Surprise! Carmel Takes 15th Straight Indiana Girls High School Title

INDIANAPOLIS, IN., Feb. 10 — A new coach was on the deck but it was strictly business as usual for the Carmel Greyhounds here this weekend as they swept to their 15th-consecutive girls' swimming and diving championship.

The meet was held at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Natatorium — site of last summer's Olympic Trials — and drew a record 2578 fans Saturday. The two-day attendance figure was 4470, another record and in all likelihood the biggest two-day total for any state meet ever!

(Editor's note: wouldn't it be sweet to see NCAAs/U.S. Nationals draw this kind of crowd!)

Former Cincinnati Marlins coach Ken Stopkotte moved west to take over the Carmel coaching post last fall and guided the Greyhounds to a 313-235 win over Columbus North. Finishing third was Chesterton, 146.5 points.

Interestingly, the winning school's sole individual or relay champion was breaststroker Tenley Bick, who clocked 1:05.72. Bick is the niece of Swimming World photographer, Peter Bick.

The meet featured a pair of dual winners, with sophomore Leah Retrum (Columbus North ) splashing to victory in the 500 free (4:49.86, second-straight title) and her inaugural 200 IM crown (2::02.54) with both times prs.

The other doubler was Chesterton senior Jenni Anderson, who won the 50 free (23.17) and 100 back (55.67 with a state record 55.24 in the prelims). Anderson will take her talents south and swim for Coach David Marsh's Auburn Lady Tigers next season. She also won the Indiana High School Athletic Assn.'s "Mental Attitude" Award.

Noblesville senior Lacey Boutwell, who set a state record in the 50 as a soph (22.90), took top honors in the century with her state record 49.77. In the 200 she was edged by North Central soph Susan Hentschel, who went 1:49.77. Both Hentschel and Boutwell had gone faster in prelims, with Boutwell swimming 1:49.14 and Hentschel 1:49.41. Hentschel also anchored her school's victorious 200 and 400 free relay squads.

The old state record in the 100 free belonged to Elkhart Center's Lindsay Benko (50.02),who was a member of the United States' gold medal-winning 800 free relay team at the Olympics last September. Benko was also a stellar member of Coach Mark Schubert's USC Trojans in the late '90s, as well as an NCAA individual champion.

The other state record that tumbled beneath the waves of the IUPUI Natatorium was in the 100 fly, where South Dearborn soph Katherine Robinson won in a pr 55.23. The old state belonged to another Trojan, current USC soph Michala Kwasny, who went 55.40 while competing for Ft. Wayne Snider in 1998.

The meet began somewhat ominiously for the Greyhounds as they lost the opening event, the 200 medley relay, to Columbus North, 1:48.16-1:48.77. Carmel had gone much faster in prelims–1:47.51–but couldn't repeat in the finals. The loss ended Carmel's 14-year victory streak in the event.

However, Carmel's superior depth prevailed in the end as Stopkotte scored his first state championship. Tony Young with nine titles and Ray Lawrence with six are the other coaches to guide Carmel to the title in the 27-year history of the meet.

WINNERS

200 Medley Relay
Columbus North (Leah Retrum, Erin Sheehy, Anna Stark, Ashley VanOsdol), 1:48.16.

200 Freestyle
Susan Hentschel, North Central (Indianapolis), 1:49.73.

200 Individual Medley
Leah Retrum, Columbus North, 2:02.54.

50 Freestyle
Jennie Anderson, Chesterton, 23.14.

One Meter Diving
Sara Gonso, North Central (Indianapolis), 466.10.

100 Butterfly
Katherine Robinson, South Dearborn, 55.23.

100 Freestyle
Lacey Boutwell, Noblesville, 49.77.

500 Freestyle
Leah Retrum, Columbus North, 4:49.86.

200 Freestyle Relay
North Central (Elizabeth Christy, Claire Wood, Lynn Essenburg, Susan Hentschel).

100 Backstroke
Jenni Anderson, Chesterton, 55.67.

100 Breaststroke
Tenley Bick, Carmel, 1:05.72.

400 Freestyle Relay
North Central (Elizabeth Curry, Lynn Essenburg, Claire Wood, Susan Hentschel), 3:30. 59.

TEAM SCORES

1. Carmel 313
2. North Central (Indpls.) 235
3. Columbus North 199
4. Chesterton 146.5
5. Hamilton Southeastern 121
6. Noblesville 105
7. Mount Vernon 87
8. Center Grove 82
8. Portage 82
10. West Lafayette 81

Anderson named Mental Attitude Award Recipient

Jenni Anderson of Chesterton High School was named the 2001 recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Girls Swimming and Diving by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

A four-year competitor in the IHSAA Swimming and Diving State Finals, the senior won six individual state titles during her career.

Anderson ranks 24th in her senior class of 437 students and is involved in several leadership roles at the school. She plans to attend Auburn University and major in child psychology while continuing her swimming career.

Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Chesterton High School in Anderson’s name.

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