MUNCIE, Ind. – On the way back from the state chess championships last month in Terre Haute, Indiana Academy coach Howard Hammer sat in a restaurant just a few feet from another celebration.

It seems that as his club was eating dinner, a high school boys' basketball team and its followers were touting their state hoops class championship.

Hammer was just as proud of his team for winning the state's high school chess championship as the other coach was for winning a basketball title.

"We were all sitting in the restaurant and it was a terrific feeling to be a champion," he said. "We worked just as hard on our chess moves as they did on their jump shots and crossover moves."

The team from the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities entered the March 25 contest seeded fifth but overcame major odds to go undefeated and win the school's first state title. En route to its victory, the academy club knocked off perennial chess powerhouses from Anderson and Michigan City, the defending champions.

The academy team consisted of Ryan Hamilton of Terre Haute, Jeff Kuhn of Evansville, Mike Blandford of Evansville and Mat Rittorno of Fair Oaks.

"These are just great kids who put in a lot of hours," said Hammer, who is also a finance professor at Ball State University where the academy is located. "It was a great way to end the year."

He believes the current roster is his most dedicated and hard working in his 10 years as coach. But, there are many more chess players on the way.

"Scholastic chess in Indiana is extremely strong and there is a great deal of interest building," Hammer said. "This tournament also featured divisions for grade schoolers, who just wanted to play chess all day long. It was just like any other athletic tournament."

While the championship may someday pay off with additional assistance for the program, the first priority may be larger vehicles to carry home trophies.

After winning the title, the chess team members carried the five-foot tall trophy to their car and found the memorabilia too large. It took some quick thinking, but the team was able to disassemble the trophy for the trip back home.

By Marc Ransford, Communications Manager

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Hammer at hhammer@bsu.eduor (765) 285-3727.)