CSL Wild Card Match: Indiana Dominating Competition, Set to Advance to Final
The inaugural season of the College Swimming League concludes this weekend in Indianapolis. Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina State all qualified for the CSL final by virtue of their impressive results during each team’s two regular season matches, with Thursday’s Wild Card match determining the final participant in that final. Indiana, California, Stanford and Louisville advanced to this round by finishing fourth through seventh out of 12 teams overall this season.
The Hoosiers are on track to advance to the CSL final, winning the vast majority of events through the first portion of the competition.
Women’s 200 Backstroke
Indiana’s Miranda Grana set the pace for her team, winning the opening event with a time of 1:51.16.
Men’s 200 Backstroke
The Hoosiers won two events in a row to begin the meet as Miroslav Knedla swam the fastest time yet in CSL competition. The junior put up a time of 1:37.77, which only three swimmers beat at last season’s NCAA Championships. Knedla finished more than a second clear of Louisville’s Filip Kosinski, who clocked 1:38.90, while the Hoosiers’ Owen McDonald also got under 1:40, touching in 1:39.67 to wrap up the 1-3 finish.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Louisville needed a big swim from Anastasia Gorbenko in the 200 breaststroke, and the veteran came through to win by three seconds. Gorbenko finished in 2:05.05, quicker than she swam to finish third place in the event at last season’s NCAA Championships. The Cardinals also got fourth-place points from Anna Inagaki (2:09.71) while Indiana’s Anita Bottazzo (2:08.09) and Stanford’s Caroline Bricker (2:08.68) got second and third, respectively.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Fresh off his win in the short course meters version of the 200 breast at last week’s U.S. Short Course Trials, Josh Bey put up the top performance here with a time of 1:50.73.
Women’s 500 Freestyle
The Hoosiers got a fourth victory in five opportunities here thanks to the superb closing speed of Indiana’s Elizabeth Eichbrecht, who overtook Louisville’s Thilda Haell in the closing 100 yards to win by two tenths, 4:37.35 to 4:37.56. Cal’s Camille Henveaux got fourth (4:39.33) while Indiana again put two swimmers in the top half of the heat as Kayla Han took fourth (4:41.22).
Men’s 500 Freestyle
Yet another win for Indiana, again in tight fashion. This time, Gabriel Manteufel led for most of the race and finished in 4:14.27, holding off Stanford’s Ethan Ekk by less than three tenths. The Cardinal actually placed 2-3, with Ekk going 4:14.54 and Sander Kiaer Sorensen finishing in 4:16.26. Indiana’s Luke Whitlock picked up more points for his team, placing fourth (4:17.71).
Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay
Kristina Paegle held tough for the Indiana Hoosiers on the anchor leg here, holding Louisville at bay to secure 18 points and control of the skins event. Indiana’s top team swam a time of 1:26.20, ahead of Louisville’s 1:26.74. Cal finished third in 1:28.87.
Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay
Louisville’s Nikita Sheremet blasted an 18.69 leadoff leg, breaking the CSL record in the 50 free, but Indiana would have the superior squad over all four lengths, coming through to win by 0.12 at the finish. Indiana clocked 1:16.52, with Louisville second in 1:16.64 and Cal placing third in 1:16.93.
Women’s 200 Butterfly
No one was ever going to touch Alex Shackell in her signature event. Shackell, a U.S. Olympian in the 200-meter fly in 2024, came back after swimming for Louisville on the 200 free relay to lead throughout this race. Shackell ended up winning by more than four seconds with a time of 1:51.96, easily defeating Cal’s Kelsey Zhang (1:56.35) and Stanford’s Clare Watson (1:56.37).
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Ten events, nine wins for Indiana as Raekwon Noel led throughout this event. Noel held off strong challenges from Louisville’s Gregg Enoch on the third 50 and then from Stanford’s Gibson Holmes down the stretch. Noel finished in 1:41.23, nine tenths clear of Holmes’ 1:42.12 while Enoch held on for third (1:43.14).
Women’s 100 IM
Louisville finally broke through in the sprint medley, relying on Anastasia Gorbenko and Caroline Larsen to produce a 1-2 performance. Gorbenko became the day’s first double winner after previously topping the 200 breast. She swam a time of 51.80 to beat out Larsen’s 52.18. Indiana held serve, though, as Anita Bottazzo and Lylah Theriac went 3-4.
Men’s 100 IM
Owen McDonald dominated this race through all four strokes. The fifth-year swimmer put up a time of 47.24 as Indiana remained unbeaten in men’s events, and this one resulted in a 1-2 finish as Toby Barnett finished in a tie for second. Barnett and Louisville’s Rian Graham recorded equal times of 48.02.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Cal picked up its first win of the evening thanks to a blistering swim from Mary-Ambre Moluh. The native of France opened up a sizeable lead in the opening stages of the race and finished in 50.62, almost seven tenths clear of the field. Miranda Grana, the winner of the 200 back earlier in the meet, claimed second in 51.29, with Stanford’s Levenia Sim third (52.04).
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Women’s Skins
Men’s Skins
Women’s 200 IM
Men’s 200 IM
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Women’s 50 Freestyle
Men’s 50 Freestyle
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Men’s 100 Butterfly
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Men’s 200 Freestyle
Women’s Super Skins
Men’s Super Skins
