FEATURE
LOOKING BACK
WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER MORRIS
To most, Joe Hinton is a Hall of Fame high school basketball coach. But in the early 1990s, it was his girls’ cross country teams that quietly built a dynasty.
Under Hinton’ s guidance, the Floyd Central girls captured four consecutive state titles( from 1989 to 1992)— a feat achieved, and eclipsed, only by powerhouse Carmel. The 20-time state champion Greyhounds won seven in a row from 2010 to 2016.
“ We had a goal in mind to win four state championships. We knew it was possible, but a lot can happen.” said Jill Schuler, who was the Highlanders’ top runner during the four championship runs.“ There were a lot of expectations.”
Schuler and Carrie Bryant-Salazar both finished in the Top 10 at the state meet all four years, with Schuler claiming the individual state title in 1990 and Bryant-Salazar finishing a close second just 2 seconds behind her teammate.
“ Finishing in the top 10 every year alongside Jill was incredibly special,” Bryant-Salazar said.“ We pushed each other in every practice and race, with a healthy competitiveness that brought out our best. Jill was gritty, consistent and fearless. We knew that if we ran our best, we could set the tone for the entire team.”
And while those two set the tone, Hinton’ s teams were far from a two-runner show. The supporting cast, which included Shannon Buchanan, Brooke Dilling, Hollye Bryant, Michelle Garrison, Amy Melton, Kim Korte, Donna Tonini, Cindy Smith and Courtney Welman, was deep and consistently delivered when it mattered most.
TOP: The Floyd Central girls’ cross country team won four consecutive IHSAA state titles from 1989-92. Here is the team after winning the 1990 title at South Grove Golf Course in Indianapolis. The Highlanders finished with three in the top 10. Photo provided | Jill Schuler
BOTTOM: The top 10 for the girls ' cross country 1990 state championship at South Grove Golf Course. Jill Schuler, bottom left, Carrie Bryant-Salazar, next to Schuler, and Brooke Dilling, bottom right, finished first, second and fifth. Schuler covered the 5,000-meter course in 14 minutes, 38 seconds.
PAGE NO. 20 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE SEPT / OCT 2025