2001 IHSAA BOYS TRACK & FIELD STATE FINALS

June 1, 2001

Carroll Stadium, IUPUI, Indianapolis

 

 

Lawrence North captures

second IHSAA state title

 

Scoring in 11 of the 16 events and highlighted by an individual state champion and a winning relay team, Lawrence North captured its first team championship since 1990 and second title overall by a 16-point margin in the 98th Annual IHSAA Boys Track and Field State Finals.

After a cold and wet day, the meet was conducted in sunny and breezy conditions with the temperature near 60 degrees before an estimated crowd of 5,500.

Lawrence North finished with 65 points and was followed by North Central (Indianapolis) with 49 points, defending state champion Carmel (34) and Fort Wayne Northrop (32).

It is the fifth IHSAA state title overall for Lawrence North and first since it won the IHSAA wrestling crown in 1993. The Wildcats were coached by Bob Potter, who also directed the 1990 state championship team. Lawrence North’s winning efforts came in the long jump and the 4 x 400 relay.

Individually, Matthew Campbell of White River Valley and Leroy Dixon of South Bend LaSalle shined brightest in a field of stars.

Campbell broke the 14-year-old state meet record in the pole vault by going 16-9 to best Paul Gensic of Carroll (Fort Wayne) in a torrid battle that saw both seniors exceed the previous state record. Campbell won top honors in a jump off, but both vaulters will share the state meet record. Campbell joins Mark Buse of Southridge (1988-90-91) as the only three-time IHSAA state champions in the pole vault.

Dixon was the meet’s only double winner in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Dixon, a junior, won the 100 meters by a comfortable margin in 10.43. He also posted a decisive victory in the 200 meters in 21.3. Dixon is the first athlete to double in the sprints since Trellus Washington of Elkhart Central in 1993.

In the first of two down-to-the wire distance races, senior Chris Swisher of Milan kicked to a furious finish in the 1600 meters to overtake defending state champion Aaron Fisher of Franklin Central at the tape. Swisher, was timed in 4:16.44, followed by Fisher at 4:16.89 and senior Eric Redman of North Central (Indianapolis) in 4:16.94. Swisher is the first Milan athlete to win an individual title in boys track and field.

The 3200 meters also featured a photo finish with Robert Smitson of Brebeuf Jesuit holding off defending state champion Charlie Koeppen as both seniors dove to the tape. Smitson was clocked in 9:05.72, Koeppen in 9:05.73. Smitson is Brebeuf’s first state champion since Greg VanWinkle won the mile run in 1977.

In other events:

 

 

TEAM LEADERS

Lawrence North

65

North Central (Indianapolis)

49

Carmel

34

Fort Wayne Northrop

32

Ben Davis

Gary West Side

26

Richmond

25

Franklin Central

24

Lawrence Central

21

Fort Wayne Wayne

South Bend LaSalle

20

Carroll (Fort Wayne)

Warren Central

18

DeKalb

17

Milan

South Bend Clay

15

 

 

EVENT CHAMPIONS

Event

Champion

110 High Hurdles

Lorenzo Swanson, South Bend Clay, 14.27.

300 Intermediate Hurdles

Ronald Elliott, Fort Wayne Wayne, 38.31.

100 Meters

Leroy Dixon, South Bend LaSalle, 10.43.

200 Meters

Leroy Dixon, South Bend LaSalle, 21.30.

400 Meters

Dominique Wilson, Lawrence Central, 47.63.

800 Meters

Mike Taylor, Portage, 1:52.30.

1600 Meters

Chris Swisher, Milan, 4:16.64.

3200 Meters

Ro bert Smitson, Brebeuf Jesuit, 9:05.72.

400 Relay

North Central (Indianapolis) (Tony Harrell, Robert Robinson, Pierre Bush, Courtney Roby), 41.70.

1600 Relay

North Central (Indianapolis) (Tony Harrell, Dana Howard, Robert James, Patrick Bush), 3:18.30.

3200 Relay

Carmel (Jim Pancoast, Scott Kenny, Josh Edgerton, Joe Hinson) 7:47.68

Discus

Taylor Treesh, DeKalb, 182-3.

Shot Put

Garland Porter, Ben Davis, 60-1.5.

High Jump

Ben Daniel, Merrillville, 6-6.

Long Jump

Marcus Lewis, Lawrence North, 23-6.

Pole Vault

Matthew Campbell, White River Valley, 16-9, meet record.

 

 

Swisher named Mental Attitude Award recipient

Chris Swisher of Milan High School was selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 2001 recipient of the Robert S. Hinshaw Mental Attitude Award in Boys Track & Field.

Swisher became Milan’s first boys track and field state champion with a dramatic triumph in the 1600 meters. It capped an outstanding high school career that saw him captain the school’s cross country, basketball and track teams during his senior year while serving as class president.

Academically, he ranked in his graduating class of 67 student to earn salutatorian honors. He is a member of the National Honor Society and plans to major in pre-dentistry at the University of Southern Indiana.

The Robert S. Hinshaw Mental Attitude Award is presented annually to the senior who best demonstrates excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in boys track and field. Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Milan High School in the name of Swisher.