'An unstoppable force,' freshman Alex Shackell leads Carmel Swim Club to national title

Just when you think Carmel swimmers could not accomplish more in 2021, they do.

With high school freshman Alex Shackell earning seven gold medals and two silvers in girls events, Carmel Swim Club won its first winter junior national championship Saturday night.

Carmel capped a year in which it produced its first Olympic swimmers in Drew Kibler and Jake Mitchell, became the first public high school to sweep boys and girls national titles, and extended its U.S. record to 35 straight girls state titles.

“I’m excited for our team, especially going against big programs with sometimes double the number of swimmers that we have,” coach Chris Plumb said.

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Carmel Swim Club’s only other junior nationals crown was in summer 2014.

USA Swimming divided winter nationals into East at Greensboro, N.C., and West at Austin, Texas.

At Greensboro, Carmel totaled 659 points to 617.5 for SwimMAC Carolina. Carmel girls swept all five relays and outscored Dynamo Swim Club of Georgia 511-290.5.

Friday night epitomized the kind of meet it was for Carmel. Three girls — Shackell (butterfly), Devon Kitchel (breaststroke) and Berit Berglund (backstroke) — won 100-yard titles in three different strokes.

“That’s really unique. It shows our balance,” Plumb said.

Berglund, Kitchel, Shackell and Gretchen Lueking set Carmel’s only national record, a time of 3:33.88 in the 400-yard medley relay.

Shackell was in all five relays, clocking a 400 freestyle relay anchor of 48.65 in her 15th swim over four days.

She won the 100 and 200 butterflies in 51.21 and 1:54.26, respectively, for USA Swimming’s No. 2 and 4 times ever by a 15-year-old. Shackell, who recently turned 15, set Indiana 15-16 records and was faster than the 17-18 age group.

She was second in the 50 freestyle in 22.34 — No. 8 all-time at age 15 — and second to Kitchel in the 200 individual medley.

“There is nothing that she can’t do right now,” Plumb said of Shackell. “She is an unstoppable force, for sure.”

Berglund, a high school junior, climbed to No. 6 on the all-time 15-16 list in the 100 backstroke. If she could duplicate her 51.32 in the Feb. 12 state meet, she would break the U.S. public school record held by Olivia Smoliga since 2012.

Kitchel, a Zionsville High School senior, won the 200 IM in 1:56.39 and 100 breaststroke in 1:00.53.

Zionsville backstroker Modglin wins

Elsewhere, Zionsville junior Will Modglin won the boys 100 backstroke in 45.90, or .32 off Ryan Hoffer’s junior nationals record from 2015. Modglin became third-fastest at age 17 behind Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy (45.34 in 2012) and Hoffer.

In the 400 freestyle relay, Modglin clocked a 43.94 leadoff for Zionsville Swim Club, which was fifth in 2:59.37. Carter Lancaster, a former Carmel swimmer, swam a 44.08 anchor for Bolles School Sharks, whose time of 2:56.11 was .22 off the meet record set by a Bolles team featuring Olympic champions Caeleb Dressel and Joseph Schooling.

Fishers junior JoJo Ramey won the girls 200 backstroke in 1:52.42. Kyle Ponsler, also of Fishers, was second in the boys 400 IM in 3:47.76.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel Swim Club wins winter junior national championship