Indiana High School Athletic Association

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

MEDIA INFORMATION February 22, 2005

Contact: Jason Wille, Sports Information Director

BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING STATE FINALS THIS WEEKEND

Two defending state champions return and a third could qualify tonight while several teams hope to end Carmel’s run of state championships as the 68^th Annual IHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving State Finals take place this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 25-26) at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

Senior Sebastian Cousins of Carmel is seeded third in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:38.68 as the event’s defending champ. He’ll start in lane four of Heat 2 on Friday night. Seeded ahead of him are Center Grove junior Chris Oleksiak (4:33.82) who finished sixth in this race last year and junior Drew Sease (4:36.75) of North Central of Indianapolis, who took third a year ago. In addition to the 500 free, Cousins is entered in the 200 freestyle and as a member of the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. He swam the third leg on Carmel’s winning 200 freestyle relay last year.

Also back as a returning champ is North Central sophomore Michael Christy in the 200 individual medley, who became the first freshman to win this event since Pat Kubly of Kokomo did it in 1963. Christy enters the meet as the second seed at 1:52.19 behind Northridge senior Arthur Miller who turned in a 1:51.13 at the Concord Sectional. Christy edged Miller in last year’s championship race by a little more than a second. Christy is also scheduled to compete in the 100 backstroke, and as a member of the 200 free relay and the Panthers’ top seeded 400 free relay squad.

Hoping to qualify for the state finals in tonight’s diving regional is Elwood junior Caleb Dunnichay, last year’s winner in the one meter. Dunnichay won the event at the Hamilton Southeastern Sectional last Saturday and will compete again tonight at Hamilton Southeastern with the hope of advancing as one of the top eight divers from each of the four sites.

Miller is the only individual to be the top seed in two events in the meet as he also bested the state in the 100 backstroke (51.32) in addition to the 200 IM.

Other top seeds in the meet include Sease (1:41.10) in the 200 freestyle; Fountain Central senior Justin Taggart (21.27) in the 50 freestyle; senior Christopher Etherington of Kokomo (49.92) in the 100 butterfly; Evansville Reitz senior John Schmitt (46.51) in the 100 freestyle and; Richmond junior Aaron Koger (58.21) in the 100 breaststroke. Munster (200 medley relay), Penn (200 freestyle relay) and North Central (400 free relay) head into the weekend as the best relay teams coming from sectionals.

Several teams hope to unseat Carmel, which will be working on extending its run of four consecutive state championships and a state-best 11 overall. The Greyhounds finished second in their own sectional last Saturday for the first time since they began hosting in 1999 as North Central claimed the top spot. It was also the first time Carmel hadn’t won a sectional championship since 1990, the year of North Central’s last sectional crown.

Without diving participants factored in, the top five teams with the most swims include North Central with 16, Hamilton Southeastern and Homestead with 15 each, and Center Grove and Penn with 14 each.

Center Grove and Munster each own the best active sectional championship streak with both winning their 20^th straight last weekend. Center Grove won its own meet while Munster took first at Crown Point, the first time the Mustangs haven’t hosted since 1982. Munster’s 35 total sectional titles paces the state while Columbus North is second with 26 total.

In terms of points scored at sectionals, Homestead’s 459 were first followed by Northridge with 424 and Chesterton with 407.

The 68^th Annual IHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving State Finals

Prelims: Friday, February 25, 2005; Starting time is 6 p.m.

Finals: Saturday, February 26, 2005; Starting time for diving prelims and semis is 9 a.m., consolations and finals for all events at 1 p.m.

Where: Indiana University Natatorium at IUPUI, 901 W. New York St., Indianapolis.

Admission: $8.00 per session or $12.00 both days. Available at the Natatorium.

Advancement: During Friday preliminaries, the top eight in each swimming event will advance to Saturday’s championship heat, while the ninth through 16th positions will compete in Saturday’s consolation heat. All diving will take place on Saturday with the top 21 of 32 competitors advancing from the prelims to the semis after five dives each. After three dives each in the semis, the top 16 will advance to the final round for another three dives each.

