Hannah Bellard, Liberty Clark & Zalan Sarkany Named Big Ten Swimmers of the Week

by SwimSwam 0

January 15th, 2026 Big Ten, College, News

Courtesy: Big Ten

WOMEN’S AWARDS

Co-Swimmer of the Week  
Liberty Clark, Indiana 
Fr. – Chico, Calif. 

  • Won four events, three individual and one relay at No. 4 Michigan
  • Won 50 free (21.83), 100 free (47.26) and 200 free (1:42.10)
  • Helped Indiana set a program record in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:09.81. Clark gave Indiana the lead in the relay with the fastest leadoff (47.37)
  • Last Indiana Swimmer of the Week: Miranda Grana (Dec. 10, 2025)

Co-Swimmer of the Week  
Hannah Bellard, Michigan  
Jr. – Grosse Ile, Mich. 

  • Set a school record in the 200-yard butterfly as part of a first-place finish in a time of 1:50.72, a time that leads the nation by more than a full second
  • Also won the 500-yard freestyle with an NCAA qualifying time of 4:41.54
  • Last Michigan Swimmer of the Week: Bella Sims (Oct. 29, 2025)

Diver of the Week
Daryn Wright, Purdue 
Sr. – Plainfield, Ind. 

  • Swept the springboard events on Senior Day vs. Illinois, accomplishing the feat for the fourth time this season
  • Posted team season bests on both events and a lifetime best on 3-meter
  • Scored a 336.45 on 1-meter springboard and a 374.48 on 3-meter
  • Earns third Diver of the Week honor of the season
  • Last Purdue Diver of the Week: Daryn Wright (Oct. 22, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Liberty Clark, Indiana 
Fr. – Chico, Calif. 

  • Won four events, three individual and one relay at No. 4 Michigan
  • Won 50 free (21.83), 100 free (47.26) and 200 free (1:42.10)
  • Helped Indiana set a program record in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:09.81. Clark gave Indiana the lead in the relay with the fastest leadoff (47.37)
  • Collects fifth Freshman of the Week honor of the season
  • Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Liberty Clark (Nov. 26, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Weekly Honors
Oct. 1 
S: Miranda Grana, Jr., IND
D: Kaylee Bishop, Fr., IND
F: Liberty Clark, IND
Oct. 15 
S: Miranda Grana, Jr., IND
D: Daryn Wright, Sr., PUR
F: Liberty Clark, IND
Oct. 22 
S: Katie McCarthy, Jr., MINN
D: Daryn Wright, Sr., PUR
F: Kayla Barr, MINN
Oct. 29 
S: Bella Sims, Jr., MICH
D: Ella Roselli, Jr., IND
F: Liberty Clark, IND
Nov. 5 
S: Lara Phipps, So., PUR
D: Elna Widerstrom, Jr., MINN
F: Payton Flowers, IOWA
Nov. 12 
S: Rosie Murphy, Sr., UCLA
D: Elna Widerstrom, Jr., MINN
F: Jada Duncan, UCLA
Nov. 19 
S/F: Emilianna Gonzalez, Fr., RU
D: Bailee Sturgill, So., RU
Nov. 26 
S: Miranda Grana, Jr., IND
D: Kate Miller, So., USC
F: Liberty Clark, IND
Dec. 10 
S: Miranda Grana, Jr., IND
D: Ella Roselli, Jr., IND
F: Brooke Corrigan, WIS
Jan. 7  
S: Maggie Wanezek, So., WIS
D: Ryane Neal, Jr., WIS
F: Lucie Delmas, WIS
Jan. 14 
Co-S: Liberty Clark, Fr., IND
Co-S: Hannah Bellard, Jr., MICH
D: Daryn Wright, Sr., PUR
F: Liberty Clark, IND

MEN’S AWARDS

Swimmer of the Week  
Zalan Sarkany, Indiana 
Sr. – Budapest, Hungary 

  • Helped Indiana defeat No. 11 Michigan 187-113 in Ann Arbor
  • Swept distance events, winning the 500 free in 4:13.65 and 1,000 free in 8:39.94
  • Set the No. 2 fastest time in 1,000 free in the NCAA this season and No. 1 in the Big Ten
  • Owns nine of Indiana’s 10 all-time best 1,000 free performances
  • Last Indiana Swimmer of the Week: Zalán Sárkány (Nov. 26, 2025)

Diver of the Week  
Tyler Wills, Purdue 
So. – Carmel, Ind.  

  • Won 3-meter springboard vs. Southern Illinois with a lifetime best and 10th in Purdue history score of 426.90
  • Earned a season-best in a fourth-place finish as Purdue had the top six finishers with a 388.50 on 1-meter event
  • Last Purdue Diver of the Week: Max Miller (Nov. 5, 2025)

Freshman of the Week  
Jānis Dzirkalis, Purdue 
Ikskile, Latvia 

  • Won all four of his events in Purdue’s final home dual, helping the Boilermakers win 16 of 17 events vs. Southern Illinois
  • Swept the freestyle sprints for a fourth time this season and leads the team with 10 event victories
  • Placed first in the 50 free (19.75) and 100 free (44.10)
  • Helped 200 free relay to first-place finish in 1:20.09 and 400 medley relay to first-place finish in 3:11.74
  • Earns third Freshman of the Week honor of the season
  • Last Purdue Freshman of the Week: Jānis Dzirkalis (Dec. 10, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Weekly Honors
Oct. 1 
S: Blake Rowe, So., PUR
D: Joshua Sollenberger, So., IND
F: Noah Cakir, IND
Oct. 15 
S: Zalán Sárkány, Sr., IND
D: Mortiz Wesemann, Gr., USC
F: Noah Cakir, IND
Oct. 22 
S: Mariano Lazzerini, Sr., PSU
D: Drew Bennett, Sr., MINN
F: Jānis Dzirkalis, PUR
Oct. 29 
S: Raekwon Noel, So., IND
D: Josh Hedberg, Fr., IND
F: Luka Mladenovic, MICH
Nov. 5 
S: Blake Rowe, So., PUR
D: Max Miller, Jr., PUR
F: Biko Hooper-Haviland, PUR
Nov. 12 
S: Mariano Lazzerini, Sr., PSU
D: Drew Bennett, Sr., MINN
F: Luka Mladenovic, MICH
Nov. 26 
S: Zalán Sárkány, Sr., IND
D: Moritz Wesemann, Gr., USC
F: Luka Mladenovic, MICH
Dec. 10 
S: Jānis Dzirkalis, Fr., PUR
D: Maxwell Weinrich, Sr., IND
F: Jānis Dzirkalis, PUR
Jan. 7  
S: Ben Wiegand, R-Sr., WIS
F: Enzo Solitario, WIS
Jan. 14 
S: Zalán Sárkány, Sr., IND
D: Tyler Wills, So., PUR
F: Jānis Dzirkalis, PUR

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