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Led by a strong performance from senior Ryan Lipe, the Greyhounds cruised to a third straight state finals crown.

Carmel set the tone early as they took first place in the first event, the 3200 M Relay with a time of 7:43.65. Senior pole vaulter Mitch Lipe and 300 M Hurdler Jalen Walker made strong contributions to the Greyhounds, finishing with fourth and second place medals in their respective events. Junior sprinter Spencer Gudgel also tacked on a third-place finish in the 400 M Dash. Carmel’s depth helped them earn top six finishes in seven events on the night.

Senior Ryan Lipe was the Greyhounds' top performer. Lipe earned back-to-back state titles in the Pole Vault with a height of 17-3. He also finished as runner-up in the 100 M Dash and anchored the Carmel 4x100 M Relay team that finished sixth.

The 800 M and 1600 M runs were two of the more exciting events of the evening. Hamilton Southeastern’s Gabe Fendel came within striking distance of the state record of 4:03.0, finishing the mile run in 4:04.70. Meanwhile, the 800 M Run ended in a photo finish, as New Palestine senior Samuel Voelz edged out Pendleton Heights' senior Parker Jones by .02 seconds with a time of 1:52.60.

Seniors Noah McBride of Evansville Harrison and Isaiah Ware of North Central (Indianapolis) also enjoyed notable evenings, as they both took home two state titles a piece. McBride earned a first-place finish in the 100 M Dash with a time of 10.55, while also walking away with a second sprint title in the 200 in a winning time 21.14. Isaiah Ware, meanwhile, earned the first of his two titles with a sprint of 47.91 in the 400. Anchoring the Panthers 4x400 M Relay team, Ware finished the season, and his career, on a high note by leading North Central to a first-place finish in the event and a time of 3:17.79.

Coach Ken Browner helped orchestrate Carmel’s three-peat, which is the Greyhounds fourth overall title in Track and Field. The official attendance for Friday’s event at Indiana University’s Robert C. Hough Track and Field Complex was 5,653.

114th Annual IHSAA Boys Track & Field State Finals
Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, Bloomington
June 2, 2017

Top 10 Teams
1.    Carmel: 68
2.    Avon: 46
3.    North Central (Indpls.): 43
4.    Chesterton: 37
T5.  Fort Wayne Northrop: 31
T5.  Center Grove: 31
7.    New Palestine: 25
8.    Evansville Harrison: 22
9.    Bloomington North: 20
10.  Warren Central: 19

State Champions
3200 Relay: Carmel (Jon Balda, 12; Trey Harris, 11; Eli Konow, 9; Kenji Tomozawa, 12), 7:43.65
100 Meters: Noah McBride, 12, Evansville Harrison, 10.55
110 Hurdles: Daveon Finley, 12, Portage, 13.77
200 Meters: Noah McBride, 12, Evansville Harrison, 21.14
1600 Meters: Gabe Fendel, 11, Hamilton Southeastern, 4:04.70
400 Relay: Carroll (Fort Wayne) (Justin Becker, 11; Jordan Schmeling, 12; Cameron Shank, 11; Connor Tapp, 12), 41.06
400 Meters: Isaiah Ware, 12, North Central (Indpls.), 47.91
300 Hurdles: Shaton Vaughn, 11, Fort Wayne Northrop, 37.45
800 Meters: Samuel Voelz, 12, New Palestine, 1:52.60
3200 Meters: Curtis Eckstein, 12, Oldenburg Academy, 9:08.54
1600 Relay: North Central (Indpls.) (Damian Clay, 10; Malcolm Corbett, 11; Cole Maguire, 11; Isaiah Ware, 12), 3:17.79
Discus: Tyler Gilbert, 11, Western, 173-10
Shot Put: George Karlaftis, 10, West Lafayette, 59-05.50
Long Jump: Isaac Guerendo, 11, Avon, 24-05.25
High Jump: Nate Patterson, 11, Plymouth, 6-10
Pole Vault: Ryan Lipe, 12, Carmel, 17-03

Parker Jones of Pendleton Heights Wins Hinshaw Mental Attitude Award
Members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Parker Jones of Pendleton Heights High School as the winner of this year’s Robert S. Hinshaw Mental Attitude Award in Boys Track and Field.

A three-year team captain, Jones has qualified for the state finals in track and field the past two years. He followed up a fourth place 1600 M finish in 2016 with a fifth-place finish in the same event, but coupled it with a second place 800 M run finish as well. A leader on both the basketball and cross country teams as well, Jones is a seven-time conference champion, an eight-time county champion, and has been the Team MVP for the past three years.

In the classroom, Jones is a member of the National Honor Society, belongs to the National Beta Club, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. As a member of his community, he volunteers at the Rehab Hospital of Indiana as well as the Riley Hospital for Children.

The son of Kent and Shawnda Jones of Pendleton, Cooper will attend the University of Notre Dame next fall on an athletic scholarship.

The IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Pendleton Heights High School in the name of Parker Jones.