Credentials: The 2004-05 IHSAA State Finals Media Credential, a black laminated pass, issued previously will be accepted for admittance. Fax requests on company letterhead to Jason Wille at 317-575-4244. No e-mail requests will be accepted. Approved requests will be held at the media will call table at the concourse level of the I.U. Natatorium.

Media Work Area: Four phone lines will be available in the media working area of the west bleachers for use by writers and photographers. Results from each event will be posted to the IHSAA website (www.ihsaa.org) under boys swimming and diving as the meet progresses both days.

Media Hosts: IHSAA Communications Director Joe Gentry along with Travis Tranbarger will be on hand to assist in your coverage of the state meet.

Off Limits: For safety and liability reasons, members of the media are not permitted on the moveable bulkheads that separate the pools or on any of the diving platforms. Also, due to congestion in the immediate area of the starting blocks with timers and judges, we ask that writers and photographers stay behind the judges in each lane as well. Editors and sports directors -- please share this information with those who are covering the event and might not necessarily have access to this release. Thank you for your cooperation.

Schedule of Events

Times are approximate

Friday

5:30 p.m. -- Opening Ceremonies

6:00 p.m. -- 200 Yd. Medley Relay

6:16 p.m. -- 200 Yd. Freestyle

6:32 p.m. -- 200 Yd. Individual Medley

6:50 p.m. -- 50 Yd. Freestyle

15 MINUTE BREAK

7:14 p.m. -- 100 Yd. Butterfly

7:26 p.m. -- 100 Yd. Freestyle

7:38 p.m. -- 500 Yd. Freestyle

8:08 p.m. -- 200 Yd. Freestyle Relay

8:23 p.m. -- 100 Yd. Backstroke

8:35 p.m. -- 100 Yd. Breaststroke

8:48 p.m. -- 400 Yd. Freestyle Relay

Saturday

9:00 a.m. -- Diving Preliminaries (5 dives) & Semi-Finals (3 dives)

12:45 p.m. -- Opening Ceremonies

1:05 p.m. -- Finals and Consolation Finals

Top Seeds

200 Medley Relay – Munster, 1:36.31.

200 Freestyle – Drew Sease, 11, North Central (Indpls.), 1:41.10

200 Individual Medley – Arthur Miller, 12, Northridge, 1:51.13.

50 Freestyle – Justin Taggart, 12, Fountain Central, 21.27.

100 Butterfly – Christopher Etherington, 12, Kokomo, 49.92.

100 Freestyle – John Schmitt, 12, Evansville Reitz, 46.51.

500 Freestyle – Chris Oleksiak, 11, Center Grove, 4:33.82

200 Freestyle Relay – Penn, 1:26.53.

100 Backstroke – Arthur Miller, 12, Northridge, 51.32.

100 Breaststroke – Aaron Koger, 11, Richmond, 58.21.

400 Freestyle Relay – North Central (Indpls.), 3:09.90.

WRESTLING

WRESTLING TEAMS SQUARE OFF THIS SATURDAY AT STATE MEET

Three wrestlers who won state championships last Saturday, six who finished as runners-up along with 34 others who reached the Individual State Finals will compete this Saturday, Feb. 26, in the 10^th Annual IHSAA Team Wrestling State Finals at Center Grove High School in Greenwood.

Top-ranked and defending state champion Lawrence North enters as the meet favorite and will face Portage in the first round, an opponent it beat in last year’s semis, 23-21. The Wildcats topped the state with eight participants in Saturday’s state finals including senior Reece Humphrey (48-0), who won his third career state title at 130 pounds. Lawrence North will be looking for its fourth state championship to go along with its 1992 and 1993 titles won under the old scoring system used at the Individual State Finals. The school is making its third consecutive appearance at the team finals.

Lawrence North will be tested by Portage though the Indians fell, 52-15, on Dec. 11 in the teams’ only meeting this year. Portage had seven participants at Conseco Fieldhouse, including three state runners-up. Seniors Mike Leucuta (38-5) at 135, Dan Zemlik (40-4) at 140 and Dallas Hesseltine (43-2) at 160 each took second place in their respective weight classes. This will be the fifth trip to this meet in the last six years for Portage which finished as state runner-up in 1998 and 2001.

