2023 Indiana High School Girls’ State Swimming & Diving Championship: LIVE RECAP

Indiana Girls High School Swimming & Diving State Championships

• February 10-11, 2023
  • Friday, February 10th: Prelims
  • Saturday, February 11th: Finals (Swimming begins at 1 Eastern)
• IU Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
• 25 Yards (SCY)
• Meet Program
• State Record book
• Live Results

The 2022 Indiana High School Girls’ Swimming & Diving Championship finals are ready to roll, and after breaking 5 Indiana High School Records in prelims, the girls from Carmel High School seemed destined to win their record-setting 37th consecutive Indiana State Championship.

Last year’s team saw Carmel set 9 State Records; this year, joined by freshman Molly Sweeney alongside a strong returning cast (most of whom will be back again next year), the Greyhounds have National records on the books.

Remember that in prelims, they didn’t swim some of their stars on the maximum three relays. That means, for example, that they have Alex Shackell‘s 47.4 in the 100 free to use on the closing 400 free relay. So even if they weren’t too close to some records in prelims, they have the weapons to quickly close those gaps in finals.

Carmel took the top seed in every event but one in prelims, and watch out for a big 50 free showdown between Shackell and the defending event champion Lily Christianson, who set a State Record to win last year in 22.14.

Some historical numbers to take note of:

• The largest margin of victory was 2021, when Carmel won by 279 points ahead of Fishers.
• Carmel has the two highest point totals in state championship history in the last two years: 479. in 2021 and 261 in 2022.
• Chris Plumb is chasing his 17th straight title as Carmel coach.
• Carmel holds the records for most championships won in a year, with 9 in both 2015 and 2016. Those teams also tied with the 1979 Ben Davis High School team for the most individual championships in a year, at 6.
• Carmel has swept the state championship relays 16 times. Only one other school, the 2007 Hamilton Southeastern team, has done that (and Carmel still won the meet).
• 2014 and 2015 each saw 15 State Records set between prelims and finals, combined. Carmel in those years broke 6 records in finals.
• Molly Sweeney is looking to become the 10th freshman in state history to win two individual events. The last to do so was Claire Adams in 2013.
• Berit Berglund could become the 12th swimmer to go four-for-four in an event at the state meet if she wins the 100 back. If she wins four event titles on Saturday, she would have 13 total career titles – ranking her behind only Claire Adams, Veronica Burchill, and Emily Ayers in state history.

200 Medley Relay – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Carmel, 1:38.51, 2023 (prelims)
• National Public School Record: Fossil Ridge HS (Colorado), 1:38.13, 2018
• National Overall HS Record: Fossil Ridge HS (Colorado), 1:38.13, 2018
• 2022 Champion: Carmel – 1:38.55

Top 3:

1. Carmel ‘A’ – 1:36.98 (National HS Record)
2. Penn ‘A’ – 1:41.91
3. Fishers ‘A’ – 1:42.83

After breaking their Indiana state record in prelims yesterday, the Carmel ‘A’ relay of Berit Berglund, Molly Sweeney, Alex Shackell, and Meghan Christman got finals off to a blazing start. They shattered the National Overall High School record with a 1:36.98, breaking Fossil Ridge’s record by over a second and a half. Berglund opened in 24.36, Sweeney followed with a 27.36 breaststroke split, Shackell split 22.74 on fly, and Christman anchored in 22.42.

The Carmel girls were the only team in the field to get under 1:40, as Penn’s ‘A’ relay of Avery Woods (27.19), Anika Guenther (28.54), Alayna Riggins (24.24), and Lily Christianson (21.94) touched in 1:41.91 for second.

200 Free – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Kristina Paegle, Bloomington South, 1:45.02, 2022
• National Public School Record: Dagny Knutson, Minot High School (North Dakota), 1:42.81 (2008)
• National Overall HS Record: Katie Ledecky, Stone Ridge School (Maryland), 1:41.55 (2015)
• 2022 Champion: Kristina Paegle, Senior, Bloomington South – 1:45.19

Top 3:

1. Lynsey Bowen (Carmel) – 1:45.49
2. JoJo Ramey (Fishers) – 1:46.05
3. Alexandra Ward (Carmel) – 1:47.61

Carmel sophomore Lynsey Bowen kept the momentum going for the team with a win in the 200 freestyle. She led the race from the start, opening in 24.47 to JoJo Ramey‘s 24.81. With those splits, they separated themselves from the field early–Alexandra Ward was the next fastest at the 50 in 25.05.

