Spring sports are indeed happening this year in Indiana, a welcome sign after last year’s cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IHSAA released the post-season assignments for its spring competitions during the organization’s Feb. 19 Executive Committee meeting. As it turns out, there are few changes from 2019, the last time spring sports were played.
Here is a look at the post-season assignments for Hamilton County teams in each sport.
TRACK AND FIELD
The first sectional of the season, girls track and field, is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18. All county schools will compete at Hamilton Southeastern, with Lebanon and Western Boone also joining the roster.
The boys track and field athletes will compete at Carmel on Thursday, May 20. This sectional will also feature all nine Hamilton County schools, plus Lebanon and Western Boone.
All girls and boys athletes that qualify will advance to their respective regionals, both of which will take place at Lafayette Jefferson. The girls regional is on Tuesday, May 25 and the boys regional is set for Thursday, May 27.
The state meet is scheduled for the following weekend, with the boys meet on Friday, June 4 and the girls meet on Saturday, June 5. The location of state is not known, as Indiana University informed the IHSAA this week that it will not be hosting this year’s meet.
UNIFIED TRACK AND FIELD
Noblesville will again host the Unified Track and Field sectional, which takes place Saturday, May 22. Fifteen teams will compete in this sectional; joining the Millers will be Carmel, Fishers, Franklin County, Hamilton Southeastern, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, Mount Vernon, New Palestine, Pendleton Heights, Richmond, Warren Central, Westfield and Zionsville.
Teams that advance out of the sectional will compete at the Kokomo regional, set for Saturday, May 29. The state finals take place Saturday, June 5; the location is to be determined.
GIRLS TENNIS
Two county schools will host girls tennis sectionals. Noblesville will welcome Fishers, Hamilton Heights and Hamilton Southeastern, while Carmel hosts Guerin Catholic, University and Westfield. Sectional competition can begin on Wednesday, May 19; historically, both sites have played the first round that Wednesday and the championship on Thursday.
At the regional level, the winner at Noblesville will play at North Central, while the Carmel winner heads up to Kokomo. Regionals will be played on Tuesday, May 25 and Wednesday, May 26. Semi-state sites were not announced.
SOFTBALL
Sectionals take place the week of May 24. Carmel will host Class 4A Sectional 8, welcoming Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Westfield and Zionsville.
Hamilton Heights is the host of Class 3A Sectional 24, with Guerin Catholic also playing there. Other schools competing are Delta, Jay County, New Castle and Yorktown.
Sheridan will travel to Rossville to play in Class 1A Sectional 54, also joining Carroll, Clinton Central, Frontier, South Newton and Tri-County. (University will not field a softball team this season.)
Regional championships will take place on Tuesday, June 1. All three sectional champions from the above-mentioned sectionals will go on the road, as the odd-numbered sectionals are slated to host the regionals this year: The winner at Sectional 8 plays at Sectional 7 for the Regional 4 championship, Sectional 24 at Sectional 23 for the Regional 12 title and Sectional 54 at Sectional 53 for the Regional 27 championship.
At the semi-state round, the Regional 4 winner plays at Harrison, the Regional 12 champion goes to Twin Lakes and the Regional 27 winner plays at Frankfort. Semi-states take place on Saturday, June 5.
The state finals are set for Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12. Purdue University informed the IHSAA that it, too, would not be hosting, so a state site is to be determined.
BASEBALL
The baseball sectionals can begin on Wednesday, May 26 and are set to be finished by Memorial Day, Monday, May 31. Westfield will host the big schools in Class 4A Sectional 8. The Shamrocks will welcome Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville and Zionsville to its baseball stadium.
In Class 3A, Guerin Catholic and Hamilton Heights will continue to play at Sectional 24, hosted by Yorktown. Other schools competing there will be Delta, Jay County and New Castle.
University, winner of the Class 1A state championship in 2019, will finally get to try its hand at Class 2A this year. The Trailblazers will compete in Sectional 43, hosted by Cascade. Other schools playing there will be Covenant Christian, Monrovia, Park Tudor and Speedway.
Sheridan will play in 1A Sectional 54 at Frontier. That sectional also includes Clinton Central, Rossville, South Newton and Tri-County.
At the regional level, the Westfield sectional winner travels to Kokomo, while the Yorktown sectional champion heads to Bellmont. The Cascade champion will play either at Park Tudor or Cascade, while the Frontier winner will compete at the Carroll regional. Regionals are scheduled for Saturday, June 5.
The baseball semi-states, set for Saturday, June 12, will take place either at La Porte or Kokomo for the north schools and at Mooresville or Jasper for the south schools. The Park Tudor/Cascade winner goes to the south semi-state, everyone else mentioned played in the north semi-state.
The state finals will again take place at Victory Field. Games will be played on Monday, June 21 or Tuesday, June 22.
BOYS GOLF
Two sectionals will feature Hamilton County teams. Westfield will host the 10-team competition at Ulen Golf and Country Club in Lebanon, welcoming Bethesda Christian, Carmel, Frankfort, Guerin Catholic, Lebanon, Sheridan, University, Western Boone and Zionsville.
Noblesville will host a 12-team sectional at Purgatory Golf Club. Other teams competing are Alexandria, Anderson, Daleville, Elwood, Fishers, Frankton, Hamilton Heights, Hamilton Southeastern, Lapel, Pendleton Heights and Tipton. Sectional dates are Friday, June 4; Saturday, June 5 or Monday, June 7.
Regionals are set to take place on either Thursday, June 10 or Friday, June 11. Qualifiying teams from Ulen will play the Lake Central regional at Sandy Pines Golf Course in, while Noblesville qualifiers advance to the Muncie Central regional at The Players Club in Yorktown.
The state finals will once again take place at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel on Tuesday, June 15 and Wednesday, June 16.
