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20-time North Dakota club state champion Bethany Mehl has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at Indiana State University beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am beyond grateful and blessed to announce my verbal commitment to Indiana State University to continue my academic and athletic career! This wouldn’t have been possible without all the support from my family, friends, and coaches. Thank you especially to my coaches and teammates for always believing in me. Most importantly I thank God for giving me the drive and love for this sport and for all His grace. Thank you Josh and Sean for this amazing opportunity! LET’S GO SYCAMORES!!
A junior at Fargo South High School, Mehl has been a member of her school’s varsity swimming and diving team since her freshman year. She also swims club with Northern Lights Swim Association, where she specializes in breaststroke and IM.
Mehl is coming off a 2025-26 season that saw her drop over four seconds in the 200 IM, nearly three seconds in the 200 breast, and over a second and a half in the 100 breast. She kicked things off at the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) State Championships in November, repeating her runner-up finish in the 100 breast (1:03.57) and upgrading to silver in the 200 IM (2:09.26). She also helped Fargo South to 10th in the 400 free relay (55.13 anchor) and 11th in the 200 medley relay (29.63 breast split).
Mehl most recently competed at a pair of meets in March, where she clocked all of her current career bests. At Speedo Sectionals – West Fargo, she placed second in the 200 breast (2:16.22), fourth in the 100 breast (1:03.83), and 12th in the 200 IM (2:09.19) before heading to the 11 & Over SC State Championships a week later, where she won four events to bring her career club state title total to 20. She won the 200 breast (2:16.32), 100 IM (59.32), and 200 IM (2:06.49), finished second in the 50 breast (29.89), 100 breast (1:03.04), and 400 IM (4:30.78), and contributed to three relay wins.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Breaststroke: 1:03.04
- 200 Breaststroke: 2:16.22
- 200 IM: 2:06.49
A Division I Mid-Major program, Indiana State competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, with the women’s team claiming their second consecutive (and second ever) conference title this past season. Mehl’s career bests would have placed fourth in the 200 breast and sixth in the 100 breast ‘A’ finals, and her 200 IM would have snuck into the ‘B’ final, setting her up to be an immediate contributor for the Sycamores.
On the team itself, Mehl would have ranked second in both breast events and fourth in the 200 IM during the 2025-26 season, though with another full season before she arrives on campus and recruiting still ongoing, any specific projections would be premature. What can be said at this point is that her addition is key for the program’s future, as the Sycamores graduate their top breaststroker and IMer in Ali Pearson (1:01.35/2:13.42, 2:04.00), the only swimmer on the roster this season under 1:03 and 2:20 in the breasts and 2:06 in the 200 IM.
Mehl is expected to overlap two seasons with sprinter Jenna Nave (1:03.60), the only other swimmer currently on the roster under 1:07, and three seasons with 2026 breaststrokers Lily Glasgow (1:03.46/2:21.06), Eva Nordyke (1:04.56/2:20.61), and Ilkhim Karaali (1:14.21/3:02.72 LCM), and backstroker specialist Annabelle Francke. Galsgow, Nordyke, and Francke also bring 2:05-range 200 IM bests.
Mehl is the currently the only publicized commit in the Sycamores’ class of 2031.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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