Will the Carmel boys swim team be on Cloud Nine this weekend?
The Greyhounds are in solid position to continue their state championship streak during this weekend’s IHSAA state finals at the IU Natatorium in downtown Indianapolis. Carmel has won the previous eight state titles, and are looking to extend that record steak when they hit the pool tonight for the state prelims.
The ‘Hounds have 25 swims at state and are seeded first in five events, beginning with the medley relay. After that, senior Aaron Shackell is the top seed in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, while junior Brandon Malicki is the first seed in the breaststroke. Senior Sean Sullivan is seeded first in the 100 free, where he is also the defending state champion.
Shackell and Malicki are former state champions too. Shackell won three titles last year, triumphing in the butterfly and as part of the medley and 400 free relays. Malicki joined Sullivan and Shackell on the state-winning 400 free relay team; his older brother Ryan Malicki won the breaststroke last year and was on the medley relay team. Junior Gregg Enoch was also part of last year’s 400 free relay team; he is seeded second in the 500 free and third in the individual medley.
Fishers has 12 swims at state, and also has the top-seeded diver. Jacob Schade won a super-competitive diving regional at his home pool, with a total of 501.50 points. He will be joined in diving by two Hamilton Heights divers, both of whom are seeded in the top four: Nathan Cox is seeded third and Ethan Swart is rated fourth.
Hamilton Southeastern will have eight swims at state. Jihoon Jung is the Royals’ top seed, rated 10th in the butterfly and 11th in the IM.
Noblesville has five swims and one diver headed to state. The Millers’ top seeded swim is the 400 free relay, where they are rated 11th, and diver Aiden Kless is seeded 12th in his event.
Guerin Catholic’s Quinn Sweeney will compete in two events at state. He is seeded 14th in the 200 free and 22nd in the 500 free.
Westfield and University both will have one swimmer in the 100 free. The Shamrocks are represented by 16th-seeded Bennett Morse, while the Trailblazers’ Neiman Kumler is rated 20th.
Here is a list of all Hamilton County state qualifiers and their seed times.
200 medley relay: 1. Carmel 1:29.78, 11. Fishers 1:35.57, 12. Hamilton Southeastern 1:35.67, 13. Noblesville 1:35.69.
200 freestyle: 1. Aaron Shackell (C) 1:35.66, 3. Connor Carlile (F) 1:39.13, 6. Andrew Shackell (C) 1:41.21, 9. Lewis Zhang (C) 1:41.47, 10. Jonathan Hines (F) 1:41.66, 14. Quinn Sweeney (Guerin Catholic) 1:42.33.
200 individual medley: 3. Gregg Enoch (C) 1:48.04, 4. Brandon Malicki (C) 1:51.25, 8. Michael Gorey (C) 1:52.14, 11. Jihoon Jung (HSE) 1:53.54, 13. Daniel Bennett (F) 1:54.18, 18. Graham Kulp (N) 1:55.51, 21. Taichi Kataoka (F) 1:56.40.
50 freestyle: 2. Sean Sullivan (C) 20.36, 16. AJ Robertson (C) 21.52.
One-meter diving: 1. Jacob Schade (F) 501.50, 3. Nathan Cox (Hamilton Heights) 492.30, 4. Ethan Swart (HH) 477.50, 12. Aiden Kless (N) 391.25.
100 butterfly: 3. An. Shackell (C) 49.48, 9. Emil Haig (C) 50.67, 10. Jung (HSE) 50.82, 15. Nicholas Plumb (C) 51.19, 18. Kulp (N), 23. Derek Robison (HSE) 51.94.
100 freestyle: 1. Sullivan (C) 44.18, 10. Robertson (C) 56.68, 16. Bennett Morse (W) 47.07, 20. Neiman Kumler (University) 47.15, 28. Ethan Zhang (C) 47.87, 30. Eli Pache (HSE) 48.43.
500 freestyle: 1. Aa. Shackell (C) 4:23.55, 2. Enoch (C) 4:25.66, 3. Carlile (F) 4:30.54, 4. Hines (F) 4:30.80, 14. Anthony Adams Jr. (F) 4:40.21, 15. Lewis Zhang (C) 4:41.50, 22. Sweeney (GC) 4:43.28.
200 freestyle relay: 2. Carmel 1:24.57, 8. Fishers 1:26.23.
100 backstroke: 6. Plumb (C) 51.54, 11. Carson Szotek (C) 52.11, 13. Haig (C) 52.18, 27. Thomas Johanneman (F) 53.29.
100 breaststroke: 1. Malicki (C) 55.19, 13. Aidan Biddle (N) 57.18, 15. Bennett (F) 57.58, 16. Pache (HSE) 57.66, 17. Collin Huston (HSE) 57.81, 20. Gorey (C) 58.17.
400 freestyle relay: 4. Carmel 3:10.38, 5. Fishers 3:10.55, 11. Noblesville 3:13.23, 16. Hamilton Southeastern 3:14.08.