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Two returnees from last season as well as two newcomers are among the eight competing in Saturday’s 29th Annual IHSAA Softball State Finals at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.

The opener in Class A at 10:30 am ET pits No. 1 and defending state champion Lakewood Park Christian (28-2) against No. 3 Tecumseh (21-7) followed by 2012 runner-up Adams Central (22-6) taking on Indianapolis Scecina (21-9) for the 2A title at 1:30 pm ET. In 3A beginning at 4:30 pm ET, No. 6 Yorktown (25-4) and Tri-West Hendricks (24-4), both making their first state championship game appearances, will face one another and the 4A finale at 7:30 pm ET calls for Franklin Central (21-5) and Portage (24-6). All four games will be streamed live at www.IHSAAtv.org.

The state champs from the last two seasons will face one another in the lead-off game of the day as Lakewood Park Christian, the defending champion squares off with Tecumseh, the 2011 winner. Tecumseh defeated Lakewood Park in that contest two seasons ago. Tecumseh won its seventh consecutive regional crown this season and tied the state record with its 11th sectional title.  Lakewood Park, winner of 18 straight, makes its third consecutive appearance in final game and has yet to allow a run in the tournament.

In 2A, Adams Central hopes to take that final step of winning the state championship after falling short a year ago. The Jets won their second sectional in school history this tournament and also dropped a pair of top 10 teams along the way in No. 6 Bremen  at the regional and No. 10 Wapahani in the semi-state. They’ve won 12 consecutive games. After taking its 10th sectional crown in a row, Indianapolis Scecina knocked off top-ranked Evansville Mater Dei in the semi-state to earn its fourth trip to the state finals. The Crusaders hope to add a second crown to go along with their 2007 banner.

Someone will walk away with the school’s first softball state championship following the 3A final between Yorktown and Tri-West Hendricks. Yorktown, winner of 14 straight contests, won its second straight regional last week and took home its first semi-state win outscoring its two foes, 22-1. Tri-West Hendricks owns a 13-game win streak and hurdled both the regional and semi-state rounds for the first time in school history in recent days.

Franklin Central and Portage are the lone survivors of the 4A gauntlet and each hopes to seal the season with the final victory. Portage returns to the state finals for the first time since its banner year of 2000 when it won the 3A title, then the largest class. The Indians powered through three top 10 foes in recent days defeating No. 7 Crown Point in the sectional and No. 2 Northridge and No. 5 Huntington North, last year’s runner-up, in back-to-back semi-state games. Franklin Central was the 2008 runner-up and hasn’t allowed more than two runs in their last eight outings. The Flashes upset No. 3 Center Grove on the road in the sectional and No. 8 Pendleton Heights in winning the team’s first semi-state trophy.

State Finals
Site: Ben Davis High School, 1200 N. Girls School Road, Indianapolis | Website
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2013.
Admission: $10.
Home Team: The winner of the northern semi-state (second team below) is the designated home team in each game.
Webcast: www.IHSAAtv.org

Class 4A Brackets | Class 3A Brackets | Class 2A Brackets | Class A Brackets

Meet the Teams | Order Photos

Class A | Tecumseh (21-7) vs. Lakewood Park Christian (28-2) | 10:30 am ET.
Class 2A | Indianapolis Scecina (21-9) vs. Adams Central (22-6) | 1:30 pm ET.
Class 3A | Tri-West Hendricks (24-4) vs. Yorktown (25-4) | 4:30 pm ET.
Class 4A | Franklin Central (21-5) vs. Portage (24-6) | 7:30 pm ET.

Media Information

Media Host: Communications Assistant Toni Polizzi will be on site to assist in your coverage.

Media Credentials: The 2012-13 IHSAA State Finals Media Credential issued previously this year will allow for admission. To apply, please e-mail your request (with name of individual) as soon as possible to IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org. E-mail requests MUST originate from a recognized business account; e-mails from personal accounts (ie: yahoo.com, aol.com, etc.) will not be accepted. The application deadline is Thursday, June 6, at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT. Approved requests will be available for pickup at the main gate nearest the right field corner on Saturday.

Services: Starting lineups and game programs will be circulated to members of the media in attendance on Saturday. Final box scores will be available following each state championship game, posted to the IHSAA website and available via @IHSAA1 on Twitter. Complimentary wireless access also will be available in the press box for filing purposes.

Photography: Photographers may take up positions in the photography stands in the outfield side of each dugout for field level shots. At no time during the game should photographers be shooting from the playing field itself.

Interviews: Interviews with coaches and players may be conducted on the field following the conclusion of the awards ceremonies. In order to allow the grounds crew to do its work, we ask your cooperation in conducting interviews outside the foul lines.

Notables

Defending State Champions in the Field
1A: Lakewood Park Christian.

Returning to State Finals from 2012
2A: Adams Central.
A: Lakewood Park Christian.

Former State Champions in the Field
4A: Portage 2000 (3A).
2A: Indianapolis Scecina 2007 (2A).
1A: Lakewood Park Christian 2012 (A).
1A: Tecumseh 2009 (A), 2011 (A).

First-Time Participants in the State Finals
3A: Tri-West Hendricks, Yorktown.

 

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Walton Resident Ronnie Lowe to Receive Softball Officiating Award
Ronnie Lowe of Walton is the recipient of the 2013 Interscholastic Athletic Official Association Award for excellence in the sport of Softball.  Lowe will be honored in a special ceremony during Saturday’s state finals. 

