Bold headline: Carmel girls lay the groundwork for a 40th straight Indiana state title, as prelims reveal depth and promise. But here’s where it gets controversial: the margin for error tightens when every event exposes potential vulnerabilities that opponents might weaponize in finals.
2026 IHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving State Championships
Prelims: Friday, Feb. 13, 2026
Finals: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026
Venue: IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
Pool: SCY (25 yards)
Meet Page: https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/swimming-diving/2025-26-tournament?round=state-finals
Psych Sheet: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/202526%20gsw%20psych%20sheet.pdf
Prelims Heat Sheet: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/202526%20gsw%20meet%20program.pdf
Results on Meet Mobile: search for “2026 Girls High School State Championships” or “Indiana.”
On Friday, Carmel, Indiana’s storied Greyhounds set the pace for their ongoing quest to clinch a 40th consecutive state title, showcasing unprecedented depth as they navigated a challenging day. The strongest early indicator came in the 200 IM, where three athletes separated themselves into the A-Final lineup: sophomore Ellie Clarke (1:59.36), sophomore Leah Debosch (2:00.39), and senior Lucy Enoch (2:03.36).
SwimSwam’s unofficial prelims scoring (swimming only) lists Carmel atop the field, with Fishers, Carroll, and Zionsville following. Note that only Carmel had divers entered among these top-four teams.
Prelim standings after Day 1
- Carmel: 313
- Fishers: 235
- Carroll: 227
- Zionsville: 208
Carmel also led in five events, including the 200 medley relay where Debosch, Molly Sweeney, Clarke, and Sophia Floyd posted 1:40.68.
Sweeney emerged as Carmel’s star on the first day. The Tennessee commit dominated two events: she earned the top seed in the 100 fly (52.72) and the 100 breast (59.53). Notably, her 100 breast time was 0.06 seconds shy of her best.
A significant shift this season is Sweeney’s move from her traditional stronghold in the 200 IM to the 100 fly, a switch that leaves Carmel less depth in that fly event compared with the IM. There are no other Carmel scorers in the 100 fly, which adds an interesting strategic wrinkle for finals.
In the 100 back, sophomore Ellie Clarke claimed the top seed (53.35), narrowly ahead of the field, while fellow sophomore Lilly King of Munster High lowered her time to 54.38 to claim second.
Carroll High School and Fishers High School had solid days as well and appear poised for a close battle for runner-up honors.
For Fishers, two freshmen hint at bright futures. Audrey Wolf lowered her times to reach the A-Finals in both the 50 free (23.48) and the 100 fly (54.22). Teammate Ashlyn Hayes advanced to A-Finals in two events, finishing 4th in the heats of the 200 free (1:49.29) and 6th in the 100 free (51.09).
Emily Wolf, a junior and Audrey’s older sister, led the way for Fishers by taking the top seed in the 200 free with 1:45.72, and she also sits as the top seed in the 500 free with a 4:43.23. An NC State commit, she anchors the top seed in the 500 free and contributed to Fishers’ strong relay performances.
Fishers wrapped the session with the top seed in the 400 free relay (3:24.52) over Carmel (3:26.25), a race highlighted by Emily Wolf’s 49.26 split.
Carroll’s start was rocky when their 200 medley relay slipped to 9th in the heats, despite having one of the nation’s best sprint groups. However, strong sprinting from juniors Maris Williams and Kate Fetters helped recover points. Williams went under 23 seconds to claim the top seed in the 50 free (22.99), after contributing to multiple relays last year. Fetters, 2nd in prelims at 23.06, had posted 22.85 at Sectionals last week.
Williams and Fetters formed part of the 2nd-seeded 200 free relay (behind Zionsville’s 1:35.45), with Zionsville controlling the meet’s opening exchanges but Carmel ensuring a championship-level challenge across events.
What to watch for in Finals
- The finals Sunday morning kick off with diving prelims at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, followed by the evening finals for swimming and diving at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
- Carmel’s depth will be tested against a Fisher’s squad featuring rising stars in both sprint and mid-distance events.
- The dynamic shift of Sweeney to the 100 fly could redefine Carmel’s scoring balance; the rest of the team will need to fill the gaps in the fly and possibly shift energy toward other events.
In this story
- Profiles of Lilly King and the King-family presence in Indiana swimming
- Braden Keith, SwimSwam Editor-in-Chief and partner in coverage, provides context on how previews and prelims shape the championship narrative
Would you like this rewritten version tailored for a high-school audience, with a more concise quick-read format, or expanded into a feature-style article with more background on the swimmers and teams involved?
