The latest issue of Swimming World Magazine
is now available for download in the Swimming World Vault!
Non-Subscribers Can Download This Issue Here
Carmel High School Girls’ Team Returns To No. 1
By David Rieder
After a two-season absence as Swimming World’s girls’ high school national champions, Carmel High School (Ind.) has returned to claim its seventh overall team title since 2011.
The Carmel girls’ swim team is one of the country’s most tradition-rich programs. So many accomplished swimmers have passed through the school, and in February, the team captured its 35th consecutive Indiana high school state championship.
Additionally, they are Swimming World’s overall high school national champions for the seventh time. Previously, the Greyhounds won the honor in 2011 and then five years straight from 2013 to 2017. Carmel has also been named the national public school champion in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2010 and 2019.
With Carmel’s boys being named men’s overall team of the year for the second time, 2021 marks the first year that both Carmel teams are national champions. They’re only the third school to do so since the magazine first recognized an overall national high school champion for both boys and girls in 1987. The other two schools with that distinction are Peddie (1990 and 1991) and Bolles (1998 and 2000).
A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS
But even though his girls’ team has achieved significant success for so long, this squad stood out to Carmel head coach Chris Plumb because of its sense of resilience and togetherness through one of the most unorthodox swim seasons ever.
During the months preceding the high school state meet, the swimmers and coaches were concerned the meet would never happen because of COVID-19 restrictions. Even when the meet eventually did happen, the typically raucous crowd was absent, leaving the swimmers to perform in front of an empty, cavernous IUPUI Natatorium. But they managed to push through those concerns thanks to an exceptional sense of togetherness.
“There were really no egos on this team,” Plumb said. “They loved each other. They cared for each other. They were just a united team. I don’t really know how to say it. They really enjoyed each other’s company, and they really got behind each other, and it’s fun to be a part of.”
Plumb credited assistant coach Rhiannon Sheets for putting together the activities that prioritized team bonding. “From being a former Carmel swimmer herself, she kind of understands all those things,” Plumb said. Among the activities the Carmel staff employed to bring their team together: a lip-sync contest, karaoke and charades. The coaches would ask the swimmers to share their two most important values. And every week, the team would hold a winners’ circle, where each member of the group would share positive feedback about a teammate.
“I just try to get them to a place where they all have to put themselves out there in front of each other and make themselves vulnerable,” Plumb said. “I think this team was willing to share their vulnerability with each other. We did a lot of stuff on Zoom, too. It was weird because your training went down, but you spend a little bit more time creating these bonds outside of the pool on Zoom.”
To read more about the Carmel Girls’ big win at Nationals,
Click here to download the full issue of Swimming World September 2021 – available now!
[PHOTO BY ROB SCHUMACHER / USA Today Sports]
Get Swimming World Magazine and Swimming World Biweekly FREE When You
Become A Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
New! 30 Day Membership to ISHOF AND Digital Swimming World Subscription for just $10 a month!
Want more? Get a 1 Year ISHOF Family Membership With Swimming World Print AND Digital Subscription Order Now!
Non-Subscribers can click here to download this issue for only $5.94
FEATURES
2020 TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES
by John Lohn, Dan D’Addona,
Matthew De George and David Rieder
010 | LIKE NO OTHER
There has never been an Olympics like the one held in Tokyo from July 23 through Aug. 8. Even the Games themselves were known as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games despite the fact that the actual event was held a year later! Yet, once the competition got started—at venues without any spectators—the XXXII Olympiad provided all of the anticipated emotions, surprises, goal fulfillments and more.
014 | MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEET: Caeleb Dressel (100 Fly)
014 | FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEET: Tatjana Schoenmaker (200 Breast)
015 | BEST WOMEN’S RELAY PERFORMANCE: Australia (400 Freestyle Relay)
016 | BEST MEN’S RELAY PERFORMANCE: USA (400 Medley Relay)
017 | BEST INDIVIDUAL RELAY PERFORMANCE: Adam Peaty (100 Breast/400 Medley Relay)
018 | BIGGEST UPSET/SURPRISE: Ahmed Hafnaoui (400 Free) & Lydia Jacoby (100 Breast)
019 | BREAKOUT PERFORMER: Bobby Finke (800 and 1500 Free)
020 | COUNTRY ON THE RISE: Italy
021 | RESILIENCE AWARD: Sarah Sjostrom (50 Free)
022 | OLYMPIC PHOTO GALLERY
027 | RETURN TO NO. 1
by David Rieder
After a two-season absence as Swimming World’s girls’ high school national champions, Carmel High School (Ind.) has returned to claim its seventh overall team title since 2011.
029 | SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S GIRLS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor
031 | MAKING HISTORY
by Dan D’Addona
Carmel High School (Ind.) is the first school in 21 years to have both its girls’ and boys’ swimming teams win Swimming World’s national high school championships in the same year—a feat last accomplished by Bolles (Fla.) in 2000.
033 | SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S BOYS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor
COACHING
038 | WHAT COACHES WISH PROSPECTS KNEW ABOUT RECRUITING
by Michael J. Stott
When it comes to college recruiting, swim coaches agree: they’re looking at much more than swimming times. They’re evaluating the whole package: academic, athletic, personal… and more!
041 | SPECIAL SETS: ERIN GEMMELL—OLYMPIC BLOODLINES
by Michael J. Stott
Bruce Gemmell of Nation’s Capital Swim Club provides an interesting capsule of coaching for his 16-year-old daughter, Erin, as she prepared for her first U.S. Olympic Trials experience and earned a spot on the U.S. Junior team headed for the Berlin and Budapest World Cup stops in October.
043 | Q&A WITH COACH JEFF JULIAN
by Michael J. Stott
044 | HOW THEY TRAIN TRENTON JULIAN
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
037 | DRYSIDE TRAINING: GOLD MEDAL WORKOUT (PART 2)
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
047 | UP & COMERS: HENRY WEBB
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS
008 | A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
040 | THE OFFICIAL WORD
046 | HASTY HIGH POINTERS
048 | GUTTERTALK
049 | PARTING SHOT
Swimming World is now partnered with the International Swimming Hall of Fame. To find out more, visit us at ishof.org