Matt Coughlin of Evansville Mater Dei (42-0), who won his second state title at 152 pounds on Saturday, leads his team into its 10^th consecutive appearance. Mater Dei brought six participants to the state finals last week. Last year, the Wildcats were eliminated for the first time since the inception of the team tournament by Portage, 29-23, in the opening round. That loss brought to an end Mater Dei’s nine year state title streak, the second longest in IHSAA sports history.

Mater Dei will go up against Mishawaka, which is making its sixth consecutive appearance at the meet. The Cavemen, led by Ian Hinton (43-2), the state runner-up at 171, finished second to Mater Dei in the 2000 meet. Mishawaka was the 1991 state champ.

On the other side of the bracket, the first round pairings match Bellmont and Columbia City against one another for the second straight year. Columbia City took a 44-21 victory a year ago and the two teams also met in Columbia City on Nov. 23 in both teams’ first dual of the year with Bellmont taking a 30-26 victory. The Braves, state champs in 1987, 1988 and 1994, are making their eight consecutive appearance in this meet. They didn’t advance anyone to the championship round last weekend but Columbia City will be led by 152 runner-up Bryan Deutsch (42-1) who suffered his first loss of the year, a fall at 1:47, at the hands of Coughlin.

The other first round pairing pits a pair of first time participants against one another when Avon takes on Warren Central.

Lynn Panko of Avon is the third state champion from Saturday and one of six Orioles that were entered in competition last weekend. He brings a perfect record at 215 into the meet at 46-0. Warren Central, ranked third as a team behind Lawrence North and Evansville Mater Dei in the final coaches association poll of the year, has 112 senior state runner-up Jacob Wise (46-7) on its roster along with classmate Jon Lloyd at 119 (43-5). Lloyd was the 103 state champ a year ago but was upset in last Friday’s first round. The two teams met on a neutral mat on Dec. 4 with Warren claiming a 36-23 victory.

The 10^th Annual IHSAA Team Wrestling State Finals

Date: Saturday, February 26, 2005

Time: 10 a.m.

Admission: $8.00

Where: Center Grove High School, 2717 S. Morgantown Road, Greenwood, IN | Map | Directions

Quarterfinals

10:00 a.m.

Match 1

Portage (26-3) vs. Lawrence North (26-0).

Match 2

Mishawaka (24-4) vs. Evansville Mater Dei (19-2).

Match 3

Bellmont (24-1) vs. Columbia City (21-1).

Match 4

Avon (22-1) vs. Warren Central (25-2).

Semifinals

30 minutes following the conclusion of the quarterfinals, at approximately 12 p.m.

Match 5

Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2.

Match 6

Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4.

State Championship

30 minutes following the conclusion of the semifinals, at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Match 7

Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6.

Media Work Area: Work space in each corner of the balcony level of the gymnasium will be available for use by credentialed media. There will be a single room off the northwest corner of the gym floor where media may send their stories and/or photographs using the available telephone line.

Results: Results from each level of the meet -- quarterfinals, semifinals and finals -- will be posted to the boys wrestling page on the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org.

Media Hosts: IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille and Sports Information Assistant Mike Wilson will be on hand to assist in your coverage of the state meet.

Due to space limitations: Due to space limitations on the gymnasium floor, the tournament administration has asked that the media please work from the bleacher or balcony area and to avoid the floor until after the completion of the first round of matches. During the semifinals and championship round, writers and photographers are welcome to work closer to the action on the floor. Thank you for your cooperation.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

NEXT STOP: GIRLS SEMI-STATES

Sixteen teams will be vying for a state finals slot this Saturday as the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament reaches the semi-state level. Each of the four sites will host a doubleheader with the winner of each game earning a March 5 trip to the 30^th Annual State Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Two-time defending Class A champion Tri-Central will be looking for its third consecutive berth and are one of two defending champions still alive along with North Central of Indianapolis in Class 4A. With a victory on Saturday, three-time state champion Kokomo will make its state-best sixth appearance in the state finals.

