Junior Jayme Knies tossed a no-hitter to lead Forest Park to a 3-0 victory over top-ranked Indianapolis Lutheran and the IHSAA Class A title.

The championship came in just the fourth season of Forest Park softball and also gave the school its first IHSAA title in any sport.

The teams battled through four scoreless innings before Forest Park (25-2) struck for the winning run on Jayme Luebbehusen’s single to centerfield that scored Manda Wagner.

Forest Park also tallied runs in the sixth and seventh innings to add support for Knies’ pitching effort that included five strikeouts. The no-hitter for Knies was the fifth in state championship history and the first in Class A. Indianapolis Lutheran (29-3-1) stranded three runners and no runner reached third base.

Offensively, senior Katie Miller set a Class A championship game record with three hits in four at-bats.

Kate Miller of Forest Park was named the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award for 2001 in Class A Softball by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

The starting centerfielder for the Rangers went 3 for 3 in their victory as Forest Park won its IHSAA title in any sport. Miller was a two-year starter and a four-year letter winner. She also lettered in volleyball and basketball.

Academically, Miller ranked sixth in a graduating class of 111 students and is a member of the National Honor Society. She also was involved in several other extracurricular activities. Miller plans to attend Oakland City College and major in elementary education.

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a check for $1,000 to Forest Park High School in Miller’s name.

Roncalli’s bats were too much for Gibson Southern as the Rebels collected their second Class 2A state title in three years with a decisive 13-1 victory.

Led by Emily Kavanaugh, Ashley Werner and Erin Kavanaugh with three hits apiece, Roncalli (26-9) set a state championship game record in all classes with 17 hits.

Roncalli took a 2-0 lead after one inning, moved to 5-0 after two innings and 9-0 after four on it way to an eighth consecutive victory.

The loss ended a 23-game winning streak for Gibson Southern (28-6), which was making its first appearance in the state finals.

Roncalli set Class 2A championship game records for hits (17), hits in an inning (4), runs (13), and most runs in an inning (4 in the fourth). Roncalli and Gibson Southern also combined to set Class 2A state championship game two-team records for hits (24) and runs (14).

The three hits by Roncalli’s Emily Kavanaugh, Ashley Werner and Erin Kavanaugh broke the Class 2A individual record for hits in a championship game. Other significant individual records were set by Emily Kavanaugh with three runs in a championship game, and most runs batted in (2) by Werner and Ashley Bencik of Roncalli.

Senior Christy Utnage of Roncalli was named the 2001 recipient of the Class 2A Mental Attitude Award by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

Utnage was the winning pitcher as Roncalli claimed its second IHSAA softball state title. She recorded four strikeouts and finished the season 20-7.

Also a member of the school’s Class 2A state champions in 1999, Utnage was named the Marion County Player of the Year in 2001 while earning her third varsity letter. She also lettered four years in volleyball.

Academically, Utnage ranked 29^th in her senior class of 211 students and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. She plans to attend the University of Dayton and major in elementary education.

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a check for $1,000 to Roncalli High School in the name of Utnage.

Castle finished a 12-game late-season run with its first IHSAA softball state title, besting Pendleton Heights 4-1 in a game that was tight for six innings.

The Knights (29-6) broke it open in the top of the seventh inning with two runs. With runners at second and third and one out, Mendy Martin’s single through the left side scored Lauren Egierski. Kaleigh Gossman followed with another single down the leftfield line that scored Krista Keener. Egierski and Keener both singled to lead off the inning and advanced on a sacrifice bunt.

Both teams were playing in their first state championship game. It was the fourth IHSAA state title in all sports for Castle, the first for a girls team at the school and the second championship of the 2000-01 school year. The boys soccer team captured the 2000 boys soccer state title last fall.

All 13 hits in the game were singles.

Both teams broke through in the fourth inning. Castle took a 2-0 lead in the top half as Ashley Lawyer’s single to right centerfield scored Katie Goldbach with one out. Lawyer eventually scored on a fielder’s choice.

Pendleton Heights (24-10) retaliated with a run in the bottom of the fourth as Julie Owens reached base on a fielder’s choice with one out and scored all the way from first on Tiffany LaRue’s two-out single to right center. The Arabians threatened to score again, but Castle quelled the storm with two Pendleton Heights runners left on base.

Beth Harmon (25-6) went the distance for Castle with seven strikeouts. Rachel Harless, who pitched the first three and one-third innings, took the loss (11-4) for Pendleton Heights.

Sarah Ford of Castle was named the 2001 recipient of the Class 3A Mental Attitude Award by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

The starting leftfielder was the only senior on the Castle roster. She was an all-Southern Indiana Athletic Conference selection this season and was selected as the team’s mental attitude winner. Ford also was the school’s most valuable player in soccer for the 2000 season. She served as captain of both the soccer and softball teams, and has been cited for inclusion in Castle High School’s athletic hall of fame.

Academically, Ford ranked in the top third of her graduating class of 342. She was involved in several extracurricular activities at the school, including a key leadership role on the student athletic council.

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a check for $1,000 to Castle High School in Ford’s name. She plans to attend Indiana University, majoring in dietetics and nursing.