No. 3/9 Indiana Doubles Down on No. 9/6 Cards, Shatters Three School Standards

Friday, January 30

Bloomington, Ind.

Dive: 1:30 p.m. / Swim: 2 p.m.

Indiana University

216

Louisville

No. 3/9 Indiana Doubles Down on No. 9/6 Cards, Shatters Three School Standards

1/30/2026 8:00:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A historic 400-yard freestyle relay performance put an emphasis on No. 9-ranked Indiana women's swimming and diving's statement victory over No. 6 Louisville on Friday (Jan. 30) inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

In IU men's and women's swimming and diving's final dual meet before championship season, both Hoosier teams beat the Cardinals. The men dominated their matchup with a 216-84 result, winning 15 of 16 events, while the women defeated the highly rated Louisville ladies 161-138.

The Indiana women finished the meet with a program record in the 400-yard freestyle relay, finishing in 3:08.07 to post the third-fastest time nationally this season. Three freshmen – Liberty Clark (46.38), Grace Hoeper (47.70) and Alex Shackell (47.07) – handed it off to senior Kristina Paegle, who anchored in 46.92. The quartet went 3:09.81 three weeks ago at Michigan but improved their time by 1.74 seconds to tie the Big Ten record set by U-M in 2019. Their time would have finished second at the 2025 NCAA Championships.

The 400 free relay marked Clark's third program record of the day, having recorded best times in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle earlier in the meet. Clark went 46.36 in the 100 free to post the No. 3 fastest time nationally and 21.48 in a second-place 50 free performance for the No. 7 best time. The freshman also won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:41.35.

On the men's side, senior Zalán Sárkány led the way again with a sweep of his events. The reigning NCAA 1,650-yard freestyle champion performed a gauntlet Friday, winning the 1,000-yard freestyle (8:40.40), 500-yard freestyle (4:16.79) and 400-yard IM (3:43.28). Over just two seasons as a Hoosier, Sárkány has recorded the 10 fastest 1,000 free performances in program history.

Sophomores Miroslav Knedla and Raekwon Noel had nearly identical days. Knedla swept the backstroke events and earning a personal best in the 100 back with a 44.78, his first time under 45.00. Noel won both butterfly events and shattered his best time in the 200 fly with a 1:41.14, an improvement of 1.21 seconds. Junior Mikkel Lee also won two events, sprinting to victory in the 50 free (19.03) and 100 free (42.35). Knedla and Lee also participated in each of IU's winning relays.

Junior Miranda Grana swept the backstroke events on the women's side, posting times of 51.79 in the 100 back and 1:50.94 in the 200 back. Shackell out-touched her in the 100-yard butterfly to complete her own sweep of the butterfly races in what was her first collegiate home meet. She also led a crucial 1-2-3 Hoosier finish in the 200 fly.

Indiana diving took care of business on the boards, winning three of the four events. Freshman Kaylee Bishop won the 1-meter springboard (283.65), and junior Lily Witte completed the women's sweep on 3-meter (350.18). Joshua Sollenberger was the lone men's winner, placing first on the 1-meter board (366.60).

TEAM SCORES
Women: No. 9 Indiana 161, No. 6 Louisville 138
Men: No. 3 Indiana 216, No. 9 Louisville 84

HOOSIER WINNERS
Women
Kaylee Bishop – 1-meter (283.65)
Liberty Clark – 200 freestyle (1:41.35), 100 freestyle (46.36), 400 freestyle relay (3:08.07)
Miranda Grana – 100 backstroke (51.79), 200 backstroke (1:50.94)
Grace Hoeper – 400 freestyle relay (3:08.07)
Kristina Paegle – 400 freestyle relay (3:08.07)
Alex Shackell – 200 butterfly (1:54.41), 100 butterfly (51.08), 400 freestyle relay (3:08.07)
Lily Witte – 3-meter (350.18)

Men
Alexei Avakov – 100 breaststroke (51.98)
Josh Bey – 200 breaststroke (1:53.24)
Travis Gulledge – 200 medley relay (1:22.63)
Miroslav Knedla – 200 medley relay (1:22.63), 100 backstroke (44.78), 200 backstroke (1:40.88), 400 freestyle relay (2:49.16)
Mikkel Lee – 200 medley relay (1:22.63), 50 freestyle (19.03), 100 freestyle (42.35), 400 freestyle relay (2:49.16)
Owen McDonald – 200 medley relay (1:22.63), 400 freestyle relay (2:49.16)
Raekwon Noel – 200 butterfly (1:41.14), 100 butterfly (45.78)
Zalán Sárkány – 1,000 freestyle (8:40.40), 500 freestyle (4:16.79), 400 IM (3:43.28)
Aaron Shackell – 200 freestyle (1:33.97)
Dylan Smiley – 400 freestyle relay (2:49.16)
Joshua Sollenberger – 1-meter (366.60)

NCAA CUTS
Women's 400 freestyle relay; Men's 200 medley relay; Women's 200 medley relay; Alexei Avakov – 100 breast (51.98), 200 breast (1:53.82); Toby Barnett – 200 breast (1:54.78); Josh Bey – 200 breast (1:53.24); Liberty Clark – 50 free (21.48), 100 free (46.36), 200 free (1:41.35); Mya DeWitt – 100 back (51.79), 200 back (1:54.05); Katie Forrester – 200 fly (1:56.99); Miranda Grana – 100 back (50.19), 200 back (1:50.94), 100 fly (51.66); Travis Gulledge – 100 breast (52.24); Macky Hodges – 200 back (1:53.97); Miroslav Knedla – 100 back (44.78), 200 back (1:40.88); Mikkel Lee – 50 free (19.03), 100 free (42.35); Owen McDonald – 100 back (45.58), 100 fly (45.94); Raekwon Noel – 100 fly (45.78); 200 fly (1:41.14); Kristina Paegle – 50 free (21.56), 100 free (47.81); Zalán Sárkány – 500 free (4:16.79); Alex Shackell – 200 free (1:44.19), 100 fly (51.08), 200 fly (1:54.41);

NCAA ZONE QUALIFIERS
1-meter: Kaylee Bishop (283.65), Mary Kate Cavanaugh (275.63), Ella Roselli (276.30), Aiden Sadler (312.75), Joshua Sollenberger (366.60), Maxwell Weinrich (341.03), Lily Witte (278.78)
3-meter: Mary Kate Cavanaugh (303.45), Kaylee Bishop (308.78), Ella Roselli (327.00), Aiden Sadler (333.38), Jacob Schade (378.68), Joshua Sollenberger (376.20), Maxwell Weinrich (363.30), Lily Witte (350.18)

UP NEXT
Championship season!

@IndianaSwimDive
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men's and women's swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#NeverDaunted