2023 Indiana Girls’ High School State Championship
- February 10-11, 2023
- Friday, February 10th: Prelims
- Saturday, February 11th: Finals
- IU Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
- 25 Yards (SCY)
- Meet Program
- Live Results
The Carmel girls–who have won this meet ever year since 1987–showed up at the Indiana Girls’ High School State Championship ready to race. In the Friday night prelims session, they broke five state records: four individual and one relay.
They got started in the 200 medley relay, the first event of the meet. Berit Berglund (24.27), Molly Sweeney (27.44), Alex Shackell (23.21), and Lucy Enoch (23.59) posted 1:38.51, getting under the state record Carmel set in 2022 by four-hundredths. Berglund and Shackell both factored on last year’s relay, but freshmen Sweeney and Enoch were new additions to the relay this year.
The mark is the third-fastest in high school history behind only Fort Collins’ Fossil Ridge’s mark of 1:38.13 from 2018.
Shackell had a phenomenal 2022; she won five medals at Junior Pan Pacs and ranked first in the 15-16 age group in six different events. She’s clearly still rolling in 2023; in addition to factoring on the record-breaking relays she set two individual state records of her own.
The first came in the 50 freestyle, where she swam 22.05 to grab the top seed heading into tomorrow’s finals. That breaks the record of 22.14 set last year by Penn’s Lilian Christianson. Now a junior, Christianson clocked 22.33 for the second-fastest time of the evening. As Shackell holds a lifetime best of 21.73 (#2 all-time in the 15-16 age-group), there’s a very good chance she lowers this record again tomorrow.
She set her second individual record of the session in the very next event–the 100 fly. The sophomore ripped 51.16, lowering her own record by .55 seconds. She’s the overwhelming favorite in the event as she finished over three seconds ahead of second seed Audrey Crawford (54.25). Shackell’s lifetime best is 50.97 from December’s Winter Juniors – East.
Sweeney also claimed an individual state record. Hers came in the 200 IM, where she blazed 1:55.88, the sixth-fastest time in high school history. That swim took down Sammie Burchill‘s 2017 record of 1:56.67 by .79 seconds. Like Shackell, Sweeney’s record is just off her lifetime best, which is 1:55.40 from Carmel’s Winter Invite last month.
Sophomore Lynsey Bowen also got in on the action, breaking the state record in the 500 free with a speedy 4:43.42. Last year, Bowen tied Emma Nordin‘s state record of 4:45.15, so with this swim she takes sole ownership of the record.
With this only being prelims, we’ll be on record watch again for all these races tomorrow. Finals action starts at 1pm (CT).
Other Top Seeds
- 200 free: Lynsey Bowen (Carmel) – 1:46.25
- 100 free: Lilian Christianson (Penn) – 49.53
- 200 free relay: Carmel – 1:33.48
- 100 back: Berit Berglund (Carmel) – 51.98
- 100 breast: Molly Sweeney (Carmel) – 59.63
- 400 free relay: Carmel – 3:23.33
Underclassmen going 1:55 and 4:43???
The same school has won for almost 40 years in a row?! That’s gotta be kind of depressing for everyone else.
Is Carmel swimming the best dynasty of any high school sport in the country ?
I think there are a few that could battle them for that claim. But I’d take Carmel against any of them. Among the things that makes Carmel’s dynasty special is the single class in Indiana swimming. They reload like none other.
I think sometimes, team-team sports streaks that aren’t a streak of titles, but pretty close, can be as impressive as individual-team sports, because of the more fickle and fluky nature of team sports.
Here’s a good list that MaxPreps did: https://www.maxpreps.com/news/USCYWmwQxUCUhf4F1mamNw/maxpreps-turns-20-most-dominant-high-school-sports-dynasties-of-the-past-two-decades.htm
Nice to see Bolles in there at 7th.
It’s not even close anymore. Carmel is a desirable place to live, and the club has a reputation that pulls family’s with swimming dreams from all over the country. With their seemingly unending depth they have layers of senior teams topped by a high performance squad that trains harder than many collegiate teams. The work load is more intense than what most high school teams could put forth but if someone is not up to the task or injured there is always a teammate ready to step up. For many of them, their individual goals are so much more lofty than the state title. My full respect goes to those kids training at such a high level. Having Carmel swim… Read more »
Amazing swimming by Carmel tonight. It was unreal! Congratulations girls and can’t wait to see what you do in Finals!!
I believe the second-fastest 200 MR by any high school is Brookfield East, Wisconsin (Maggie Wanezek, Lucy Thomas, Reilly Tiltmann, Abby Wanezek), 2020 — 1:38.36