Decades of Athletic Excellence

January 2018

Writer // Janelle Morrison                           Photography // Submitted and JJ Kaplan

More than two decades of excellence have been recorded, and of the 19 varsity IHSAA sports offered at Carmel High School (CHS), all of them have captured either a state championship, a state runner-up title or both. The CHS athletics department serves 62 teams, 98 coaches and over 1,100 student-athletes. Carmel residents have no doubt heard or read about the girls swimming and diving program and the dynasty they have created as undefeated state champions over not one, not two, but three decades.

Carmel High School Athletics Director Jim Inskeep shared with us a brief overview of the growth of the department over the last 20 years. Inskeep, a CHS graduate, became the athletics director in 2001, making him the sixth director of that department of CHS.

“A big change for CHS was when the freshman students moved to the high school in the 1995-96 school year,” Inskeep said. “You can’t just snap your fingers and have everything fall into place. It was a major transition for the students and faculty, but it was a good move for the community. When the Freshman Center opened in 2005, it was another big moment for our high school as well as for our athletic programs as well.”

Inskeep mentioned that CHS is a charter member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) that was formed in 1996.

“The MIC really mirrors the last 20-plus years for the athletic department,” he said. “It’s been a great way of measuring all of the athletic programs against the biggest schools in the state. We’ve also seen a tremendous rise in competition in addition to the rise of the schools within Hamilton County. Westfield is a perfect example with the growth that they have experienced in just the last 10 years. The growth of the schools in our county has brought some awesome competition for us. Overall, there has been a lot of change if you look at all of the IHSAA sports in the last 10-15 years, but central Indiana is absolutely the heart of competition in the state.”

FUN FACTS:

• The Carmel Athletics Department was recognized in the May 16, 2005, Sports Illustrated feature article on America’s Top 25 High School Athletic Programs.
• Carmel was ranked #10 nationally and #1 in the state of Indiana. The rankings were based on overall success in the last decade, including state championships and student-athletes earning college scholarships.
• Carmel High School was honored in the Redbook article, “America’s Best Schools,” for “successful programs in a variety of sports for both boys and girls, commitment to academic excellence for their student-athletes and for a record of winning games at the district and state level.”

Tournament History

Boys’ Swimming & Diving IHSAA Tournament History

Sectional Champions (29)

1973, 1974, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

State Runners-Up (3)

1998, 2000, 2009

State Champions (17)

1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017

Girls’ Swimming & Diving IHSAA Tournament History

State Champions (32)

1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

*During the 1996-1997 school years, girls swimming became a winter sport, thus no 1996 sectional or state championship is listed.

Football IHSAA Tournament History

Sectional Champions (29)

1975, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Regional Champions (20)

1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

State Champions (8)

1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1989, 2007, 2011, 2016