Date: Saturday, February 26.

Times: 1:00 p.m., and immediately following.

Ticket Information: $7.

Home Team: First team listed in each pairing is designated as the home team.

Credentials: Contact the host school immediately to make arrangements.

ELKHART CENTRAL (NORTH GYM)

Class 3A – South Bend St. Joseph’s (23-1) vs. NorthWood (20-4).

Class 4A – Gary West Side (22-4) vs. Kokomo (19-5).

PLYMOUTH

Class A – South Central (Union Mills) (18-6) vs. Tri-Central (17-7).

Class 2A – North Judson (21-3) vs. Taylor (20-4).

SOUTHPORT

Class 2A – Shenandoah (20-5) vs. Charlestown (21-5).

Class 3A – Mt. Vernon (Fortville) (19-6) vs. Corydon Central (23-2).

SOUTHRIDGE

Class A – Northeast Dubois (19-5) vs. Bloomfield (18-7).

Class 4A – North Central (Indpls.) (18-7) vs. Castle (23-3).

STATE FINALS PAIRINGS

Site: Conseco Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis.

Indianapolis Accommodations | Restaurants & Dining

Date: Saturday, March 5, 2005

Ticket Information: Session $10; Season $18.

Reserved tickets can be purchased at the participating schools the week of the state finals. Contact participating schools for ticket distribution hours. Tickets also will be available game day at the ticket office at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Credentials: All requests, except for live radio and internet broadcasts, should be made to the attention of Jason Wille, IHSAA Sports Information Director. The black laminated pass issued earlier this year and known as the “2004-05 IHSAA State Finals Media Credential” WILL NOT be accepted for admittance. This event, like football and boys basketball, requires a separate application. Requests must be on company letterhead and faxed to 317-575-4244. E-mail requests will not be considered. All requests must be in writing on company letterhead and those approved can be picked up at the State Finals Press Conference at Conseco Fieldhouse on Monday morning, Feb. 28 if indicated on your request form or mailed. All approved requests received next Monday or later will be held for pickup on Saturday, March 5 at the Media Entrance of Conseco Fieldhouse. Requests for live radio and internet broadcasts should be made to Mark Higdon, Associated Sports Productions, Inc. He can be reached at 317-633-1462.

Session I

Class A Championship

10:30 a.m.

Class 2A Championship

12:30 p.m. (approx.)

Session II

Class 3A Championship

6:30 p.m.

Class 4A Championship

8:30 p.m. (approx.)

GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE FINALS PRESS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY

Coaches from the eight schools in the 2005 IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals will gather Monday (Feb. 28) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the pre-tournament meeting and press conference. The organizational meeting for school personnel will begin at 10 a.m. (EST) in the Best Locker Room on the playing floor level. The coaches will be available for interviews at approximately 11 a.m. in the interview room of the Indiana Pacers, also located on the playing floor level.

Updated statistics, rosters and other team information as submitted by the schools will be distributed at the press conference. For outlets that cannot attend the press conference, a special state finals information package will be available on the IHSAA website in the Girls Basketball section later that day. If you would like to pick up your credentials at the press conference, please indicate that on your request. Please note credential request information mentioned above.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

LOOKING FOR FIRST SEMI-STATE TITLE -- 4A: Castle, Gary West Side; 3A: Corydon Central; 2A: North Judson, Taylor; A: Northeast Dubois, South Central (Union Mills).

LOOKING TO BREAK SEMI-STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DROUGHT (Five or more years) -- 4A: None; 3A: Mt. Vernon (Fortville) (last title in 1977), NorthWood (1999); 2A: Charlestown (1993); A: Bloomfield (1998).

ACTIVE SEMI-STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STREAKS – 2 – Tri-Central 2003-2004. No other school with more than one.

