The fall portion of the 2000-01 school year is in the IHSAA record book, with 14 different schools of a possible 15 celebrating IHSAA state championships in eight sports. The runner-up finishes were spread among 14 different schools.

Highlights of the 2000-01 fall season:

• Martinsville captured its sixth consecutive girls golf state championship and ninth in the past 10 years. Senior Lauren Gant of Fort Wayne Dwenger won individual honors and joined her father, Gary Gant, as an IHSAA golf state champion. Gary Gant was the 1970 boys golf medalist while playing at North Central of Indianapolis.

• North Central (Indianapolis) celebrated its 16^th state title in boys tennis and first since 1996 with a tough 4-1 victory over previously undefeated Homestead.

• Castle brought home its first IHSAA boys soccer title in dramatic fashion, edging three-time state champion North Central (Indianapolis) 1-0 in a shootout. The teams battled through 94 scoreless minutes before the Knights prevailed 5-3 in the shootout.

• Carmel won its fourth girls soccer state championship and first since 1997 with a 5-0 triumph over first-time state finalist Chesterton.

• Amanda Van Wanzeele of New Prairie became the first freshman in eight years to win the girls cross country individual title by a three-second margin. Valparaiso repeated as the team champion, placing five runners in the top 25.

• In boys cross country, Franklin Central’s Aaron Fisher joined Anderson’s John Stayton (1946-47-48) as the only athletes to win three individual state titles with a 12-second margin for his third consecutive victory. Valparaiso ran to its second team title in four years and sixth overall.

• Yorktown (Class 3A) and Center Grove (Class 4A) won their first volleyball state titles in dramatic matches, while Michigan City Marquette (Class A) and Muncie Burris (Class 2A) were repeat champions. Yorktown downed defending state champion and nationally ranked Indianapolis Cathedral in a 15-12, 4-15, 15-12 match. Top-ranked Center Grove followed with a thrilling 17-19, 15-12, 16-14 victory over defending state champion Muncie Central to avenge a state semifinals loss to the Bearcats in 1999. The title for Muncie Burris was its state-best 12^th in volleyball and fourth straight in Class 2A. In sectional competition, five first-time champions were crowned. Among those winners was Medora, which celebrated the school’s second IHSAA sectional title in history and first since 1949 in boys basketball.

• Four first-time state champions were crowned in football along with Penn, who won its fourth Class 5A state title in the past six years and fifth title overall. The first-time state champions were Adams Central in Class A, Evansville Mater Dei in Class 2A, Heritage Hills in Class 3A and East Noble in Class 4A. It was the first IHSAA title in any sport for Adams Central, East Noble and Heritage Hills.

• Volleyball, with 382 schools entered in the 29th state tournament, had the highest number of participating schools. Football, with 15,438 athletes, had the most participants. In all, 41,272 athletes were involved in the eight IHSAA tournament series in the 2000-01 fall season.

Paul Beitler, who has chronicled the high school sports scene in northeast Indiana for the past two decades, has been named the 2000-01 recipient of the IHSAA’s Distinguished Media Service Award for District 2.

Beitler has served as sports editor of the Bluffton News-Banner since 1986. He started his journalism career with the Berne Tri-Weekly News in 1983.

IHSAA Commissioner Blake Ress and other representatives of the IHSAA will honor Beitler’s contributions to high school athletics during pre-game ceremonies of the Oak Hill-Bluffton boys basketball game Tuesday (Dec. 5) at Bluffton.

"This is probably the biggest highlight of my journalism career," said Beitler when informed of his selection. "I have enjoyed working with high school athletes, coaches and administrators."

Beitler is a member of the United State Basketball Writers Association. In 1995, he was honored by the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association with its media service award.

Beitler, 48, is a native of northeast Indiana and was reared on a farm in Adams County. He is a 1970 graduate of South Adams High School in Berne, and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and health science. He also holds a master’s degree from Ball State. Prior to starting his career in journalism, he was a teacher at Twin Lakes High School.

This is the 17th year the IHSAA has recognized an outstanding member of the Indiana media from each of the five IHSAA legislative districts for excellence in the coverage of high school sports. Beitler is the second honoree for the 2000-01 school year, joining Jerry Baker of the IHSAA Television Network. Recipients in districts 1, 4 and 5 will be named in coming weeks.

Hilliard Gates, WKJG-TV, Fort Wayne, 1984-85

Leroy Lambright, Goshen News, 1985-86

Bob Ford, Kokomo Tribune, 1986-87

Jim Costin, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 1987-88

Dennis Kraft, Elkhart Truth, 1988-89

Ken Hill, Sports Hotline, Marion, 1989-90

Dick DeFay, WKJG-TV, Fort Wayne, 1990-91

Forrest Miller, South Bend Tribune, 1991-92

George Frye, Huntington Herald-Press, 1992-93

Greg Bell, WIOU/WZWZ, Kokomo, 1993-94

Len Davis, WGL, Fort Wayne, 1994-95

Curt Rallo, South Bend Tribune, 1995-96

Dave Kitchell, Kokomo Tribune, 1996-97

Vince Turner, WTRC, Elkhart, 1997-98

Jim Brunner, WBAT, Marion, 1998-99

Dean Pantazi, WPTA-TV, Fort Wayne, 1999-00

Paul Beitler, Bluffton News-Banner, 2000-01

The IHSAA’s annual service of compiling the state scoring leaders for girls basketball and boys basketball will begin next week. The first listing, to be issued Dec. 5, will be for games through Dec. 2. This information will be sent weekly to the Associated Press and posted on the IHSAA website under Girls Basketball/2000-01 Scoring Leaders and under Boys Basketball/2000-01 Scoring Leaders.

For both girls and boys, the weekly list will include the top 25 scorers in the state. To begin the compilation, please send any player averaging 20 points or more. All players averaging 20 or more points will be listed on the website version of the compilation.

Members of the media are urged to update the players from their area each week and send it to Jim Russell at the IHSAA office via FAX at 317-575-4244 or by e-mail to jrussell@ihsaa.org. To be included in each week’s compilation, updates need to be received by 4 p.m. Monday. The report should include the following information:

Also, the IHSAA again will compile the state’s season bests for outstanding one-game performances in three individual categories with the following minimums:

Points (35 or more) Points (40 or more)

Rebounds (20 or more) Rebounds (18 or more)

Three-pointers (6 or more) Three-pointers (8 or more)

Media members are urged to send this information to the IHSAA office at the earliest opportunity following the performance. Besides the player and the school, please include the date of the game and the opponent. Information can be sent to Jim Russell via FAX at 317-575-4244 or by e-mail to jrussell@ihsaa.org. The season individual bests are located on the IHSAA website under Girls Basketball/2000-01 Bests and Boys Basketball/2000-01 Bests.