No. 3 Hoosiers Capture Fifth Consecutive Big Ten Championship

Saturday, February 28

Madison, Wis.

6 p.m.

Indiana University

Big Ten Championships - Finals

MADISON, WI - February 28, 2026 - during the B1G finals at Soderholm Family Aquatic Center in Madison, WI. Photo By Luke Miller/Indiana Athletics

No. 3 Hoosiers Capture Fifth Consecutive Big Ten Championship

2/28/2026 11:00:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

MADISON, Wis. – No. 3-ranked Indiana University celebrated a half-decade of dominance Saturday (Feb. 28) night, winning its fifth consecutive Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championship inside the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin.

Over the four-day meet, the Hoosiers won 10 Big Ten Championships, earned 27 medals, swept three events and set Big Ten meet records in the 400-yard IM (Josh Bey – 3:34.90), 100-yard backstroke (Owen McDonald – 44.28), 500-yard freestyle (Zalán Sárkány – 4:09.14), 1,650-yard freestyle (Zalán Sárkány – 14:25.40). IU totaled 1,544.5 points to win by a margin of 336.5 points over the field.

This men's swimming and diving program has totaled 32 Big Ten Championships, including eight of the last 10 and nine during IU head swimming coach Ray Looze's tenure. IU athletes have combined for 416 Big Ten Championships, including 271 swimming titles, 85 relay championships and 60 diving titles all-time.

Indiana's senior class has won a Big Ten title in every season. The class includes: Dash Glasberg, Owen McDonald, Collin McKenzie, Drew Reiter, Zalán Sárkány, Kai van Westering and Maxwell Weinrich.

On the final night alone, Indiana won Big Ten titles in the 200 IM, 1,650 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke and 400 freestyle relay. The Hoosiers medaled in all seven of Saturday's events.

"Winning a fifth consecutive Big Ten Championship is a true blessing," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. "I am at a loss of words for how impressed I am by our team. We had a strong veteran core lead a very young group of swimmers and divers in an exceptional way! Indiana University is red hot and the place to be. Our future is bright."

"What a great team finish," IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. "Max [Weinrich] and Josh [Sollenberger] produced four 'A' finals and two 'B' finals, with two podium finishes. The swimmers were so motivating all week, and it was great for them to contribute to another Big Ten team title. This is another step towards the team competing at our absolute best in Atlanta!

INDIANA MEDALISTS
Championships in bold
Alexei Avakov – 400 medley relay
Josh Bey – 400 IM, 200 breaststroke
Noah Cakir – 200 breaststroke
Vidar Carlbaum – 200 freestyle relay
Luke Ellis – 1,650 freestyle
Travis Gulledge – 200 medley relay, 100 breaststroke, 200 freestyle relay
Miroslav Knedla – 200 medley relay, 100 backstroke, 400 medley relay, 200 backstroke, 400 freestyle relay
Mikkel Lee – 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 50 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay
Owen McDonald – 200 medley relay, 800 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 400 medley relay, 200 IM, 400 freestyle relay
Raekwon Noel – 800 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 200 butterfly
Zalán Sárkány – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle
Aaron Shackell – 800 freestyle relay, 500 freestyle
Dylan Smiley – 200 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay, 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay
Joshua Sollenberger – 1-meter
Kai van Westering – 200 backstroke
Maxwell Weinrich – 3-meter, platform
Luke Whitlock – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Indiana – 1,544.5
2. Michigan – 1,208
3. Ohio State – 1,035.5
4. Northwestern – 840
5. Wisconsin – 832.5
6. Purdue – 783
7. USC – 707.5
8. Minnesota – 644
9. Penn State - 426

RESULTS
200 IM
1. Owen McDonald – 1:40.11 (Big Ten Champion, Pool Record, NCAA Cut)
5. Josh Bey – 1:41.68 (Personal Best, NCAA Cut)
8. Toby Barnett – 1:42.90 (NCAA Cut)
9. Noah Cakir – 1:42.86 (NCAA Cut)

1650 FREESTYLE
1. Zalán Sárkány – 14:25.40 (Big Ten Champion, Championship Record, Pool Record, NCAA Cut)
2. Luke Whitlock – 14:31.54 (Big Ten Silver, Personal Best, NCAA Cut)
3. Luke Ellis – 14:43.01 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA Cut)

100 FREESTYLE
1. Dylan Smiley – 41.81 (Big Ten Champion, Pool Record, NCAA Cut)
4. Mikkel Lee – 42.17 (NCAA Cut)
15. Vidar Carlbaum – 43.14

200 BUTTERFLY
2. Raekwon Noel – 1:39.26 (Big Ten Silver, Personal Best, NCAA Cut)
8. Aaron Shackell – 1:42.67 (Personal Best, NCAA Cut)
11. Andrew Shackell – 1:43.10 (NCAA Cut)

200 BACKSTROKE
1. Kai van Westering – 1:39.19 (Big Ten Champion, Pool Record, NCAA Cut)
3. Miroslav Knedla – 1:39.45 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA Cut)

PLATFORM
3. Maxwell Weinrich – 411.90 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
16. Joshua Sollenberger – 245.15 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)

400 FREESTYLE RELAY
1. Owen McDonald, Dylan Smiley, Mikkel Lee, Miroslav Knedla – 2:46.51 (Big Ten Champion, Pool Record, NCAA Cut)

UP NEXT
NCAA Championships!

@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