Bey, Sárkány Spotlight Friday at NCAA Championships

ATLANTA – Indiana earned 4 prime 5 performances and 6 podium finishes on Friday (March 27), the third of 4 days on the 2026 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships contained in the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta.

IU used its numbers to enhance to 3rd place within the crew standings with at some point remaining.

Senior Zalán Sárkány closed his collegiate profession with a Big Ten and program report swim within the 500-yard freestyle. Sárkány turned the primary swimmer in Big Ten historical past to interrupt the 4:08 barrier, his 4:07.95 ending fourth in Friday evening’s ultimate. In his final NCAA Championships, Sárkány earned prime 10 finishes in all three of his occasions, set an NCAA report within the 1,000-yard freestyle and broke the Big Ten and program information within the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle occasions. Junior Aaron Shackell positioned sixth within the occasion after setting a private finest 4:11.14 within the prelim.

For the second consecutive season, a Hoosier recorded a sub-1:49 within the 200-yard breaststroke ultimate. Freshman Josh Bey swam a 1:48.79 in a silver medal efficiency to turn out to be the second-fastest man in program historical past, the second-fastest freshman in NCAA historical past and the No. 10 quickest swimmer all-time. Among Hoosiers all-time, he sits second solely to 2025 NCAA Champion Jassen Yep (1:48.30). In lane eight beside Bey, junior Toby Barnett turned the third-fastest Hoosier all-time along with his 1:49.80, which positioned sixth. Four Hoosiers scored within the prime 10 of the 200 breaststroke Friday between Bey, Barnett, freshman Noah Cakir and sophomore Alexei Avakov.

After turning into the second Hoosier underneath 44 seconds within the 100-yard backstroke with a morning 43.98, senior Owen McDonald lowered his finest time once more within the ultimate with a 43.84. That time tied for fifth with Army West Point sophomore Johnny Crush. McDonald will race his ultimate particular person occasion Saturday because the top-seeded swimmer within the 200-yard IM.

Indiana ended its high-scoring night with a fourth consecutive prime 5 end within the 400-yard medley relay. The quartet of sophomore Miroslav Knedla, Avakov, McDonald and junior Dylan Smiley positioned fifth with a 2:59.96.

RESULTS

100 BACKSTROKE

t5. Owen McDonald – 43.84 (Personal Best, First-Team All-America)

13. Miroslav Knedla – 44.61 (Personal Best, Second-Team All-America)

14. Kai van Westering – 44.64 (Personal Best, Second-Team All-America)

20. Raekwon Noel – 44.95

34. David Kovacs – 45.73 (Personal Best)

200 BREASTSTROKE

2. Josh Bey – 1:48.79 (NCAA Silver, First-Team All-America)

6. Toby Barnett – 1:49.80 (First-Team All-America)

9. Noah Cakir – 1:51.38 (Second-Team All-America)

10. Alexei Avakov – 1:51.43 (Personal Best, Second-Team All-America)

 

500 FREESTYLE

4. Zalán Sárkány – 4:07.95 (Big Ten Record, Program Record, First-Team All-America)

7. Aaron Shackell – 4:12.23 (First-Team All-America)

22. Luke Whitlock – 4:14.41

35. Luke Ellis – 4:18.35

 

50 FREESTYLE

18. Mikkel Lee – 18.89 (Personal Best)

28. Dylan Smiley – 19.23

33. Travis Gulledge – 19.39

 

3-METER DIVING

18. Maxwell Weinrich – 368.55

40. Joshua Sollenberger – 306.65

45. Aiden Sadler – 293.40

 

400 MEDLEY RELAY

5. Miroslav Knedla, Alexei Avakov, Owen McDonald, Dylan Smiley – 2:59.96 (First-Team All-America)

 

HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS

Alexei Avakov – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke*, 400 medley relay

Toby Barnett – 100 breaststroke*, 200 breaststroke

Josh Bey – 400 IM, 200 breaststroke

Noah Cakir – 200 breaststroke*

Travis Gulledge – 200 medley relay, 100 breaststroke*, 200 freestyle relay*

Miroslav Knedla – 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay*, 100 backstroke*, 400 medley relay

Mikkel Lee – 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay*

Owen McDonald – 200 medley relay, 800 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 400 medley relay

Raekwon Noel – 800 freestyle relay

Zalán Sárkány – 1,650 freestyle, 400 IM*, 500 freestyle

Aaron Shackell – 800 freestyle relay, 500 freestyle

Dylan Smiley – 800 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay*, 400 medley relay

Kai van Westering – 100 backstroke*

Luke Whitlock – 1,650 freestyle

 

UP NEXT

Indiana will compete within the 200 IM, 100 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 400 freestyle relay and platform diving occasion on Saturday, the ultimate day of the meet.

 

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