Each year, the Indiana High School Athletic Association, in cooperation with the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association, recognizes and honors an outstanding official in each of 11 sports during the school year.

Ronnie has spent over 25 years as a softball official, during which he has officiated 21 sectionals, 13 regionals, five semi-states and four state championships in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010. In addition, Ronnie has served as an IHSAA local association rules interpreter. Ronnie was a softball assistant from 2002-2012.

With 43 years of experience serving as an umpire for the Amateur Softball Association, Ronnie has umpired state, regional and national championships.

Outside of officiating high school sports, Ronnie is retired from Essex Wire where he was a supervisor for 30 years. The McMurry College graduate (‘61) and wife Sarah have been married for 47 years. The couple has one daughter, Jaylene, and two grandchildren. 

 

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Singles, Doubles Championships Up for Grabs This Weekend
Seven singles players and 11 doubles teams will converge on Park Tudor School in Indianapolis this weekend to settle the 32nd singles and 23rd doubles state champions in girls tennis.

Three doubles matches will be played Friday morning while three singles matches will begin with quarterfinal action in the afternoon. Saturday morning’s semifinal round begins at 10 am ET followed by the state championship and consolation matches at 2 pm. A detailed schedule is listed below.

Macie Elliott of Evansville Memorial is teaming with senior classmate Brenna Wu in doubles. The duo is unbeaten on the year at 20-0 after reaching the state semis with their team last week which earned them bye into Friday afternoon’s round. For Elliott, the 2011 state singles champion, she would join Tiffany Welcher of Clarksville as the only girls to win both a singles and doubles state championship in state history. Welcher won the solo title in 2006 and then partnered with sister Deahna Welcher to win it in 2007.

Other doubles teams that drew a bye following their advancement in the team tournament last weekend include Floyd Central’s Whitney Batliner and Dana Frank who are 28-2 on the season and Park Tudor’s Hannah Klapper and Ali Lebovits at 18-4.

The singles tournament includes Fort Wayne Canterbury sophomore Leah Barnes (29-0), last year’s state runner-up, in the Friday afternoon’s quarters. Should she defeat Bloomington Azcui of Bloomington South, a meeting with Carmel’s Bailey Padgett (22-0) awaits. Padgett helped lead Carmel to the team title last Saturday.

Also among the singles participants are North Central freshman Claire Reifeis (20-5) and Greenwood junior Jackie Kawamoto (25-0), both of whom played No. 1 singles for their state finalist teams.

Results will be available at IHSAA.org well as on Twitter @IHSAA1 following each session.

State Finals
Site: Park Tudor School, 7200 N. College Avenue, Indianapolis.
Dates: June 7-8, 2013.
Admission: $5 per person per day.
Note: For each player(s) listed below, the first record indicates regular season, the second indicates state tournament. Add both for overall season record.

Singles

Quarterfinals | Friday, 2 pm ET
Match 1: Leah Barnes (10) Fort Wayne Canterbury (22-0, 7-0) vs. Denise Azcui (10) Bloomington South (18-1, 7-0).
Match 2: Claire Reifeis (9) North Central (Indianapolis) (14-5, 6-0) vs. Kelly Iden (12) Hamilton Southeastern (17-1, 5-0).
Match 3: Emily Mast (9) Fairfield (17-1, 4-0) vs. Jackie Kawamoto (11) Greenwood (18-0, 7-0).

Semifinals | Saturday, 10 am ET
Match 4: Bailey Padgett (11) Carmel (14-0, 8-0) vs. Winner of Match 1.
Match 5: Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner of Match 3.

State Championship | Saturday, 2 pm ET
Match 6: Winner of Match 4 vs. Winner of Match 5.
Consolation
Match 7: Loser of Match 4 vs. Loser of Match 5.

Doubles
First Round | Friday, 10 am ET
Match 1: Caroline Combs (10) | Meredith Goshell (11) Indianapolis Cathedral (17-0, 6-0) vs. Sydney Anderson (10) | Sara Vanderkolk (11) Columbus North (8-10, 6-0).
Match 2: Courtney Clark (11) | Olivia Erekson (12) Northridge (13-4, 5-0) vs. Miranda Camp (12) | Nicole Howe (11) Terre Haute South (7-4, 5-0).
Match 3: Elizabeth Maxson (12) | Audrey Rang (11) Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger (18-0, 7-0) vs. Emily Lyon (12) | Maddie Minaudo (11)South Bend St. Joseph (13-4, 6-0).

Quarterfinals | Friday, 2 pm ET
Match 4: Macie Elliott (12) | Brenna Wu (12) Evansville Memorial (13-0, 7-0) vs. Winner of Match 1.
Match 5: Nikki Heiniger (10) | Paige Heuer (12) Munster (12-1, 6-0) vs. Natalie Alexander (12) | Marissa Morris (12) Delta (19-1, 6-0).
Match 6: Hannah Klapper (11) | Ali Lebovits (11) Park Tudor (12-4, 6-0) vs. Winner of Match 2.
Match 7: Whitney Batliner (12) | Dana Frank (11) Floyd Central (19-2, 9-0) vs. Winner of Match 3.

Semifinals | Saturday, 10 am ET
Match 8: Winner of Match 4 vs. Winner of Match 5. 
Match 9: Winner of Match 6 vs. Winner of Match 7.

State Championship | Saturday, 2 pm ET
Match 10: Winner of Match 8 vs. Winner of Match 9.
Consolation
Match 11: Loser of Match 8 vs. Loser of Match 9.

 

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About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)
Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 410 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.