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                                                                         March 30, 2005

Contact: Jason Wille, Sports Information Director                                                                    

E-Mail: jwille@ihsaa.org

 

 

IHSAA WINTER TOURNAMENT SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE

Ten different schools captured the 12 state championship trophies that were awarded this winter by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee as the second of three tournament seasons drew to a close last weekend with the boys basketball state finals. Meanwhile, 12 other schools also claimed state runner-up honors in the six different sports.

 

Leading the way were North Central of Indianapolis and Lawrence North with two state titles each. North Central won its first state crown in boys swimming and diving since 1983 while the school’s girls basketball team repeated as 4A champ. Lawrence North repeated in two different sports as the wrestling team won its fourth championship overall (1992, 1993, 2004) and the boys basketball team won its third (1989, 2004).

 

The Lapel boys basketball team won the Class A crown, the first team state championship in the school’s history. The Bulldogs were the only school with that distinction during the winter season.

 

Carmel’s girls swimming and diving state title, it’s 19th consecutive, extends the school’s record for most titles in IHSAA history to 83. North Central is next with 53 followed by Columbus North with 29 and Anderson and Bloomington South tied with 26 each.

 

Other highlights of the winter tournament season include:

 

Girls Swimming & Diving

Carmel senior Taylor Baughman successfully defended her state championships in the 50 and 100 freestyle to lead coach Tom Burchill’s Greyhounds to their 19th consecutive title. Carmel’s championship run is the longest active title streak in any sport in the nation.

 

Hamilton Southeastern opened the finals by winning the 200 medley relay in meet-record time of 1:45.31.  The previous mark of 1:45.73 by Carmel in 1988-89 was the oldest record among the 12 events in the State Finals!

 

Freshman Michelle McKeehan of Center Grove joined Baughman as a double winner in the meet and became the first frosh to win two individual titles since Lacey Boutwell of Noblesville pulled it off in 1997-98 and just the third overall.

 

Sophomore Kelci Bryant of Harrison (West Lafayette) became the first person in state history to break the 500-point mark (504.10), edging defending champion Brittney Feldman of Indianapolis Broad Ripple to win the one-meter diving.

 

Individual Wrestling

Griffith senior Angel Escobedo and Lawrence North senior Reece Humphrey grabbed the spotlight at the 67th Annual IHSAA Individual Wrestling State Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

 

Escobedo capped a brilliant career by winning his fourth straight state championship, earning a standing ovation from the Conseco Fieldhouse crowd of 10,783.  Escobedo became the seventh four-time state champ in Indiana high school wrestling and the third in the last two seasons. His victory made Griffith the first school to produce two four-time state champions.  At 49-0 this season, Escobedo completed his stellar prep career with a 223-1 mark. He won the 130 pound crown last year at 52-1, 125 pounds as a sophomore at 64-0 and 112 pounds as a freshman in 2002 at 58-0. Escobedo went undefeated in high school against Indiana wrestlers as his lone loss came against an Illinois prepster early in his junior campaign.

 

Humphrey also capitalized on the opportunity of etching his name into Indiana’s wrestling history by winning the 130 pound bracket. Humphrey defeated Hanover Central senior and previously unbeaten Andrew Howe in the final, 5-1, to win his third state championship. He joins 20 other state wrestlers with that distinction.  He won the 125 pound crown a year ago and led the Wildcats to the Team Wrestling state championship a week later to finish 55-0 and went 45-2 in winning the 112 title as a sophomore.

 

Senior Matt Coughlin of Evansville Mater Dei made it to his fourth consecutive state championship match and came away with his second straight title pinning Columbia City junior Bryan Deutsch (42-1) in the 152 pound class. Coughlin was the only one of the five returning state champions to compete in the same weight class as last year. Deutsch finished 42-1.

 

Senior Chris Kasten of Winamac, last year’s champ at 215, stepped up a weight class and decisioned Merrillville’s Dexter Larimore, 3-2 at 275.

 

Team Wrestling

Lawrence North won nine of 14 matches to win the team wrestling championship at the 10th Annual IHSAA Team Wrestling State Finals.  Coached by Brett Crousore, Lawrence North repeated as Indiana’s best wrestling team for the second straight season, defeating Portage, 34-21, in the first round, Evansville Mater Dei, 36-23, in the semis and Avon, 48-17, for the title to finish 29-0. They finished 29-1 during last year’s championship campaign.  It was the 47th consecutive dual meet victory for the Wildcats and adds another big trophy to their display case alongside those from 1992, 1993 and 2004.