The three stayed in that order for the entire race, with Bowen extending her lead over Ramey and Ward through the middle 100 of the race. On the final 50, Florida commit Ramey closed the gap just a bit, splitting 27.14 to Bowen’s 27.21. However, Bowen had built up enough of a lead that she won the race by over half a second.

Bowen’s time is just off her lifetime best of 1:45.30, which she swam at Winter Juniors – East in December 2022.

200 IM – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Molly Sweeney, Carmel, 1:55.88, 2023 (prelims)
• National Public School Record: Torri Huske, Yorktown High School (Virginia), 1:53.73 (2021)
• National Overall HS Record: Torri Huske, Yorktown High School (Virginia), 1:53.73 (2021)
• 2022 Champion: Devon Kitchel, Senior, Zionsville – 1:57.82

Top 3:

1. Molly Sweeney (Carmel) – 1:56.82
2. Audrey Crawford (Hamilton Southeastern) – 1:59.87
3. Vivian Wilson (Carmel) – 2:01.66

Molly Sweeney is halfway to becoming the 10th freshman in state history to win to individual events at this meet. Despite adding almost a second from her prelims time of 1:55.88, she still won the 200 IM easily. Sweeney clocked 1:56.82 to take the title, over three seconds ahead of second-place Audrey Crawford.

What really separated Sweeney from the field was her breaststroke split, her 33.51 split was more than a second faster than everyone else in the field.

Sweeney and Crawford were the only two girls under two minutes. ASU commit Vivian Wilson took third in 2:01.66, making this the second event in a row that Carmel has gone 1-3.

50 Free – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Alex Shackell, Carmel, 22.05, 2023 (prelims)
• National Public School Record: Abbey Weitzeil, Saugus High School (California), 21.64 (2015)
• National Overall HS Record: Gretchen Walsh, Harpeth High School (Tennessee), 21.59 (2020)
• 2022 Champion: Lily Christianson, Sophomore, Penn – 22.14

Top 3:

1. Alex Shackell (Carmel) – 21.93
2. Lily Christianson (Penn) – 22.02
3. Julie Mishler (Wawasee) – 22.88

In her first individual event of the day, Alex Shackell took down the Indiana state record that she set in the 50 freestyle. After posting 22.05 yesterday, the sophomore brought the state record below 22 seconds for the first time, ripping 21.93. That time is just two-tenths off Shackell’s lifetime best of 21.73 (#2 all-time in the 15-16 age group).

Silver medalist Lily Christianson followed up her 21.94 relay split nicely: she swam a lifetime best of 22.02, which was also under Shackell’s record from prelims. Her previous best was 22.14, which was the Indiana state record until yesterday.

Rounding out the podium was Wawasee sophomore Julie Mishler in 22.88.

1-Meter Diving – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Brooke Schultz, Hamilton Heights, 563.65, 2015
• 2022 Champion: Mia Prusiecki, Sophomore, Center Grove – 524.00

Top 3:

1. Mia Prusiecki (Center Grove) – 478.30
2. Amelia Rinehart (FWSN) – 466.70
3. Simone Hall (PKTD) – 463.10

Mia Prusiecki won the 1-meter diving title for the second straight year, finishing with 478.30 points. There was a close battle for second place, with sophomore Amelia Rinehart beating freshman Simone Hall by just 3.6 points.

This was the first event of the meet where Carmel did not get an athlete into the top three; indeed, they scored no points from diving. Through the 50 freestyle, they were in first with 188 points, with Fishers in second with 96 points. Fishers had senior Gretchen Osmun finish in ninth, which will close the gap between them a bit.

100 Fly – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Alex Shackell, Carmel, 51.16, 2023 (prelims)
• National Public School Record: Torri Huske, Yorktown High School (Virginia), 49.95 (2021)
• National Overall HS Record: Claire Curzan, Cardinal Gibbons High School (North Carolina), 49.24 (2022)
• 2022 Champion: Alex Shackell, Freshman, Carmel – 51.71

Top 3:

1. Alex Shackell (Carmel) – 50.89
2. Audrey Crawford (Hamilton Southeastern) – 53.56
3. Keira Kask (Carmel) – 54.40

Alex Shackell won her second individual event of the meet in record-breaking fashion, improving on the 51.16 she swam for the Indiana state record in prelims. Not only that, but her time is a lifetime best, knocking eight-hundredths off the time she swam at Winter Juniors – East. She’s still second all-time in the 15-16 girls’ age group, but this lowers that mark as well. Shackell was out quickly, splitting 23.81 on the first 50 before powering home in 27.08.

