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FALL TOURNAMENT SEASON BEGINS WITH GIRLS GOLF SECTIONALS
The fall state tournament season begins this weekend with sectionals in the 39th Annual IHSAA Girls Golf State Tournament.

A total of 281 schools and 1,891 players are entered with rounds played at 28 courses around the state on Friday, Saturday and Monday. The top three teams and the top three individuals not on an advancing team will move on to regional play. A playoff will be used at the sectional and regional levels to break any ties for third place to determine the advancing individual golfer.

Top-ranked Penn will be playing for its fourth straight sectional title when play begins with 10 other teams at Knollwood Country Club on Friday.

Last year’s state champion Hamilton Southeastern is ranked No. 2 this week and will begin defense of its crown on Saturday in the nine-team sectional at Grandview Golf Course in Anderson.

Twin Lakes, one of 10 teams scheduled to play at Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte on Saturday, will look to extend its state record of consecutive sectional championships to a 14th year. The Indians, fresh off their Hoosier Conference championship, set the new mark last season after beginning their string in 1998.

Seven regional sites will serve as hosts on Saturday, Sept. 24, to determine which golfers will play in the Sept. 30-Oct. 1 state finals at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin.

Results from each site will be posted to www.ihsaa.org as they become available throughout the weekend.

A glance at the 2011-12 state tournament dates in each sport is available here: IHSAA State Tournament Calendar

Girls Golf Sectionals
Dates: Sept. 16, 17, 19.
Admission: Free.
Advancement to Regionals: Top three teams who post a team score; Top three low individuals excluding those individuals who advance with a team. Ties for 3rd place must be played off in order to advance.

Girls Golf State Tournament Assignments

State Coaches Poll

Notables

Defending Sectional Champions (28)
Batesville, Chesterton, Columbus North, Crown Point, DeKalb, East Noble, Evansville North, Floyd Central, Franklin Central, Hamilton Southeastern, Homestead, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Jasper, Jennings County, Lafayette Jefferson, Lebanon, Marion, Martinsville, North Knox, Penn, Richmond, Roncalli, Terre Haute North, Twin Lakes, Wawasee, Western, Yorktown, Zionsville.

Most Consecutive Sectional Championships
13 by Twin Lakes, 1998-2010.

Active Sectionals Championship Streaks
13: Twin Lakes.
8: Martinsville
7: DeKalb.
5: Roncalli.
4: Chesterton, Columbus North, East Noble, Jasper, Jennings County, Lafayette Jefferson, Richmond.
3: Hamilton Southeastern, Penn, Western.

Top 10 All-Time Sectional Championships
26: Lafayette Jefferson.
24: Greensburg, Martinsville.
20: Valparaiso.
19: Richmond.
17: Marion, North Central (Indianapolis).
16: Columbus North
15: Noblesville.
14: Twin Lakes.

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IHSAA RETAINS EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT TO DEVELOP STUDENT LEADERSHIP
IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox has announced that Lee Lonzo will now be serving as IHSAA Educational Consultant. In this capacity, Lonzo will be assisting the IHSAA Executive Staff with the execution and development of programming surrounding major Association events pertaining to student leadership and student athlete involvement.

“The IHSAA is seeking to expand, enhance and further develop the existing programs in this area with the assistance of an Educational Consultant,” said Cox.  “This will include curriculum and programming for the IHSAA Student Leadership Committee meetings and retreat, facilitating student-athlete meetings associated with IHSAA fall area principals’ meetings, direction of Student Advisory Committee activities at IHSAA State Championship Tournament Series events, and curriculum and programming for the IHSAA Student Leadership Conference.

Lonzo brings a unique background to this assignment including experience as an IHSAA athlete, coach, official, athletic director and three-term member of the IHSAA Board of Directors, having served as both President of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Executive Committee. Lonzo was instrumental as a member of the Board of Directors in establishing the Student Advisory Committee and the Student Leadership Conference and served as the chair of the Board committee overseeing Association events in these areas.  He developed the curriculum for and hosted the inaugural IHSAA Student Leadership Conference in 2001, and since that time he has continued to present and assist with the administration of this annual conference.

Lonzo has more than 30 years of experience in education.  He was an award-winning classroom teacher, student government and class sponsor, state champion and Hall of Fame tennis coach, athletic director, student activities director and building level administrator in charge of curriculum and instruction as well as technology. He attained his law degree from Indiana University at Indianapolis and has experience as a litigation attorney, serving as the City Attorney for the City of Carmel.

He founded the “Kick-Off Program” in 2001, an orientation and mentoring program assisting freshmen with the transition into high school, and in 2007 began devoting his full-time energies to this consulting enterprise as the National Program Director. Since the program’s initial launch at Carmel High School, Lonzo has assisted more than 300 high schools and middle schools in 26 states to implement the Kick-Off Program by providing professional development for the staff who administer the program and by training thousands of upper-class students who mentor the incoming freshmen.

Lonzo provides keynote speeches and facilitates workshops on a variety of education related topics including anti-hazing and bullying, sportsmanship, student leadership, the role of athletic captains, athletic risk management, athletic mentoring programs, and transition issues. In addition to working with individual schools and athletic conferences, he has been a presenter at the National Association of Secondary Principals, the Indiana Association of Principals, the Schools that Work national conference, the Gear-Up national conference, and the Indiana School Safety Specialists state conference. He was recently retained by the Indiana Department of Education to present an anti-hazing webinar and will keynote the upcoming Annual Fall Conference of the Maine Principals’ Association.

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FALL AREA PRINCIPALS MEETINGS BEGIN THIS WEEK
The Indiana High School Athletic Association will conduct meetings in each of the three legislative districts over the course of the next five weeks. Member school administrators, athletic administrators and superintendents should plan to attend one of these meetings designed to provide information on recent changes in IHSAA rules and procedures as well as future changes under consideration. The meetings also provide elected Board representatives and the Commissioner the opportunity to listen to your concerns and opinions.

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STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
The following lists of statistical leaders are compiled by VarVee.com, the IHSAA’s official statistics gathering partner. The IHSAA encourages each of its member schools to participate by registering at www.varvee.com and updating statistics by each Monday through the end of the season.

Football: State Statistical Leaders
Volleyball: State Statistical Leaders
Boys Soccer: State Statistical Leaders
Girls Soccer: State Statistical Leaders
Boys Tennis: State Statistical Leaders
Girls Golf: State Statistical Leaders

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NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE STATE
Have an interesting note? A conference or school record, coaching milestone or something else of interest? Please e-mail IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org for consideration.

Fort Wayne North Side’s 26-16 upset of Bishop Dwenger in varsity football on Sept. 2 snapped the Saints’ 38-game Summit Athletic Conference winning streak. The Redskins are currently 4-0 (3-0 SAC) under second-year coach Ryan Hall.

Patrick Rodgers, the 2010 Indiana boys golf state champion from Avon, recently competed as a member of the United States team which faced Great Britain and Ireland in the 43rd Walker Cup Match at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Americans fell, 14-12, in the amateur version of the Ryder Cup. GolfWeek.com also wrote a recent feature on the Stanford-bound Rodgers here.

Perry Central football coach Mike Spencer got his 200th career victory with a 40-7 win at Crawford County on Sept. 2. Spencer is in his 12th year on the Commodores’ sideline (115-26) and 26th season overall. He has coached Tell City and Perry Central to state runner-up finishes (Tell City in Class 2A in 1986 and Perry Central in 2001).