U.S. Olympic Trials: High School Swimming Powerhouse Carmel Making Huge Impact on Olympic Teams

Aaron Shackell -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Olympic Trials: High School Swimming Powerhouse Carmel Making Huge Impression on Olympic Teams

In Indiana, the success of Carmel High School’s swimming program is ubiquitous. Even those without a direct connection to swimming are aware of the Greyhounds’ streak 38 consecutive high school national titles, the most of any school in any sport in the country. The Carmel men, meanwhile, have now captured 10 titles in a row. Both programs are multi-time winners of Swimming World’s high school national championship.

Many graduates went on to become successful competitors on the collegiate or national level, including the core of Amy Bilquist, Claire Adams and Veronica Burchill in the 2010s. But no Carmel alum had ever made the Olympic team until three years ago — and ironically, it was the men who broke through first.

Drew Kibler qualified as a relay swimmer in the 200 freestyle. Jake Mitchell had already finished second in the 400 free but outside the qualification time, so he would not secure his spot in Tokyo until one day later with a dramatic solo time trial.

Now, with the Olympic Trials taking place just a half-hour drive southwest of the swimming-centric suburb, the program under the leadership of head coach Chris Plumb has continued to expand its profile. The very first swimmer to qualify for this year’s Olympic Team hails from the program: Aaron Shackell had been considered a contender to qualify for a spot on the U.S. men’s 800 free relay, but he claimed his spot in Paris two days earlier than expected by upsetting a veteran-laden field in the 400 free.

Down the stretch of the race, Shackell had built a lead, but 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Kieran Smith was making a run. Shackell held on, with the 19-year-old dropping one-and-a-half seconds from his best time as he touched in 3:45.46. Immediately, Shackell jumped out of the pool in celebration and soak in the adoration from the local crowd in downtown Indianapolis.

Alex Shackell — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bicron

Shackell completed a post-race interview with NBC Sports, and then, as he descended the temporary medal staircase into the warm-up area, a familiar face was waiting for him: younger sister Alex Shackell, fresh off her own stellar swim at Trials, a 100 butterfly best time of 56.78 that qualified her fourth for the final.

“I warmed down, and I’m about to get drug-tested,” Alex said. “But I ran and said, ‘I have to go watch my brother. He’s about to swim.’ That was more stressful than my own swimming, watching that.”

When Aaron walked down the stairs, Alex was the first familiar face to greet him, a touching and fitting scene for the two siblings and longtime training partners.

“I think Alex was the first one to give me confidence that I could be an Olympic swimmer, a decent swimmer at all. She was always better than me when we were younger, and that kind of gave me the confidence that my family does have good swimming genes and that I could be good myself. Then seeing her, she was the first one to hug me after I came down the stairs, I feel like she was more excited that I made the team than with her own swim,” Aaron said.

“When she saw me, she just told me I was an Olympian, and it was probably one of the best moments of my life.”

Aaron is now the second Olympian in the Shackell family after father Nick Shackell represented Great Britain at the 1996 Olympics. Next up, Alex will bid to join them. Given the strength of the U.S. women in the 100 fly — Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske and Regan Smith all went sub-56 in the semifinals — Alex scratched that final to concentrate on the 200 fly, in which she will be a favorite for the No. 2 spot, as well as the 100 and 200 freestyle, with up to six relay berths up for grabs in each race.

We will see plenty of other Carmel-affiliated swimmers in contention this week as well. Kibler and Mitchell will contend along with Aaron for qualification in the men’s 200 free while Gregg Enoch made the final in the men’s 400 IM. On the women’s side, Carmel alum Kelly Pash is swimming in the 100 fly final Sunday evening. 16-year-old Kayla Han got into the final of the 400 free due to scratches, and she ended up finishing fourth, setting herself up well for the longer-distance events later in the week.

“It’s all to our coaches,” Alex said of her team’s success at Trials. “We moved to Carmel for the swimming because we knew we wanted to be the best we could and have the possibility of becoming an Olympian, and for him to be an Olympian now is a dream-come-true, not only for me but for him.”

Aaron added, “The legacy of Carmel High School and Carmel swim club is unmatched. The way we’ve passed it down — I don’t know how to say it. We’ve inspired each other and passed down the legacy from swimmer to swimmer. I hope I’m doing that now to the next generation, whether that’s my brother (Andrew) or the kids below him. I have no doubt it’s going to continue. As long as Chris is there, it’s going to continue, I can tell you that.”

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