Indiana University Athletics
Hometown Hoosiers: Fishers, Ind.
10/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 30, 2006
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| A aspect of great pride to the residents of Fishers is the annual Freedom Festival, held every year the week before July 4. In 1998, it was named the "Best Small Town Festival" in north central Indiana. |
As part of an ongoing series, IUHOOSIERS.COM will take a look a look at the hometowns of Hoosier student-athletes throughout the year. The first in the series is the town of Fishers, Ind.
Located just 20 miles northeast of Indianapolis, the town of Fishers, Ind., is a growing community that blends big town accessibility with a small town feel. For many people, the town of almost 60,000 has a growing business community, high-quality schools and seemingly endless opportunities. However, for four IU student-athletes, Fishers mainly means home.
Redshirt freshman men's cross country and track and field runner Jordan Kyle, baseball freshman J.T. Larson, freshman rower Adair Ahlers and junior women's diver Jade Summerlin all call Fishers home, and all four attended Hamilton Southeastern High School.
Kyle, who took 16th place at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships at the IU Course on Oct. 28, also won the George Mason Invitational earlier this season. For Summerlin, her time as a Hoosier has highlighted by scoring in all three diving events at the Big Ten Championships during her sophomore season as well as earning Academic All-Big Ten honors that same year. For Larson and Ahlers, each will make their Hoosier debuts this season.
Although it is in close proximity to Indianapolis, those that are residents of Fishers are proud of their hometown.
"I absolutely love living in Fishers," Adhlers said. "It's a big town, one of the fastest growing towns in the nation, but it feels like you know everyone. I moved to Fishers when I was three and have lived there ever since."
Although there are many aspects of Fishers that stand out in the minds and hearts of the towns' residents, one annual event stands out as a large source of pride - the annual Freedom Festival. First held in 1988, the festival was named the "Best Small Town Festival" in north central Indiana in 1998.
"The Fishers Freedom Festival is a celebration one week before the Fourth of July," Kyle said. "The carnival/festival includes a 5K run/walk, a parade, shops and games, and is a great place to pick up sugar coated elephant ears. The most elaborate detail of the festival is the fireworks, which are displayed on the last evening of the festival. For the past few years I have run in the 5K run/walk and watched the fireworks."
Another aspect of the festival is the parade, a staple of any town affair.
"At the beginning of the festival they have a parade where everyone lines the streets, kids try and catch candy, and other children are waving from the floats for various activities they are involved in," Ahlers said. "Another event is the street dance, where everyone comes and dances the night away to local bands. To end the festival, the fireworks are a highlight. I always made sure I'd grab an elephant ear, a blanket, and some friends to enjoy the show with."
However, behind the small town feel of Fishers is a town that was named one of the "Best Places to Live in the United States" by Money Magazine in 2005. Coming in at No. 24, Fishers ranked higher than any town or city in the state of Indiana in that issue and was one of only two places in the state to crack the top 100. In addition to that honor, Relocate-America.com named the town one of the "America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2006" earlier this year.
The Hamilton Southeast School System is one of the most appealing aspects of Fishers. The district includes 10 elementary schools, two intermediate and junior high schools, a freshman campus and a senior high school. Of those, 10 hold a four star rating from the Indiana Department of Education and the high school, which all four student-athletes are alumni of, belongs to the North Central Association of College and Secondary Schools.
"One of Fishers best qualities is the great school systems," said Larson. "Hamilton Southeastern is typically ranked among the top five best public schools in Indiana and last year was a blue-ribbon award winning school. Our athletic programs are also very good, which I attribute to a great athletic department from athletic directors, current and past, and great coaches in every sport."
The athletic programs helped bring the four student-athletes to IU, but it is the town itself that will always bring them back to Fishers.
"Fishers is a great place to live and grow up, and I feel very fortunate to have been lucky enough to call it home," said Larson.
