Benjamin Franklin….but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
(2-10-24) If Ben Franklin was still alive he would add the Carmel girls swim team to that famous quote…the Greyhounds have won 38 consecutive Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) State Girls Swimming and Diving Championships. When you consider that this year was the 50th year for girls swimming in Indiana…that is quite impressive. The consecutive state titles by Carmel is the longest in high school sport in America.
Carmel State Champions
- 400 Freestyle Relay in 3:18.66-Alex Shackell, Lynsey Bowen, Faith Gorey, Molly Sweeney
- Molly Sweeney – 100 Breaststroke in :59.47
- Alex Shackell– 100 backstroke in :51.63
- 500 Freestyle! Lynsey Bowen sets a NEW STATE RECORD in 4:40.74
- Alex Shackell sets a NEW STATE RECORD in the 100 Butterfly in :50.25
- 200 IM- Molly Sweeney is the State Champion in 1:56.38
- 200 Freestyle! Lynsey Bowen is the State Champion in a time of 1:45.74
- 200 Medley Relay in a time of 1:39.13- Kayla Barr, Molly Sweeney, Alex Shackell, Grace Dougherty
Two swimmers, junior Alex Shackell and sophomore Molly Sweeney, each took home four first-place medals and junior Lynsey Bowen garnered three.
Shackell swam a leg of the winning 200 medley relay (1:39.13) to open the meet and closed the meet with a leg of the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:24.93). In between she picked up individual wins in the 100 butterfly for the third straight year and broke her own state record in :50.25. She also won the 100 backstroke (:51.63).
Sweeney, meanwhile, joined the 200 medley and 400 free relays, as well as taking the 200 IM (1:07.05, which is well off the state record she set in 2023) and 100 breaststroke (:59.47).
In her two years, Sweeney has now claimed eight first-place medals – halfway to the state record of 16 set by Carmel’s Claire Adams from 2013-16.
Finally, Bowen won the 200 free (1:45.74) and 500 free (in 4:40.74, which breaks her own state record by over two seconds). She joins Shackell as a three-time event winner. Bowen also joined Shackell, Sweeney and freshman Faith Gorey in the 400 free relay.
RELATED:
- The Streak Continues…Carmel Wins 37th Consecutive Girls State Swimming Title
- Carmel Girls Swim Team Wins 36th Consecutive IHSAA State Championship
- Carmel Wins 35th Consecutive State Girls Swimming Title, Plus See How It All Started
- Indiana Girls Swim Team Wins National Record 34th Straight State Championship
- Carmel Looks To Extend Girls IHSAA State Swimming Championships to 32 In A Row
COMPLETE: Individual Results
The Greyhounds outdistanced 2nd place Penn 221 points to easily pick up their 38th state title.
Added highlight…
Perhaps the best race of the meet came in the 50 freestyle where Penn senior Lily Christianson edged Wawasee’s Julie Mishler in a state record :21.72. Shackell set the meet record a year ago at :21.93. Mishler, the junior national champion, finished in :21.85.
Christianson, a North Carolina State recruit, won the event as a freshman and sophomore before Shackell dethroned her a year ago.
Christianson also won the 100 free (:48.45) and anchored the winning 200 free relay, joining Kaia Podlin, Alayna Riggins and Molly Barnes to win in 1:31.94. The victory is the first-ever relay win for the Penn program.
The final first place of the meet went to Fort Wayne Snider’s Amelia Rinehart, who took the diving with a 513.40 score.
Stateline Sports Network 