Top-ranked Carmel won its 14^th consecutive title by a 113-point margin over North Central of Indianapolis in the 26^th Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Girls Swimming and Diving State Finals Feb. 12, 2000 at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

Carmel won two individual titles and two relay championships while accumulating 345 points to 232 for runner-up North Central. The Panthers also finished second to Carmel a week earlier in the Carmel Sectional. North Central was followed in the state meet by Fort Wayne Snider, Center Grove and Columbus North.

The Greyhounds, coached by Tony Young, took control from the outset by winning the opening event, the 200 medley relay. They followed immediately with another triumph in the 200 freestyle as senior Katie Simmons won the second state championship of her career in 1:49.89. Simmons, who also swam a leg on the victorious 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay teams, was the 1998 state champion in the 100 breaststroke.

Senior Erica Watts of Carmel captured the 100 butterfly in 56.57 to give the Greyhounds a second individual title. Watts also was a member of the winning medley relay and 400 freestyle relay units.

Senior Laura Swander of Center Grove set the meet's only record while successfully defending her 100 breaststroke title. Her time of 1:01.98 easily broke the 1:02.70 standard she established at the 1999 state meet. Finishing second to Swander was Simmons, who entered as the meet's top seed. Swander and Simmons left the pack, with Simmons outdistancing the third-place swimmer by almost 3 seconds.

Junior Jenni Anderson of Chesterton was the meet's only double winner, as she repeated in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Her time in the 50 freestyle was almost the same as her 23.30 winning effort in 1999. She was clocked in 23.31 this time to win decisively over runner-up Katherine Robinson, a freshman from South Dearborn. She came back to capture the 100 backstroke in 55.61, an improvement from the 55.96 that won the 1999 race.

Kokomo senior Brooke Taflinger won the first state championship of her career in the 200 individual medley, shaving more than three seconds off her time from Friday's preliminaries. Taflinger was clocked in 2:03.21 to nip freshman Leah Retrum of Columbus North who went 2:03.36. Taflinger's victory broke a seven-year run of titles in the 200 individual medley by swimmers from Fort Wayne Snider. She was the first swimmer from Kokomo to win an individual state title in meet history.

Katherine Robinson of South Dearborn, who entered the meet as the top seed in the 100 freestyle, nipped Susan Hentschel of North Central Indianapolis by .04 in a battle of freshmen. Robinson was the first South Dearborn performer to win an individual girls swimming and diving state championship. Overall, five of the top 16 finishers in the event were freshmen.

Another freshman, Leah Retrum of Columbus North, won the 500 freestyle in a battle with Taflinger. Retrum finished in 4:52.36 to win by 3 seconds. Her brother, John Retrum, won the IHSAA 500 freestyle state title in 1996 and 1997.

Senior diver Kylee Wells of Western captured the school's first IHSAA swimming and diving individual title with a score of 447.85 over runner-up Sara Gonso of North Central (Indianapolis). The junior totaled 416.0.

Carmel's 14 titles is the longest championship streak in any sport in IHSAA history and ranks as the fifth-longest of all time on a national scale in girls swimming and diving. Carmel ranks No. 1 among the 386 IHSAA member schools in overall IHSAA titles with 64. The Greyhounds have won at least one IHSAA championship in 15 consecutive school years.

200 Medley Relay -- Carmel (Cassie Herr, Katie Simmons, Erica Watts, Lauren Merek), 1:46.71.

200 Freestyle -- Katie Simmons, Carmel, 1:49.89.

200 Individual Medley -- Brooke Taflinger, Kokomo, 2:03.21.

50 Freestyle -- Jennie Anderson, Chesterton, 23.31.

One Meter Diving -- Kylee Wells, Western, 447.85.

100 Butterfly -- Erica Watts, Carmel, 56.57.

100 Freestyle -- Katherine Robinson, South Dearborn, 51.48.

500 Freestyle -- Leah Retrum, Columbus North, 4:52.36.

200 Freestyle Relay -- North Central (Indianapolis), (Lynn Essenburg, Claire Wood, Susan Hentschel, Elizabeth Christy), 1:37.61.

100 Backstroke -- Jenni Anderson, Chesterton, 55.61.

100 Breaststroke -- Laura Swander, Center Grove, 1:01.98.

400 Freestyle Relay -- Carmel (Maegen Himes, Cyrena Hitchens, Katie Simmons, Erica Watts), 3:31.43.

Brooke Taflinger of Kokomo High School was named the 2000 recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Girls Swimming and Diving.

A four-year competitor in the IHSAA Swimming and Diving State Finals, the senior won Kokomo's first girls swimming state title by capturing the 200 individual medley state title in the 2000 meet. She finished third in the event in 1998 and seventh in 1997.

She holds school records in the 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke. She also holds the North Central Conference records in the 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

Taflinger ranks in the top 15 percent of her senior class and is involved in several extracurricular activities at the school. She plans to attend the University of Florida.

Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Kokomo High School in Taflinger's name.

Top-ranked and defending state champion Carmel advanced 19 of a possible 20 individuals and all three relays to Saturday's finals to highlight the opening session of the 26^th Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Girls Swimming and Diving State Finals Friday (Feb. 11) at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

The top eight finishers in each event advanced to the championship finals. The next eight finishers advanced to the consolation finals. Carmel has 13 swimmers in the championship finals and six in the consolation finals.

No team points are accumulated in the preliminary round, and no meet records were set.

Junior Jenni Anderson of Chesterton, the defending champion in the 100 backstroke and the 50 freestyle, had the session's top times in both events. She clocked at 55.54 in the 100 backstroke and 23.09 in the 50 freestyle.

Senior Laura Swander of Center Grove, the defending champion in the 100 breaststroke, finished with the evening's No. 2 time in the event at 1:03.99. The top time went to 1998 champion Katie Simmons of Carmel. The senior turned in a 1:03.37.

Action resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday with the diving preliminaries. The consolation finals and championship finals in each event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.