Welcome! The 34th Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Girls Basketball State Finals Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana March 7, 2009 Session I, 10:30 a.m. EST Class A | Fort Wayne Canterbury (22-4) vs. Vincennes Rivet (23-1) Class 2A | Oak Hill (27-1) vs. Heritage Christian (25-1) Session II, 6:00 p.m. EST Class 3A | Fort Wayne Elmhurst (24-2) vs. Owen Valley (24-2) Class 4A | South Bend Washington (26-0) vs. Ben Davis (29-0) IHSAA Event Security Policy To help insure the safest and most secure atmosphere for this IHSAA State Final, event manage- ment will diligently maintain established security procedures and activities. This will require complete cooperation by all competing teams, contest officials and fans. Security will always have priority over convenience; therefore, if you are requested to cooperate with event personnel in any manner, please do so promptly. Your assistance will enable our staff to fulfill its responsibilities efficiently. IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 1 Welcome to this championship event For more than 100 years, the IHSAA has enjoyed being a part of the journey to adulthood for thousands Special Thanks To Our Hosts of young Hoosiers. Knowing that the student-athletes we meet today will be the leaders of tomorrow, we are Lucas Oil Stadium grateful for the opportunity to help them as they learn 500 South Capital Avenue • Indpls., IN 46255 valuable life lessons through athletics. Executive Director Barney Levengood Currently in Indiana, over 160,000 students from 410 Stadium Director Mike Fox Event Coordinator Jennifer Ross different IHSAA member schools participate in high Ticket Office Manager Mary Dyar school athletics. From our perspective, participation in Assistant Ticket Office Manager Stacy Yankauskas athletics is an integral part of the educational process. Security Manager Kevin Deane At the IHSAA we believe that the athletic arena is an State Finals Officials extension of the classroom. Don Corey, Ronald Day, Tim Filson, Doug Greenlee, The national organization Brian Holtz, P.J. Pitts, Kirk Robinson, Lawrence for high school athletics, the Samano, Dave Senning, Justin Shippy, Greg Yergler, National Federation of State Curtis Yoder, Mark Christman (alternate). High School Associations (NFHS) has used the slogan, State Finals Personnel “Athletics, the other half of Tournament Administrator education.” We believe that Theresia Wynns, Assistant Commissioner is a very accurate adage. Tournament Assistants There are many things to be Barb Brouwer, Southport High School learned through athletics that may not be a part of the Sharon Jackson, Franklin Central High School regular classroom setting including lessons such as, Timer - Dr. Charles Leonard Announcer - Scott Gregg self-discipline, the value of teamwork, the importance Scorer - Clara Caito of dedication and commitment. Each of these can Officials - Carlonda Davis have a dramatic impact on today’s youth as they Teams - Kris Nolan, Deb Day prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow. Whether Pep Bands - Vicky Branson, Kathy Craig it’s their ability to deal with success or overcome great Student Helpers/Awards - Tammy Wertman adversity, the important lessons learned will last a Student Helpers - Lawrence Central Girls Basketball lifetime. Each experience helps shape who one is and National Anthem who they will become. Session I - Oak Hill H.S. Honors Choir Session II - Audrey Schmaltz, Muncie Central H.S. Presentation of Colors For an organization such as ours, integrity is of primary Grissom Air Reserve Base - Peru, Indiana importance. An uncompromising adherence to the Athletic Training Staff principles of fair play and impartiality form the core of Trainer - Steve Zook; Physician - Dr. Dan Kraft our value system. Methodist Sports Medicine - The Orthopedic Specialists We hope you are looking forward to the 2008-09 Program Credits school year with the same anticipation and enthusiasm Publisher Blake Ress, Commissioner as the IHSAA staff and Board of Directors. Editor Chris Kaufman, Communications Director Editorial Assistance Toni Polizzi, Sports Admin. Intern Pure, wholesome, amateur, educational, inexpensive, Printing Sport Graphics, Indianapolis local high school athletics has always been the objec- Photography Visual Sports Network tive. It is what we mean when we say…Pure Spirit. Cover Design three-sixty group, Indianapolis Pure Sport! IHSAA P.O. Box 40650 Cordially, Indianapolis, IN 46240-0650 (317) 846-6601 www.IHSAA.org Blake Ress IHSAA Commissioner 2 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! One of the country’s largest conferences of its kind, the IHSAA Student Leadership Conference gives students and school leaders the opportunity to meet and interact with other students from across Indiana in an atmosphere designed to promote leadership and sportsmanship. If you are interested in attending the 2009 Student Leadership Conference, please contact your high school athletic department or log on the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org. June 23, 2009 