Evansville Memorial Tigers Pounce on Indians for 2A Title
Laurie Hargis set a state record by assisting on all three Evansville Memorial goals as the Tigers claimed their fourth state championship with a 3-1 triumph over South Bend Saint Joseph in the Class 2-A title game at Carroll Stadium at IUPUI.
Memorial (19-4) broke on top early as Hargis sent a free kick in front of the Saint Joseph net that Annah Hopkins headed in in the 10th minute for a 1-0 lead.
It took just 2:59 into the second half for the Tigers to take a 2-0 lead as Hargis found Hope Lensing on the right side of the Saint Joe net and Lensing booted it to the left side past Indians goalkeeper Kamryn Wieschhaus.
Saint Joseph (18-5-1) finally showed life in the 60th minute as Madison Veldman netted her seventh goal with a shot from about 13 yards out.
The Indians, however, couldn’t fully seize the momentum and the Tigers even added an insurance goal when Grace Lensing took a pass from Hargis and headed it in during the final minute.
Hargis finished the season with 23 assists, and her 3 assists are the most in a state finals game in both single class and class championship history (boys or girls). .
Memorial previously won state titles in 1996, 2008 and 2012, when the Tigers also beat Saint Joseph in the 2-A clash.
Caitlin Casey of South Bend St. Joseph earns Mental Attitude Award
Caitlin Casey of South Bend St. Joesph High School was named the winner of the Mental Attitude Award, sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, for Girls Class 2A Soccer by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee.
The Indians’ team captain is a defender who has led the defense to 16 shutouts this season. Casey has been a part of a sectional championship team for all three years of her varsity career, in addition to winning regional and semi-state titles to reach this year’s State Finals. After tearing her ACL at the beginning of her junior year, Caitlin came back strong to receive First Team All-NIC Conference and Second Team All-District 1 in her final prep soccer season. In addition to her achievements in soccer and track and field, where she runs middle distance, Caitlin excels in the classroom where she is a National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist and is an active participant in many school organizations like National Honors Society and the Student Ambassadors. She also volunteers her time to many worthy causes including Together for the Long Run and Christ Child Society.
The daughter of Brian and Lisa Casey, Caitlin hopes to attend Notre Dame to study Human Biology and Sports Management.
The IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, will award a scholarship for $1,000 to South Bend St. Joseph High School in the name of Caitlin Casey. Since 1989, almost $900,000 in college scholarships has been presented to deserving high school students in Indiana.