2000 IHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving State Finals
Indiana University Natatorium, Indianapolis
Feb. 25-26, 2000
Columbus North wins third
straight state championship
Three meet records fell and Columbus North successfully defended its state title in the 63rd Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Boys Swimming and Diving State Finals Feb. 26, 2000 at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Columbus North won two individual titles and two relay championships while accumulating 229 points to 170 for runner-up Carmel. They were followed by Hamilton Southeastern (156), North Central of Indianapolis (137) and Fort Wayne Concordia (133).
Winning for the third straight year, Columbus North joined Carmel (1990-94) as the only schools to earn more than two consecutive IHSAA boys swimming and diving titles since 1980. The Bull Dogs lead the state in overall IHSAA boys swimming and diving titles with 10.
Mike Stoller, a junior at Bremen, won two events and set the first of three meet records. Stoller, who entered the meet as the top seed and also posted the best time in the preliminary round, swam to a convincing record time of 20.46 over 1999 state champion Conor Leehaug of Columbus North. Stoller bettered the standard of 20.50 set by Andy McVey of Beech Grove in 1986. It was the oldest state finals swimming record on the books. Stoller came back to win the 100 freestyle in 45.27 over the top-seeded Leehaug. Stoller is the first swimmer from Bremen to win a state title.
Other meet records were set by Matt McDonald of Hamilton Southeastern in the 100 butterfly and Bryce Hunt of Castle in the 100 backstroke. McDonald, a junior, was clocked in 48.06. That bettered the time of 48.38 by Jason Lancaster of Carmel in 1994. Hunt cruised in the backstroke, winning by more than a second over top-seed Matt McDonald of Hamilton Southeastern and lowering the state meet record by .19 seconds.
Senior Alec Sheehy of Columbus North set the pace by successfully defending his 200 individual medley title. Sheehy's time of 1:52.87 was identical to his winning time in 1999.
His teammate, junior Ryan Wochomurka, preceded Sheehy's triumph by capturing the 200 freestyle in the 1:40.01 to put Columbus North in control early.
The Bull Dogs also won the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay with Wochomurka, Sheehy and Leehaug participating on both units.
In the diving competition, Mitch Richeson of Greenwood led wire to wire, taking top honors with a 455.60 total.
Championship Results
1. |
Columbus North |
229 |
2. |
Carmel |
170 |
3. |
Hamilton Southeastern |
156 |
4. |
North Central (Indianapolis) |
137 |
5. |
Fort Wayne Concordia |
133 |
6. |
Castle |
127 |
7. |
Chesterton |
115 |
8. |
Center Grove |
108 |
9. |
Crawfordsville |
106 |
10. |
Munster |
104.5 |
11. |
Highland |
77 |
12. |
Penn |
74 |
13. |
Lake Central |
68 |
14. |
Roncalli |
66 |
15. |
Plainfield |
57 |
16. |
Delta |
45.5 |
17. |
Bremen |
40 |
18. |
Franklin Central |
36.5 |
19. |
Homestead |
28.5 |
20. |
Bloomington South |
27 |
21. |
Crown Point Richmond |
24 |
23. |
Bedford North Lawrence |
23 |
24. |
Kokomo West Lafayette |
21 |
26. |
Greenwood |
20 |
27. |
Merrillville Northridge |
19 |
29. |
Anderson Griffith South Bend Clay |
17 |
32. |
LaPorte Lowell Pendleton Heights Perry Meridian |
16 |
36. |
East Noble Edgewood |
13 |
38. |
Evansville Memorial Warsaw |
12 |
40. |
Manchester |
9 |
41. |
Harrison (West Lafayette) Providence |
8 |
43. |
Franklin Huntington North Norwell |
7 |
46. |
Frankfort |
6 |
47. |
Fort Wayne Northrop |
5 |
48. |
Lafayette Jefferson Twin Lakes |
4 |
50. |
Concord Valparaiso Wawasee Western |
3 |
54. |
Floyd Central South Vermillion |
2 |
56. |
Maconaquah Mount Vernon Noblesville |
1 |
Event Champions
200 Medley Relay -- Hamilton Southeastern (Matt McDonald, Tyler Keltner, Brad Rodecker, Scott Tabor), 1:35.32.
200 Freestyle -- Ryan Wochomurka, Columbus North, 1:40.01.
200 Individual Medley -- Alec Sheehy, Columbus North, 1:52.87.
50 Freestyle -- Michael Stoller, Bremen, 20.46. State meet record; old record, 20.50 by Andy McVey, Beech Grove, 1986.
One Meter Diving -- Mitch Richeson, Greenwood, 455.60.
100 Butterfly -- Matt McDonald, Hamilton Southeastern, 48.06. State meet record; old record, 48.38 by Jason Lancaster, Carmel, 1994.
100 Freestyle -- Michael Stoller, Bremen, 45.27.
500 Freestyle -- Brian Hartley, North Central (Indianapolis), 4:28.91.
200 Freestyle Relay -- Columbus North (Ryan Wochomurka, Kyle Fellerfoff, Alec Sheehy, Conor Leehaug), 1:26.00.
100 Backstroke -- Bryce Hunt, Castle, 49.42. State meet record; old record, 49.61 by Todd Smolinski, Lake Central, 1998.
100 Breaststroke -- Andrew Albright, Carmel, 58.23.
400 Freestyle Relay -- Columbus North (Ryan Wochomurka, Kevin Wheatley, Alec Sheehy, Conor Leehaug), 3:08.66.
Sheehy named Mental Attitude Award Recipient
Alex Sheehy of Columbus North High School was named the 2000 recipient of the IHSAA Herman F. Keller Mental Attitude Award in Boys Swimming and Diving.
He was a member of three state championship teams for the Bull Dogs, and won two individual titles. Sheehy won the 200 individual medley title in the 1999 and 2000 state finals, and also was on two winning relay units each year.
Academically, Sheehy ranks 16th in a class of 380 students. He is a member of the National Honor Society and earned a National Merit Scholarship commendation. He plans to attend Stanford University on an athletic scholarship, with the career goal of earning a medical degree.
Sheehy is the first athlete from Columbus North to receive the Keller Award, which is named in honor of the late assistant commissioner of the IHSAA.
Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Columbus North High School in Sheehy's name.