 

Reece Humphrey completed his second straight perfect season at 51-0, a week after winning his third straight individual state title. Humphrey wrestled up in the 135 pound class in all three matches after winning the 130 pound state championship a week ago. Avon’s 215 pound state champ Lynn Panko won all three of his matches to finish his senior season 49-0 and Evansville Mater Dei’s Matt Coughlin won both his matches by fall to finish the year 44-0 after winning two consecutive state titles at 152 pounds.

 

Boys Swimming & Diving

North Central of Indianapolis won its second IHSAA championship overall and its first since 1983 by out-distancing runner-up Penn at the 68th Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Boys Swimming and Diving State Finals at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis on Saturday.  North Central ended Carmel’s four-year run as state champions.

 

Coach Mark Hesse’s Panthers put an exclamation point on their team title by winning the meet’s final event, the 400 freestyle relay.  The tandem of Drew Sease, Peter Jameson, Riley Boulden, and Michael Christy was victorious in 3:06.18.

 

Northridge senior Arthur Miller won two individual events and one relay title with an outstanding day.  Miller led from start to finish in winning the 100 backstroke and the 200 individual medley.  The top-seeded Raiders opened the meet with their first-ever relay state championship by winning the 200 medley relay.  Miller’s standout performance led coach Joe Keller’s squad to third place in the final team standings.

 

Evansville Reitz senior John Schmitt was a double winner in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

 

Girls Basketball

Tri-Central became the second school in state history to win three consecutive IHSAA titles, joining Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.  The Trojans became the first Class A school to win three in a row, surviving a heart-stopping finish to hold on for a 47-46 win over Northeast Dubois.

 

In Class 2A, Shenandoah earned its second state championship in three years with a hard-fought 54-49 triumph over North Judson-San Pierre.  The Raiders trailed 40-31 late in the third quarter but out-scored the Bluejays, 21-9, in the final quarter.

 

Top-ranked South Bend St. Joseph’s also rallied in the final eight minutes, using a 24-10 margin in the fourth quarter to knock off Corydon Central, 70-57, for the 3A crown.  St. Joe finished its season 25-1, recording the first girls’ basketball title by a South Bend school.

 

North Central of Indianapolis became the second team to win back-to-back 4A championships with a tight 57-54 win over Gary West Side in the final.  North Central 6-5 junior center Amber Harris put up some amazing numbers with game-highs of 25 points, 14 rebounds, and five steals.  Her scoring total is third-best in Class 4A finals history and her rebounding output ranks third all-time.  North Central tied a record for the most losses by a state champion with seven, equaling the total by 1999-2000 Class A champion Triton.

 

Gymnastics

Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger recorded its second IHSAA Gymnastics championship in three years and its third overall with a tight victory over runner-up Lawrence Central at the 33rd Annual IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.  Coach Rose Nix’ Saints became the sixth team to win at least three state gymnastics titles, tying Chesterton and Connersville for fourth place on the all-time list.  Bishop Dwenger registered a 29.05 effort on the vault for the best score of the day to carry it to victory.

 

Jeanna Van Hoey became the first freshman to win the IHSAA all-around crown since Angie Cook of Valparaiso in 1992-93 and she joins Laura Szczepanski (1994-95 and 1995-96) as an all-around champion from Dwenger.  Van Hoey won the uneven bars with a 9.55 score and she reached the awards podium (top-six finish) in all five events.  The talented rookie finished third on the vault and sixth on the beam and the floor exercise.

 

Lawrence Central junior Ashley Jacob won her second individual event state championship with an outstanding 9.900 in the vault.  She had won the uneven bars as a freshman in 2002-03.  Jacob finished third in the all-around competition (37.800) to lead coach Michelle Annee’s second-ranked Bears to their second state runner-up finish.

 

Center Grove senior Natalie Hesler prevailed in the floor exercise with a 9.75 score.  She finished second in the all-around competition (37.800) and on the uneven bars (9.55), receiving the Mildred M. Ball Mental Attitude Award following the meet.  Coach Eric Howe’s top-ranked Trojans placed third in the meet.

 

Hobart junior Megan Cherry gave the Brickies their second straight champion on the balance beam with a 9.375 effort.  Cherry suffered a meet-ending knee injury in her third event at the state finals. 

 

Boys Basketball

Lapel claimed its first state basketball championship with a 51-40 win over Loogootee in the Class A final before a class basketball-era afternoon session record crowd of 15,748.  The 25-3 Bulldogs had ended a long sectional drought, winning their first since 1943 and advanced to the state finals for the first time since 1940.

 

Forest Park joined Lapel as a first-time winner, mounting a furious rally for a 68-63 victory in the 2A final against Harding.  Junior forward Brandon Hopf scored 27 points and grabbed a 2A-record 16 rebounds to lead the Rangers back from a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter.