All-Time Top 3, U.S. Girls’ 15-16 100 Fly (SCY)

1. Claire Curzan (2021) – 49.51
2. Alex Shackell (2023) – 50.89
3. Beata Nelson (2014) – 51.08

Shackell finished 2.67 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, which was led by Audrey Crawford. It’s the junior’s second individual silver medal of the meet as earlier she took second in the 200 IM behind Sweeney. It’s a big lifetime best for the Auburn commit; her previous best was a 54.36 from this meet last year.

Carmel senior Keira Kask swam a lifetime best for bronze, knocking a quarter of a second off the 54.60 that she swam nine days earlier.

100 Free – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Kristina Paegle, Bloomington South High School, 48.00, 2023 (prelims)
• National Public School Record: Abbey Weitzeil, Saugus High School (California), 47.09 (2015)
• National Overall HS Record: Gretchen Walsh, Harpeth High School (Tennessee), 46.98 (2020)
• 2022 Champion: Kristina Paegle, Senior, Bloomington South – 48.29

Top 3:

1. Lily Christianson (Penn) – 48.59
2. Berit Berglund (Carmel) – 49.09
3. Julie Mishler (Wawasee) – 50.16

With Lily Christianson‘s win here, this is the first swimming event that Carmel has not won at this meet. Christianson opened the race in a blazing 23.04, more than half a second ahead of silver medalist Berit Berglund, who split 23.68. The junior came home in 25.55 to earn gold in 48.59, just .02 seconds off her lifetime best from this meet last year.

Texas commit Berit Berglund closed in 25.41 to close some of the gap between her and Christianson, but ran out of room and earned second in 49.09, half a second behind.

Earning third in 50.16 was Julie Mishler, who grabbed her second bronze medal of the meet. It was a lifetime best for her, cutting eight-hundredths off the mark of 50.24 that she swam in Winter Juniors – East time trials.

500 Free – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Lynsey Bowen, Carmel High School, 4:43.42, 2023 (prelims)
• National Public School Record: Dagny Knutson, Minot High School (North Dakota), 4:34.78 (2008)
• National Overall HS Record: Katie Ledecky, Stone Ridge School (Maryland), 4:26.58 (2015)
• 2022 Champion: Lynsey Bowen, Freshman, Carmel – 4:49.13

Top 3:

1. Lynsey Bowen (Carmel) – 4:42.81
2. Alexandra Ward (Carmel) – 4:46.36
3. JoJo Ramey (Fishers) – 4:50.15

It was the same podium in the 500 freestyle as it was in the 200 freestyle, though slightly altered. Lynsey Bowen won her second straight title in the 500 freestyle and her second gold medal of the meet. She also broke the state record of 4:43.42 that she set in prelims by .61 seconds, clocking 4:42.81. It’s a solid swim for the sophomore, who holds a lifetime best of 4:40.69 from December 2022.

Alexandra Ward earned silver, adding to her bronze medal from earlier in the 200 freestyle. She swam a big lifetime best, clocking 4:46.36 to lower her lifetime best from prelims by 2.59 seconds. Heading into this meet, her personal best was 4:49.22 from March 2021.

After finishing second in the 200 freestyle, JoJo Ramey added a third place finish here in 4:50.16.

200 Free Relay – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Carmel, 1:30.72, 2015
• National Public School Record: Carmel (Indiana), 1:30.72, 2015
• National Overall HS Record: Carmel (Indiana), 1:30.72, 2015
• 2022 Champion: Carmel – 1:32.28

Top 3:

1. Carmel ‘A’ – 1:30.23 (National HS Record)
2. Penn ‘A’ – 1:33.58
3. Wawasee ‘A’ – 1:34.71

The Carmel relays are 2-for-2 at this meet–not only with gold medals but with national high school records. The squad of Molly Sweeney (23.00), Grace Dougherty (22.81), Meghan Christman (22.63), and Alex Shackell (21.79) ripped 1:30.23, getting under the 2015 Carmel relay’s record of 1:30.72.

Notably, this is a different team than what they went with in prelims. Only Christman and Dougherty remained from yesterday and the team brought Sweeney and Shackell on. That decision clearly paid off, as both Sweeney and Shackell were faster than their prelims counterparts. 23.00 is a lifetime best by .46 second for Sweeney, beating her time from March 2022.