Proud Presenting Sponsor Girls Basketball Championship Games available on DVD The IHSAA has launched a new e-Commerce store which will provide a convenient method to purchase IHSAA publications, DVD videos, and selected merchandise online! The new, easy-to-use online store will help to increase customer satisfaction by streamlining the ordering process. Placing an order through www.ihsaa.org has many advantages over traditional ordering. Orders can be placed faster and safer as the website incorporates industry-standard, 128-bit encryption security features for all credit card transactions, allowing you to place your order with confidence. Customers also receive instant order confirmations! The online store gives customers the ability to place orders 24/7 and track their orders, review their order history, reorder products, and find pricing and product information. Visit www.ihsaa.org and click on the IHSAA e-Store icon to place your order today! IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 3 Tournament Preview By RICHARD TORRES VYPE High School Sports Magazine, Central Indiana Plenty of questions surround the 34th Annual IHSAA Rivet – Chelsea Meeks (5-4, Jr., G): 16.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, Girls Basketball State Finals. 4.3 apg; Sara Young (5-7, So., G): 10.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 5.5 apg. Will top-ranked Ben Davis finish the season a historic 30-0 to win the Class 4A state title? Will Class 4A South Bend Class 2A Championship Washington play spoiler to capture its second title in four Oak Hill (27-1) vs. Heritage Christian (25-1), approximately years? 40 minutes following conclusion of previous game. Which of the two first-time state finalists will be the newest Heritage Christian looks to become only the second team in champion at Class 3A? tournament history since Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (1999- Can Class A Fort Wayne Canterbury and Class 2A Heritage 2002) to win four straight state titles. Yet, the defending Christian defend their titles? Will Heritage Christian capture champion Eagles must overcome Oak Hill in a rematch of a historic fourth consecutive state championship? last year’s Class 2A title game. Oak Hill is led by four players who have exceeded the 1,000-point career plateau. Today, the answers will be revealed. Fast Facts Class A Championship • Heritage Christian is ranked No. 1 in the state and 14th Fort Wayne Canterbury (22-4) vs. Vincennes Rivet (23-1), nationally by USA Today. 10:30 a.m. (ET). • The Eagles are playing in a Class 2A title game for the For a second consecutive year, Fort Wayne Canterbury fifth time in six years and are the fourth team to compete will vie for a basketball state title. The Cavaliers return in four consecutive state finals tournaments (Fort Wayne four starters from their championship team. Vincennes Bishop Luers 1999-2002, Noblesville 1987-90, South Rivet makes its first appearance at state after knocking Bend Washington 2006-09). off University, last year’s Class A runner-up, 56-46 in the Bedford North Lawrence Semistate. • A victory for Oak Hill today would give head coach Todd Law (99-24) his 100th of his five-year career. Fast Facts • Players to Watch: Oak Hill – Courtney Moses (5-7, Jr., • Vincennes Rivet (92 students enrolled) is the smallest G): 18.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.4 apg; Ashley Pickering (6-4, Jr., school to play in a girls basketball state title game since C): 16.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg; Lauren Meese (5-6, Sr., G): 12.4 Washington Catholic (93) in 2004. ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.6 apg. Heritage Christan – Kelly Faris • FW Canterbury has won 16 consecutive games since (5-11, Sr., F): 14.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.9 apg; Claire Freeman losing to Carmel, the 2008 Class 4A champion, on Jan. (5-9, Sr., G): 13.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.3 apg; Liz Stratman 10. (6-3, So., F): 11.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg. • Vincennes Rivet is making the school’s second state Class 3A Championship finals appearance in an IHSAA team sport and first Fort Wayne Elmhurst (24-2) vs. Owen Valley (24-2), 6 p.m. since the volleyball team qualified in 1973. (ET). • Players to Watch: FW Canterbury – Tabitha Gerardot Both teams enter as first-time state finalists. For Fort (5-11, Jr., F): 23.1 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 2.1 apg; Cassie Kreiger Wayne Elmhurst, the appearance marks the first for a girls (5-8, Jr., F): 11.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg. Vincennes 2 Your Kids. Your Schools.IHSAA Your - Pure Communities. Spirit. Pure Sport! Your Magazine. ihsaa_preview_girls_basketball_raffel.indd 1 3/3/09 8:45:39 AM basketball team and second overall in a team sport. Owen This game is all about Goliath. South Bend Washington is Valley won the program’s first regional title since 1994 and led by the state’s leading scorer, Skylar Diggins. Ben Davis becomes the first team in school history to advance to state.