INDIANAPOLIS – Why swim in one event at the Olympic Games when you can swim two? And why not bring the little sister along?
Carmel’s Aaron Shackell won a dramatic swim-off in the 200-meter freestyle Sunday on night 2 of the U.S. Olympic Trials, and sister Alex will join him in a final that will determine relay swimmers at the Paris Olympics.
Shackell, 19, won the 400 freestyle Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium to secure a spot on the team. Then he had to swim 400 meters again the next night to earn the right to race in another event.
Shackell appeared to be hopelessly behind Daniel Diehl in the swim-off, which occurred about 80 minutes after the first 200 freestyle. He made up nearly a full second to clock 1:46.95, ahead of Diehl’s 1:47.16.
Afterward, Shackell smashed the water with his fist, as he did in his victory on night 1.
Elsewhere among Hoosiers, Lilly King had the fastest time of 100-meter breaststroke semifinals, 1:05.57, and will go for a third Olympic team on Monday night.
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There was heartbreak for one Hoosier.
Indiana University’s Josh Matheny was third in the men’s 100 breaststroke final, missing the team by .07 seconds.
Alex Shackell was fifth-fastest in her semifinal of the 200 freestyle in 1:57.42, a time beaten by one swimmer in the other semi. So she goes into the final seeded sixth.
Stunningly, five of the eight swimmers in the men’s 200 free final have Indiana ties:
Carmel Olympians Drew Kibler and Jake Mitchell were third and fourth in 1:45.82 and 1:46.43, respectively. IU graduate Blake Pieroni, an Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100 relay in 2016 and 2021, was fifth in 1:46.52, Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano seventh in 1:46.83 and Aaron Shackell eighth in the swim-off.
Zionsville’s Will Modglin, a University of Texas freshman, claimed the eighth spot for the final of the 100 backstroke in 53.83. Modglin was a two-time national high school swimmer of the year.
University of Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh won the 100 butterfly in 55.31, just off the world record of 55.18 she set in semifinals Saturday night. Torri Huske was second in 55.52, a tenth ahead of Regan Smith — who became No. 5 in history but did not make the team.
Carmel’s Kelly Pash was fifth in 57.72.
In the night-opening 400 individual medley, Carson Foster made his first Olympic team by finishing first in 4:07.64. He is silver medalist in this event from 2022 and 2023 World Championships.
Thirty-year-old Chase Kalisz, gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, was second in 4:09.39.
Two former Indiana high school 500-yard freestyle champions, Kyle Ponsler and Gregg Enoch, were sixth and seventh. Ponsler, of North Carolina State and Fishers, clocked 4:16.53 and Enoch, of Carmel, 4:17.64.
Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Olympic Swimming Trials: Aaron Shackell wins swim-off, Lilly King fastest