Penn finished in second place, powered by a huge relay split from Lily Christianson, who anchored the team in 21.87 to catch the Wawasee relay. That makes two sub-22 second relay splits for Christianson on the day, to go with her lifetime best in the individual 50 free.

100 Back – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Berit Berglund, Carmel, 51.50, 2022
• National Public School Record: Maggie Wanezek, Brookfield East High School (Wisconsin), 51.09 (2022)
• National Overall HS Record: Claire Curzan, Cardinal Gibbons High School (North Carolina), 49.61 (2022)
• 2022 Champion: Berit Berglund, Junior, Carmel – 51.50

Top 3:

1. Berit Berglund (Carmel) – 51.80
2. Keira Kask (Carmel) – 54.78
3. Molly Simmons (Zionsville) – 54.96

Berit Berglund easily won her fourth-career title in the girls’ 100 backstroke, taking the win in 51.80. She’s the 12th swimmer in state history to go four-for-four in an event and the first in ten years.

Carmel went 1-2 in the event, with senior Keira Kask taking second in 54.78, 2.98 seconds behind her teammate Berglund. The time is just off the Purdue commit’s lifetime best of 54.66 from December 2022.

Zionsville got on the podium in the pool for the first time today courtesy of Molly Simmons. The junior clocked 54.96, which is just a tenth off the lifetime best she posted yesterday.

100 Breast – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Emily Weiss, Yorktown, 58.40, 2018
• National Public School Record: Kaitlyn Dobler, Aloha High School (Oregon), 58.35 (2020)
• National Overall HS Record: Kaitlyn Dobler, Aloha High School (Oregon), 58.35 (2020)
• 2022 Champion: Devon Kitchel, Zionsville, Senior – 1:01.18

Top 3:

1. Molly Sweeney (Carmel) – 59.78
2. Vivian Wilson (Carmel) – 1:01.54
3. Lucy Enoch (Carmel) – 1:02.85

Carmel’s Molly Sweeney earned gold in the girls’ 100 breaststroke, becoming just the 10th freshman in state history to win two individual events and the first since Claire Adams in 2013. She earned her victory in 59.78, a bit off the 59.63 that she swam in prelims yesterday.

The event was a Carmel podium sweep, as Vivian Wilson and Lucy Enoch finished second and third. Wilson broke 1:02 for just the second time in her career, lowering her lifetime best 1:01.92 from prelims. It’s Wilson’s second medal of the day, earlier she earned bronze in the 200 IM.

The freshman Enoch outsplit Fishers’ Avery Stein on the second 50 to overtake her for bronze, 33.16 to 33.50. The time is just .02 seconds off her lifetime best.

400 Free Relay – Finals

• Indiana State Record: Carmel High School, 3:15.38, 2015
• National Public School Record: Carmel High School (Indiana), 3:15.38, 2015
• National Overall HS Record: Carmel High School (Indiana), 3:15.38, 2015
• 2022 Champion: Carmel – 3:19.54

Top 3:

1. Carmel ‘A’ – 3:21.84
2. Fishers ‘A’ – 3:26.40
3. Hamilton Southeastern ‘A’ – 3:27.37

After the fireworks of the last two relays, the 400 free relay closed the meet in a relatively calm fashion. Nevertheless, Carmel took the race easily, finishing more than four seconds ahead of the silver medal Fishers squad. Earning the win was Meghan Christman (50.67), Erin Cummins (50.64), Berit Berglund (50.20), and Vivian Wilson (50.33). Their win made this the 17th time that Carmel has swept the relays at this meet.

Fishers squad of Addison Carlile (52.30), Nalanie Marinel Cortez (52.25), Kate Mouser (51.62), and JoJo Ramey (50.23) finished almost a second ahead of Hamilton Southeastern, who edged out Concord for the bronze medal by .12 seconds. Audrey Crawford led off Hamilton Southeastern’s relay in a lifetime best 50.10, erasing her previous mark of 50.86.

Top 10 Final Scores

1. Carmel – 498
2. Fishers – 233
3. Penn – 156
4. Hamilton Southeastern – 148
5. Zionsville – 141
6. Concord – 129.5
7. Wawasee – 121
8. Carroll (Fort Wayne) – 115
9. Center Grove – 91
10. Castle – 73.5