Carmel Girls Swim to 35th-Straight IHSAA Title, Sophomore Berglund Pops 52.0 BK

INDIANA HS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – GIRLS

• February 12 – 13, 2021
• Indianapolis, IN (IUPUI Natatorium)
• Short course yards (SCY)
• Meet Central
• Results

The Carmel girls have successfully claimed their 35th-straight, and 36th-ever, IHSAA title today. Scoring 479 points, Carmel won by their largest margin in history, finishing 279 points ahead of Fishers and surpassing their previous record margin of 266 from 2015.

TOP TEAM FINISHES

1. Carmel 479
2. Fishers 200
3. Chesterton 172
4. Zionsville 151
5. Franklin Community 141

Carmel was out strong with a big win in the 200 medley, going 1:40.38 to win by over two seconds. Berit Berglund, a sophomore, was 24.50 leading off, while senior Colleen Duffy anchored in 22.52, both going field-best splits.

In the 200 free, Gretchen Lueking of Carmel and Kristina Paegle of Bloomington South had a huge showdown. Both juniors, Lueking, the Notre Dame commit, held strong the back-half to win in 1:45.48. Paegle, an IU commit, was second in 1:45.96, both destroying their old bests. Lueking was 1:46.51 going into this meet, and Paegle a 1:47.74. Three girls were 1:47 behind them, with St. Joseph senior Mary Cate Pruitt (1:47.04), Fishers sophomore JoJo Ramey (1:47.54) and Zionsville senior Elyse Heiser (1:47.55) all coming in a tight finish. Pruitt is another ND commit, while Heiser is committed to Indiana.

Lueking was just off of Claire Adams’ state record of 1:45.09. In the 100 free, with Lueking going with the 100 fly instead, it was all Paegle. The Bloomington South junior posted a 48.88, a new best by almost seven-tenths, as Hobart senior Emma Wright finished runner-up in a new best of 49.93.

In the 200 free relay, Carmel was again untouchable, winning by over three seconds. Coming within a half-second of the state record, they combined for a 1:31.21. They won by over five seconds in the 400 free relay, going 3:18.84 and getting a 49.46 lead-off from Lueking and 49’s across the board to follow.

Carmel sophomore Berglund then threw down a 52.09 in the 100 back, a new lifetime best by almost a second, rattling another Claire Adams state record (51.65). Still 15, Berglund is now tied with Zoe Avestruz for the #15 performer slot in 15-16 age group history. Carroll junior and IU commit Mya Dewitt was second in 52.91, just off of her best of 52.85 from prelims.

Zionsville junior and Michigan commit Devon Kitchel snagged her first win of the night in the 200 IM, going 1:57.29 to dismantle her old best of 1:59.41 from this meet last year. Her 27.80 back leg was a standout moment in her race. Carmel senior Madelyn Christman also broke two minutes for second, going 1:59.27 and taking almost two seconds off of her old best.

In the 100 fly, Kitchel was back for another lifetime best, clocking a 52.93 to beat Lueking, who also hit a best (53.56).

OTHER NOTABLE SWIMS

• Penn freshman Lily Christianson raced past the field in the 50 free, dropping a lifetime best 22.66 to edge Carmel sophomore Meghan Christman (22.75) and Carmel senior Duffy (22.97).
• In the 100 breast, Christianson was the prelims leader, but she was knocked off in the final, 1:02.13 to 1:02.17, by Carmel junior MacKenna Lieske. Fishers junior Lydia Reade was close in third (1:02.29) ahead of Noblesville senior Sammy Huff (1:02.33).
• After taking fourth in the 200 free, St. Joseph senior Pruitt finished on top in the 500 free, blazing to a lifetime best 4:45.73 and just missing Emma Nordin’s state record of 4:45.15. Also cracking 4:50 were Chesterton senior Maisyn Klimczak (4:49.64) and Heiser (4:49.69).