Editor
Center Grove’s girls volleyball season came to an end Saturday just one match short of reaching the IHSAA state finals in Muncie.
Battling No. 1 New Castle for the third time this season, the Trojans won the first set, 25-21 after scoring the final three points. However, favored New Castle closed by winning three consecutive sets and the match, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20 for the 4A Columbus East Semistate championship.
Madison Hammill, a Wisconsin recruit, finished her high school career with 47 assists and 23 digs for the Trojans. Up front, Anna Line and Lindsay Howard had eight kills apiece.
During the regular season, New Castle downed the Trojans 3-2 in a season-opening marathon and later 2-0 in a tourney match.
Center Grove finishes 29-7.
Coach Chris Due will lose eight players from a well-seasoned squad to graduation. They include Hammill, Line, Howard, Ashley Eck, Jada Beetz, Reagan Thomas, Averie Baker and Jamie Brown. Team leaders were sophomore Katie Egenolf, 317 kills; Hammill and Eck, 52 aces; junior Grace Boggess, 118 blocks; Eck, 429 digs; and Hammill, 644 assists.
Cross-country
In the IHSAA boys’ cross-country state finals Saturday at Terre Haute, Center Grove finished 14th, led by Ty Garrett, 22nd place, 16 minutes, 12.1 seconds, to cap the program’s best season. Runners Archit Malik, Parker Mimbela, Jarret Rockwell and Raef Sauer scored points for the Trojans.
All-Circle City Conference
Twelve Roncalli student-athletes were named to all-Circle City Conference teams in five sports. The Rebels are: football - Baron Huebler, Aidan Leffler, Daniel Heinrich. Volleyball - Emma Halter, Grace Irmer, Miranda Wilson. Girls soccer – Sophia Dietz, Lauren Prather, Abbey Scheil. Boys soccer - Vincent Agramonte, Aidan Newett. Girls golf - Morgan Clifford.