 

Washington earned its first state championship since 1942 and its fourth overall with an amazing 74-72 overtime win against Plymouth in the 3A finale.  Senior center Luke Zeller swished a half-court jump shot at the overtime buzzer to give his team the victory and complete an amazing performance.  Zeller just missed a triple double with 27 points, nine rebounds, and a Class 3A-record 11 assists, but his half-court game-winner did earn ESPN SportsCenter “Play of the Day”.

 

Lawrence North became the first repeat winner in Class 4A with a 63-52 triumph over Muncie Central.  Wildcat junior center Greg Oden dominated with a 4A-record 29 points (14-19 FG), nine rebounds, and six blocked shots.  The evening session was the first state finals sellout since 1989 with 18,345 filling Conseco Fieldhouse.  The combined attendance of 34,093 for both sessions is a new record in the class basketball era which began in 1998.

 

 

2004-05 IHSAA Winter Tournament Parade of Champions

Sport

Champion

Coach

Runner-Up

Coach

Score

Mental Attitude Award Recipient

Participation

Girls Swimming & Diving

Feb. 11-12

IU Natatorium, IUPUI, Indianapolis

Carmel

Tom Burchill

Hamilton Southeastern

Andy Pederson

269-200

Christine Shehorn, North Central (Indpls.)

227 teams;

3,654 athletes

Boys Swimming & Diving

Feb. 25-26

IU Natatorium, IUPUI, Indianapolis

North Central (Indpls.)

Mark Hesse

Penn

Dan Vogelgesang

221-187

Joseph Retrum, Hamilton Southeastern

222 teams; 2,926 athletes

Wrestling

Feb. 26

Center Grove HS, Greenwood

Lawrence North

Brett Crousore

Avon

Jared Williams

48-17

Kenneth Caldwell, Union County

306 teams;

6,025 athletes

Girls Basketball, Class A

March 5

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Tri-Central

Kathie Layden

Northeast Dubois

Alan Matheis

47-46

None

383 teams; 5,319 athletes (all classes)

Girls Basketball, Class 2A

March 5

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Shenandoah

Todd Salkoski

North Judson-San Pierre

John Hampton

54-49

Kara Keesling,

Shenandoah

 

Girls Basketball, Class 3A

March 5

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

South Bend St. Joseph’s

Mike Megyese

Corydon Central

Michael Uhl

70-57

Dana Beaven, Corydon Central

 

Girls Basketball, Class 4A

March 5

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

North Central (Indpls.)

Alan Vickrey

Gary West Side

Rodney Fisher

57-54

Isabell Rhenwrick, Gary West Side

 

Gymnastics

March 19

Perry Meridian HS, Indianapolis

Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

Rose Nix

Lawrence Central

Michelle Annee

112.825-112.475

Natalie Hesler, Center Grove

86 teams, 694 athletes

Boys Basketball, Class A

March 26

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Lapel

Jimmie Howell

Loogootee

Steve Brett

51-40

Jason Holsinger, Lapel

388 teams, 5,615 athletes (all classes)

Boys Basketball, Class 2A

March 26

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Forest Park

Tom Beach

Harding

Al Gooden

68-63

None

 

Boys Basketball, Class 3A

March 26

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Washington

Dave Omer

Plymouth

Jack Edison

74-72 (OT)

Luke Zeller, Washington

 

Boys Basketball, Class 4A

March 26

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Lawrence North

Jack Keefer

Muncie Central

Matt Fine

63-52

Brandon McPherson, Lawrence North

 

 

 

BOYS BASKETBALL

 

State Scoring & Rebounding Leaders

Final Listing for 2004-05

 

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

 

Top 10 Scoring

Player

School

Class

Grade

Games

Total

Avg.

High

Dominic James

Richmond

4A

12

22

685

31.1

49

Kyle Benge

Plymouth

3A

12

26

697

26.8

44

Shannon McCormick

Muncie Burris

2A

11

19

487

25.7

46

Eric Gordon

North Central (Indianapolis)

4A

10

24

613

25.5

36

Adam Gore

Monrovia

2A

12

24

594

24.8

43

Jesse Howell

South Spencer

2A

12

22

528

24.0

40

Jonathon Jamerson

South Bend Washington

4A

11

22

524

23.8

43

Jeremy Stouder

Elkhart Christian Academy

A

12

23

543

23.6

46

Jordan Brewer

Clinton Prairie

A

12

22

517

23.5

44

Brandon Kaiser

East Central

4A

12

20

468

23.4

36

 

Top 10 Rebounding

Player

School

Class

Grade

Games

Total