Get ready for an exciting dive into the world of collegiate swimming! Today, we're talking about the intense rivalry between Indiana and Purdue, and how one freshman made history.
The Battle for Indiana: IU vs. Purdue
On January 24th, 2026, the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Indiana, hosted a thrilling Big Ten dual meet. Indiana, the home team, dominated the Boilermakers of Purdue, with the men's team winning 209.5-90.5 and the women's team claiming victory with a score of 186-114.
The meet started with a bang as IU's women's 200 medley relays took the top two spots. The 'A' relay, consisting of Mya DeWitt, Jonette Lagreid, Grace Hoeper, and Liberty Clark, set the pace with an impressive 1:36.08. But here's where it gets controversial... Clark's split of 20.79 in the 50 free was not just a personal best, it was a historic moment for Indiana swimming! She became the second Hoosier ever to split under 21 seconds, and her time is now the fastest 50 free split in Indiana's history.
And this is the part most people miss: Clark, a freshman, already held the program record in the 50 free with a time of 21.54 from the Ohio State Invite in November. Her performance today solidifies her place as one of Indiana's rising stars.
IU's 'B' team in the women's medley relay also delivered, with Miranda Grana, Alessandra Gusperti, Amelia Bray, and Sze Yeo combining for a 1:37.76 and a well-deserved second place finish.
The IU men continued the momentum, taking the top two spots in the 200 medley relay. The 'A' team of Miroslav Knedla, Alexei Avakov, Mikkel Lee, and Vidar Carlbaum swam a blazing 1:23.67, while the 'B' squad of Raekwon Noel, Travis Gulledge, Max Lestina, and Dylan Smiley followed closely with a 1:24.30.
But the real story of the day was Liberty Clark. After her incredible 20-point split in the women's medley relay, she went on to win three individual events. First, she dominated the women's 100 back with a time of 52.40, a massive improvement from her previous best of 57.44. Then, she took the women's 100 fly in 51.26, leaving her competitors over 2 seconds behind.
Clark's performance didn't stop there. She concluded her meet with a career-best time of 1:55.86 in the 200 IM, becoming the only woman in the field to break the 2-minute barrier. This was yet another massive improvement, taking over 7 seconds off her previous best of 2:03.03.
Indiana's Alexei Avakov also had a stellar day, sweeping the men's breaststroke events. He won the 100 breast in 52.53 and the 200 breast in 1:57.04, leading a strong contingent of Hoosiers. On the women's side, Jonette Lagreid mirrored Avakov's performance, sweeping the breaststroke events with times of 1:01.92 in the 100 and 2:13.05 in the 200.
Kristina Paegle, another Indiana standout, won two events as well, sweeping the women's sprint free races. She took the 50 free in 22.24 and the 100 free in 48.35.
Noah Cakir, a Hoosier known for his IM and breaststroke prowess, surprised everyone with his performance in the distance events. He won the men's 1000 free in 8:54.58, an incredible career best, and then followed it up with another huge personal record in the 500 free, winning in 4:19.73.
Kai Van Westering, another Indiana swimmer, swept the men's backstroke events, winning the 100 back in 46.50 and the 200 back in 1:43.03.
Indiana also dominated the 200 free relays, with the women's 'A' relay of Sze Yeo, Grace Hoeper, Kristina Paegle, and Mya DeWitt winning in 1:28.00. The men's 'A' and 'B' relays nearly tied, with the 'A' team taking the win in 1:17.43.
While Indiana took the overall victory, Purdue had its moments of glory too. The Boilermakers swept the women's distance free events, with Reagan Mattice winning the 1000 free in 9:48.00 and Caitlin Hurley taking the 500 free in 4:50.01. Alex Hotta won the men's 100 fly in 45.81, and Abby Marcukaitis dominated the women's 200 back with a time of 1:55.14.
Purdue also swept the 200 fly, with Campbell Scofield winning the women's event and Biko Hooper-Haviland taking the men's.
Other event winners included Miranda Grana in the women's 200 free, Zalan Sarkany in the men's 200 free, Mikkel Lee in the men's 50 free, Vidar Carlbaum in the men's 100 free, Raekwon Noel in the men's 200 IM, Ella Roselli in the women's 1-meter diving, Holden Higbie in the men's 1-meter diving, Daryn Wright in the women's platform diving, and Tyler Wills in the men's platform diving.
So, what do you think? Was Indiana's dominance expected, or did Purdue give them a run for their money? Let us know in the comments! This meet had it all - record-breaking performances, exciting races, and a healthy dose of rivalry. Which moments stood out to you?
