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 10, 2007

 

McKEEHAN SETS NATIONAL RECORD, CARMEL TAKES 21st STRAIGHT TITLE

Carmel’s domination of the girls state swimming and diving meet has oftentimes garnered the headlines the last several years and deservedly so. While the Greyhounds won their 21st consecutive championship on Saturday, much of the attention during the meet, however, went to Center Grove’s Michelle McKeehan following two days of record-setting performances in the 33rd Annual IHSAA State Finals.

 

McKeehan captured her third straight crowns in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley, including a national record performance in the latter. She set the state meet record in the IM during Friday’s prelims in 1:59.61 but obviously left something in the tank for Saturday when she topped that performance in 1:58.06. She received a standing ovation from the gathered crowd at the end of race and received another while on the awards podium when the national record was announced. The previous national best of 1:58.45 was set by Natalie Coughlin of Concord, California’s Carondelet High School in May, 2000.

 

She went on to set the state meet record for the second day in a row in the 100 breast with a winning time of 1:00.23. With that, McKeehan became just the third individual to win the same two events in her first three prep seasons joining Anderson’s Debbie Daniel (1981-83) and Elkhart Central and Olympic gold medalist Lindsay Benko (1991-93).

 

One other record was set during Saturday’s finals as the Hamilton Southeastern 200 medley relay team of Maegan O’Connor, Christina Jacobs, Lindsay Rogers and Carly Mercer returned to set the new mark after tying it during Friday’s prelims. The foursome combined for a time of 1:44.70 to win this year’s crown after a 1:45.31 on Friday. Rogers had been part of the Hamilton Southeastern relay team that set the record two years ago.

 

The Royals went on to win the other two relays, the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay, the first time since 1998 (Carmel) that a single school had swept all the relay events.

 

Besides McKeehan, Harrison’s Jenny Connolly and Chesterton’s Talor Whitaker also proved to be double winners on Saturday. Connolly proved the best in the 100 backstroke, an event she won last year, in :55.47 and the 100 butterfly in :55.73. Whitaker won both the 100 and 200 freestyle events. She repeated in the 100 in :51.53 and took the 200 in a time of 1:51.10.

 

Kelsi Hall of Yorktown edged out Jeffersonville senior Ariel Martin by .6 of a second in the 50 freestyle. Her winning time of :22.92 was .02 of a second off the state meet record. The two had tied for the state title last year, the only tie in state finals history.

 

Carmel’s 21st consecutive team title continues to be the longest in IHSAA sports history, is the all-time second longest in girls swimming on a national level and the longest active streak nationally in the sport. The Greyhounds put up 335 points to Hamilton Southeastern’s 280.5. Columbus North was third at 185, Homestead fourth at 173 and North Central was fifth with 127.5. First year coach Chris Plumb is the fifth Carmel mentor during its championship run.

 

This was the 25th consecutive year the Indiana University Natatorium served as the site of the IHSAA State Finals.

 

 

The 33rd Annual IHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving State Finals

Indiana University Natatorium, IUPUI, Indianapolis

February 9-10, 2007

 

Top 10 Teams

1.

Carmel

335

2.

Hamilton Southeastern

280.5

3.

Columbus North

185

4.

Homestead

173

5.

North Central (Indianapolis)

127.5

6.

Center Grove

126

7.

Yorktown

114

8.

Chesterton

109

9.

Fort Wayne Snider

82

10.

Jasper

65

 

State Champions

200 Medley Relay – Hamilton Southeastern (Maegan O’Connor 10, Christina Jacobs 11, Lindsay Rogers 11, Carly Mercer 9), 1:44.70, State Meet Record.

200 Freestyle – Talor Whitaker, 12, Chesterton, 1:51.10.

200 Individual Medley – Michelle McKeehan, 11, Center Grove, 1:58.06, National Record.

50 Freestyle – Kelsi Hall, 11, Yorktown, :22.92.

One Meter Diving – Audra Egenolf, 12, Heritage Christian, 445.20.

100 Butterfly – Jenny Connolly, 11, Harrison (West Lafayette), :55.73.

100 Freestyle – Talor Whitaker, 12, Chesterton, :51.53.

500 Freestyle – Jessica Skiba, 12, Homestead, 4:59.86.

200 Freestyle Relay – Hamilton Southeastern (Paige Copeland 9, Aubrey Hertzler 9, Maegan O’Connor 10, Lindsay Rogers 11) 1:35.63.

100 Backstroke – Jenny Connolly, 11, Harrison (West Lafayette), :55.47.

100 Breaststroke – Michelle McKeehan, 11, Center Grove, 1:00.23 State Meet Record.

400 Freestyle Relay – Hamilton Southeastern (Erin Kelley 10, Carly Mercer 9, Paige Copeland 9, Aubrey Hertzer 9), 3:29.12.

 

State Championship Record Streaks

Longest streaks of consecutive state championships, all sports, all states
29 – Honolulu Punahou, Hawaii, boys swimming, 1958-86.
26 – Woonsocket Mt. St. Charles Academy, R.I., boys hockey, 1978-2003.
27 – Pickford, Mich., boys track and field, 1952-78.
24 – Tacoma Wilson, Wash., boys swimming, 1960-84.

24 – Paulsboro, NJ, wrestling, 1983-2006.
22 – Honolulu Punahou, Hawaii, girls swimming, 1974-95.
21 – Carmel, Ind., girls swimming, 1986-2007.
21 – Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest, Fla., girls swimming, 1956-76.
20 – Salt Lake City Brighton, Utah, girls swimming, 1982-2001.
(Source: National Federation of State High School Associations)

 

JASPER’S KAYLA SERGESKETTER NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD RECIPIENT 

Following the meet, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee selected Kayla Sergesketter of Jasper High School as this year’s winner of the Mental Attitude Award in girls swimming and diving.

 

The award is presented annually to a senior, nominated by her principal and coach, who demonstrates excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.

 

Sergesketter finished as the runner-up in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle in Saturday’s state championships.

 

Besides swimming, Segesketter has run cross country and been a member of the school’s National Honor Society, Peer Mentors, Key Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spanish Club and Students Against Drunk Driving. She was also a participant in the Katrina clean-up effort in Louisiana in 2005.

 

Academically, she maintains a 3.990 GPA ranking seventh in her senior class of 266 students and has earned a full scholarship to swim at the University of Kentucky.

 

She joins one other Jasper girls swimmer to have earned this award – Tricia Berger in 1986-87.

 

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate partner, presented Jasper High School with a $1,000 scholarship in the name of Sergesketter.

 

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 on 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 am-4 pm ET).