2001 IHSAA GIRLS TRACK & FIELD STATE FINALS

June 2, 2001

Carroll Stadium, IUPUI, Indianapolis

Fort Wayne Northrop

repeats as state champion

Fort Wayne Northrop withstood a challenge from Carmel to claim a nine-point victory and successfully defend its title in the 28^th Annual IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Finals.

Coached by Ted Knudson, the Bruins clinched their fourth IHSAA girls track & field with a third-place finish in the meet’s final event, the 1600 meter relay. Carmel took eighth in that race to finish with 46 points to 55 for Fort Wayne Northrop. They were followed by South Bend Adams (44), North Central of Indianapolis (35) and Pike (30).

The meet was conducted under difficult conditions – intermittent rain, gusty winds and falling temperatures that reached 49 degrees at the end of the competition. Estimated attendance was 4,500.

Still, two teams bettered a venerable state meet record in the 400 meter relay, with Fort Wayne Northrop taking the title in 47.62. The Bruins were followed by North Central (Indianapolis) in 47.90. The previous record was shared by Gary Roosevelt (1983) and Fort Wayne Northrop (1990) in 47.91.

There were no other state meet records set and there were no repeat individual champions.

Junior Ashley Urick clocked in 4:58.51 and freshman Katie Harrington followed in 4:59.30 in the 1600 meters as Carmel took an early lead. The Greyhounds had opened the meet by winning the 3200 meter relay for the fourth time in the six-year history of the event. Carmel also had a strong double in the 3200 meters with senior Sarah Huddleston in fourth and Harrington in fifth.

Delta sophomore Christina Poulson became the first athlete from her school to win an IHSAA track and field state title when she cruised to a decisive victory in the 100 meters with an 11.93 clocking. Poulson also took seventh in the 200 meters.

Poulson was joined by four other athletes – senior Emily Loomis of Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, senior Christen Hanley of Zionsville, senior Whittney Stuart of Fort Wayne North Side, and sophomore Tiffany Redlarczyk of Lake Central – who won IHSAA girls track and field state titles for the first time in school history.

Loomis captured the high jump in 5-9.5 after finishing in the event in 2000 and seventh in 1999. Hanley’s 145-0 effort in the discus topped Andrea Dalla Rossa of Merrillville by three inches. Dalla Rossa came back to win the shot put in 44-1.5. Hanley was 18^th in the shot put.

Redlarczyk blazed to a six-second victory in the 3200 meters, while Stuart claimed the 200 meters after finishing third in the 100 meters.

In other events:

· Katie Dyer of Merrillville captured the 100 hurdles crown in 14.26 and finished second in the 300 meter hurdles to junior LaQuesha Taylor of South Bend Adams who clocked a 43.77.

· Senior Michelle Smith of Bloomington North won the long jump in 19-7.5. Smith, who finished third in the 2000 state meet, posted the best winning effort in the state meet since 1995.

· Freshman Temeka Kincy took the 400 meters in 57.06, followed by classmates Zakiya Robinson of Fort Wayne Northrop and Rachel Heneghan of Zionsville.

TEAM LEADERS

Fort Wayne Northrop	55
Carmel	46
South Bend Adams	44
North Central (Indianapolis)	35
Pike	30
Lawrence North	27
Fort Wayne North Side	24
Merrillville Zionsville	22
Warren Central	19
Martinsville	18
Lake Central South Bend St. Joseph’s	16
Bloomington North Lafayette Jefferson	15

EVENT CHAMPIONS

Event	Champion
100 Hurdles	Katie Dyer, Merrillville, 14:26.
300 Hurdles	LaQuesha Taylor, South Bend Adams, 43.77.
100 Meters	Christina Poulson, Delta, 11.93.
200 Meters	Whittney Stuart, Fort Wayne North Side, 25.05.
400 Meters	Temeka Kincy, Lawrence North, 57.06.
800 Meters	Victoria Bassett, Michigan City, 2:13.25.
1600 Meters	Ashley Urick, Carmel, 4:58.51.
3200 Meters	Tiffany Redlarczyk, Lake Central, 10:46.86.
400 Relay	Fort Wayne Northrop (Khyla Conway, Lakeita Rox, Monica Carter, Zakiya Robinson), 47.62.
1600 Relay	Pike (Stephani Jeffers, Allissa Moore, Valara Anderson, April Minor), 3:55.87.
3200 Relay	Carmel (Teresa Ayers, Magin Kebert, Jaime Calhoun, Ashley Groth), 9:21.36.
Discus	Christen Haley, Zionsville, 145-0.
Shot Put	Andrea Dalla Rossa, Martinsville, 44-1.5.
High Jump	Emily Loomis, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, 5-9.5.
Long Jump	Michelle Smith, Bloomington North, 19-7.5.

LOOMIS NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD RECIPIENT

Emily Loomis of Fort Wayne Bishop Luers High School was selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 2001 recipient of the Mental Attitude Award in Girls Track & Field.

A three-sport athlete and an all-state performer in all three, Loomis was a four-time state finalist in track and field as a high jumper. She also started three years on the school’s Class 2A girls basketball state champions. In 2001, Fort Wayne Luers became the first team to win three straight IHSAA girls basketball titles.

Academically, she ranked seventh in her graduating class of 127 students and is a member of the National Honor Society. She will attend the University of Notre Dame on a volleyball scholarship and plans to major in business.

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