amassed 482.25 points to prevail by 48 points. Feldman earned runner-up honors in the 2005 State Finals with a score of 497.60--the second highest in state finals history.
Feldman won the 2004 state championship as a sophomore with a 431.00 total.
She was a national champion in both the one-meter and three-meter events in 2005. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2005 Pan American Games.
In the classroom, Feldman ranks fourth in a class of 289 seniors with a 3.857 cumulative grade point average. She plans to study medicine at Indiana University.
"Brittney is an excellent student who has the respect of all of her teachers and constantly demonstrates strong leadership and teamwork qualities," said Broad Ripple Vice Principal Teresa Knox. "I know of no one more self-disciplined or industrious as she is."
Feldman has been a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and she has volunteered with the Indianapolis Humane Society, the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge, and the Warren Tree Fest Winter Program.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate partner, presented Indianapolis Broad Ripple High School with a $1,000 scholarship in the name of Feldman.
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 (