SEMI-STATE CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS (Year of last title) – 5 – Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (2004), Kokomo (2003), Valparaiso (2000); 4 – Bedford North Lawrence (1992), Crown Point (1997), Noblesville (1990), Warsaw (2004); 3 – Ben Davis (2001), Bloomfield (1998), Columbus East (1997), East Chicago Roosevelt (1979), Fort Wayne Snider (2001), Heritage (1983), Huntington North (1995), Indianapolis Cathedral (2001), Lake Central (1998), Rushville (1993), Scottsburg (1989), Shenandoah (2003).

BEST RECORDS IN THE FIELD – South Bend St. Joseph’s (23-1), Corydon Central (23-2).

RANKED TEAMS STILL ALIVE (ICGSA Poll) – 4A: 6. Castle; 3A: 1. South Bend St. Joseph’s, 7. Corydon Central; 2A: 7. Shenandoah, 8. North Judson, 10. Charlestown; A: 5. Northeast Dubois, 6. Tri-Central.

2004 STATE CHAMPIONS ALIVE (2 of 4) – 4A: North Central (Indpls.); A: Tri-Central.

2004 STATE FINALS TEAMS ALIVE (2 of 8) – 4A: North Central (Indpls.); A: Tri-Central.

FORMER STATE CHAMPIONS ALIVE – 4A: Kokomo 1992, 1993, 2003 (4A); North Central (Indpls.) 2004 (4A); 3A: NorthWood 1999 (3A); 2A: Shenandoah 2003 (2A); A: Bloomfield 1998 (A); Tri-Central 2003 (A), 2004 (A).

LARGEST SCHOOL IN THE FIELD (from 2004-05 IHSAA School Directory) – North Central (Indpls.) (3,368).

SMALLEST SCHOOL IN THE FIELD (from 2004-05 IHSAA School Directory) – Northeast Dubois (281 students).

FIRST-TIME REGIONAL CHAMPIONS -- 4A: None; 3A: None; 2A: None; A: South Central (Union Mills).

REGIONAL CHAMPION DROUGHT BREAKERS (Five or more years) -- 4A: Gary West Side (first title since 1993); 3A: Corydon Central (2000), Mt. Vernon (Fortville) (1991), NorthWood (1999); 2A: Charlestown (1993), Taylor (1983); A: Bloomfield (1998), Northeast Dubois (1998).

REPEAT REGIONAL CHAMPIONS – 4A: North Central (Indpls.); 3A: South Bend St. Joseph’s; 2A: None; A: Tri-Central.

ALL-TIME REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 11 – Kokomo (Last title in 2005), Valparaiso (2004); 10 – Ben Davis (2002), NorthWood (1999), Scottsburg (1995); 9 – Bedford North Lawrence (1992); 8 – Anderson (1994), Columbia City (2000), Fort Wayne Northrop (2002), Huntington North (2000), Mooresville (2004), Rushville (1995); 7 – Benton Central (1992), Crown Point (1997), Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (2004).

ACTIVE REGIONAL TITLE STREAKS

3 – South Bend St. Joseph’s, Tri-Central; 2 – North Central (Indpls.).

Latest State Rankings

Compiled by the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association. Feb. 7 Poll (End of Regular Season).

State Scoring & Rebounding Leaders

As reported to the IHSAA through games of Feb. 19, 2005

A complete list of the state’s top scorers and rebounders is available at: State's Leaders

Players still alive in tournament action are listed in bold.

Top 10 Scoring

Player	School	Class	Grade	Games	Total	Avg.	High
Jodi Howell	Alexandria Monroe	2A	12	22	631	28.7	52
Megan King	Fort Wayne Canterbury	A	10	23	616	26.8	40
Samantha Stahl	Owen Valley	3A	10	21	547	26.1	41
Stefanie Gerardot	Fort Wayne Bishop Luers	3A	12	25	600	24.0	38
Amanda Stull	Rushville	3A	11	22	526	23.9	41
Ashley Barlow	Pike	4A	11	22	521	23.7	36
Candace Jones	Indianapolis Arsenal Technical	4A	12	21	487	23.2	39