By Mark Ambrogi
Ryan Lipe learned about a latest honor through a slew of congratulatory texts.
“I was in Colorado, so it was two hours behind Indiana time. I woke up to all these texts,” said Lipe, a 2017 Carmel High School graduate. “I was like, ‘Wait, what did I win?’ I looked at my emails and I had one from Gatorade.”
Lipe earned the Gatorade Indiana Track and Field Award for 2017 June 22.
“I was surprised,” he said. “I know my coach (Ken Browner) told me I was in contention, but I didn’t know how close it would be. There were a lot of good candidates this season.”
Lipe had won the Indiana Mr. Track and Field award earlier in June.
“That was a great honor, because (Evansville Harrison’s) Noah McBride is a great athlete,” Lipe said. “At the state meet, he beat me in the 100 meters and almost broke the state record in the 200. I figured it would come down to the two of us.”
Lipe helped lead the Greyhounds to their third consecutive state title June 2. Lipe captured the pole vault with height of 17 feet, 3 inches and placed second in the 100 meters in 10.61 at the state meet. Lipe then won the pole vault at the Midwest Meet of Champions June 10 in Delaware, Ohio.
Browner said Lipe was well-deserving of the state awards.
“He’s probably one of the top three or four kids I’ve ever coached in his ability to do a number of events and be good at all of them,” Browner said. “For him to vault 17-3 and run the 100 in 10.61 is a phenomenal thing to see an athlete do. He’s a freak of nature. His nickname, the unicorn, definitely fits.”
Lipe said the honors are inspiring as he gets ready for his college career.
“It definitely makes me want to strive for greatness at Alabama,” Lipe said.
Lipe was in Colorado with his family dropping off his twin brother, Mitch, where he will compete in track and field for the Air Force Academy. Mitch was fourth in the state meet in the pole vault.
