Greyhounds complete sweep

If this indeed is coach Chuck Koeppen's final season, then his Carmel cross country teams ensured it would be one to remember. Anchored by steadfast consistency, the Greyhounds swept through Saturday's Indiana High School Athletic Association State Meet in Terre Haute, capturing both the boys and girls team titles. Each championship marked the programs' 11th overall. For Koeppen, the titles pushed his career count to 22 all-time. Senior Kelly McCurdy (18:24.39) was the highest-placing runner on the girls team, finishing runner-up to Center Grove's Sarah Higgens (18:14.04), who collected the school's first individual cross country state championship all-time. Carmel posted 55 team points compared to runner-up Lake Central's 160. The front-four Greyhound runners placed 15th or better. For the Carmel boys, J.D. Smith (15:57) placed 11th. The squad's top-five runners finished in the top-30 for a decisive 100 team points. Fishers' Drew Shields ran away with the individual title, the first for the Tigers, with a time of 15:20.30. After battling the freshman in previous weeks, Shields edged North Central's Futsam Zeinasellassie (15:25.48), who lost ground after losing his shoe following the first 500 meters. Zionsville senior Dylan Sorensen was named the winner of the Charles F. Maas Mental Attitude Award. Sorensen placed fourth for all-state honors. The boys team title for Carmel was the program's first since 1996. For the girls, the title run helped snap a seven-year drought. Koeppen garnered his first title in 1976 with the boys team. The girls netted their first in 1982. Koeppen's girls' teams have finished runner-up seven times. His boys' team have finished second nine times with the most recent in 2004. With a boys track and field championship also to his credit, Koeppen now has 23 total team championships in his career, which is a state record across all sports.