Indiana

Carles Coll Marti Posts 1:50.77 200 Breast As Indiana Men, Louisville Women Win SMU Classic

Published

1 year ago

October 13, 2024

SMU Classic

It was a fast weekend at the annual SMU Classic, as schools headed down to Dallas to take on this uniquely formatted early season meet.

At the SMU Classic, six men’s and six women’s teams bring eight swimmers and one diver, with each program getting one relay and two individual entries per event over the two-day affair. Individual races are swum as an ‘A’ flight and a ‘B’ flight—each heat scores, though there are more points on offer in the ‘A’ final.

Men’s Recap

Results:

Indiana – 326
Louisville – 308
Virginia Tech – 303
Auburn – 261
Texas A&M – 233
SMU – 231

This meet often produces some fast early-season swims and this year was no exception. Virginia Tech grad student Carles Coll Marti threw down a 1:50.77 in the 200 breaststroke, smashing the pool and meet records. It’s his first 200 breast of the season and he’s nearly seven seconds faster than he was this time last season. It’s a time that would’ve easily made the 2024 NCAA ‘A’ final and finished 7th there (Coll Marti was third in 1:49.99—his second sub-1:50 outing).

Coll Marti also popped a lifetime-best 19.41 to win the ‘B’ flight of the 50 freestyle, which also would’ve won the ‘A’ flight by .05 seconds ahead of Auburn’s Kalle Makinen. The Hokie dropped a 50.72 100 breast split on the 400 medley relay, and 23.06 on the meet record-setting 200 medley relay (1:23.60). In the rest of his individual events, he posted a 51.61 100 breast and 1:42.60 200 IM.

In a preview of the coming 100 breast NCAA ‘A’ final, Coll Marti faced off against Louisville’s Denis Petrashov and Indiana’s Brian Benzing. After Coll Marti led the way at the 50 (24.13), Petrashov pulled ahead on the back half and took the win in 51.50, breaking the meet record (51.95) and Nic Fink’s pool record (51.59). Coll Marti took second in 51.61 while Benzing was 51.92 for third, also under the former meet record.

Coll Marti ran into Owen McDonald in the 200 IM. The junior and Arizona State transfer was sensational at this meet, sweeping his four individual events and scoring a meet-leading 64 points. He opened by swimming a lifetime-best 3:41.69 in the 400 IM, dropping from the 3:44.27 he swam at the 2022 NC State Invite. Then, McDonald popped a 45.35 100 backstroke, breaking the meet record. He swam a lifetime best 4:18.10 in the 500 freestyle before swimming a pool and meet record 1:42.09 in the 200 IM to wrap up his meet.

Other first-year Hoosiers at the Classic included Miroslav Knedla and diver Joshua Sollenberger. Given the star-studded nature of Indiana’s transfer class, Knedla’s flown a bit under the radar, but he made an impression in his collegiate and yards debut. The Czech Olympian swam 1:39.88 to win the 200 backstroke, missing Aaron Piersol’s meet record, which has stood since 2008, by a tenth. Knedla also led off Indiana’s winning 400 medley relay in 45.27, faster than McDonald’s 45.35 to win the individual event. Knedla clocked 45.37 to win the ‘B’ flight of the individual 100 backstroke, two-hundredths behind McDonald’s time in the ‘A’ flight to solidify the two will be a dangerous backstroke duo this season.

The Hoosiers won the meet with 326 points. Freshman Gregg Enoch scored 44 points and won the 200 fly (1:43.14) to help Louisville edge out ACC rivals Virginia Tech for second place by five points—308 to 303.

The Auburn Tigers took fourth with 261 points, well ahead of the battle between Texas A&M and SMU for fifth. The Aggies scored 233 points, beating SMU—led by graduate student Jack Hoagland in his final year of eligibility—by two.

Women’s Recap

Results:

Louisville – 329
Auburn – 294
Texas A&M – 293
Miami (FL) – 278
Virginia Tech – 253
SMU – 227

The Louisville women claimed the overall victory by a comfortable margin, beating Auburn by 35 points. They leaped out to the lead by the end of the first day of competition. The Cardinals were strong across the board, logging plenty of top two and top three finishes, but their event wins came not from the sprint events—where we’re used to seeing them shine—but in the 200s and 400 IM.

Senior Kim Herkle earned the first win of the meet for the Cardinals in the 400 IM, clocking 4:09.67, less than a second from her lifetime best of 4:08.94 from 2024 NCAAs. Herkle also won the 200 breast (2:09.88) and was the Cardinals’ top scorer of the meet. Louisville’s other event win came in the 800 free relay, where Summer Cardwell (1:46.15), Fernanda Gomes Celidonio (1:46.20), Tristen Ulett (1:46.83), and Paige Hetrick (1:48.28) won in 7:07.46, over two seconds ahead of the Aggies.

This isn’t to say that Louisville’s sprint events weren’t strong. Freshman Caroline Larsen had arguably their best swim of the meet, winning the ‘B’ flight of the 50 freestyle in 22.16, which she matched anchoring the 200 medley relay. Gabi Albiero posted a 22.40 for third in the event, then swam 52.49 for second in the 100 fly and split 22.11 on the 200 free relay.

Miami got a boost in the standings from Mia Vallee returning from an Olympic redshirt year and they were also impressive in the pool. The Hurricanes have a stacked freshman class and at this meet, it was Ashlyn Massey’s time to shine as she took down the 200 butterfly school record and won the event in 1:56.55, beating Olivia Theall by .09 seconds.

Their 2024 NCAA qualifier Giulia Carvalho also looked strong, posting season bests of 22.06 and 51.87 to win the 50 free and 100 butterfly, then swimming a personal best of 48.56 to win the 100 freestyle.

Virginia Tech’s Carmen Weiler Sastre was on fire over the two-day meet. She scored the most points of any woman at the meet (55 points) as she matched Carvalho with two individual event wins. Weiler Sastre swept the backstrokes with new personal bests; first, she swam 52.17 in the 100 backstroke, dropping .61 seconds from 2024 ACCs.

She swam 1:52.55 in the 200 backstroke, setting a pool record in addition to her win and personal best. It’s her first PB in the event since 2022, when she swam 1:52.97 at the Ohio State Invite. She swam PBs in the 50/100/200 backstroke at the meet, completing the trifecta with a 24.49 lead-off in the 200 medley relay.

Graduate student Chloe Stepanek gave the Aggies their first event win in the Blaire Anderson-era. She won the 200 freestyle on Day 1, swimming 1:44.22 to win the event by nearly two seconds. Hayden Miller added another event win in the 500 free, swimming 4:43.39.

The Auburn women finished second overall, powered by their relays. They opened the meet by winning the 400 medley relay as Polina Nevmovenko held off Stepanek on the freestyle leg to win in 3:33.41. They also won the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay, swimming 1:37.25 in the former and 1:29.50 in the latter. By winning the 200 freestyle relay—the last event of the meet—the Tigers jumped ahead of the Aggies and beat them by one point for second place.

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Indiana

Bryce Boettcher Opens Up About Indiana Ahead Of Playoff Semifinals

Published

11 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Bryce Boettcher Opens Up About Indiana Ahead Of Playoff Semifinals

The No. 5 Oregon Ducks are preparing to face the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers for the College Football Playoff semifinals. Ahead of the matchup, Oregon star linebacker Bryce Boettcher discussed the game, which will be a rematch of the Ducks’ only loss this season.

The Oregon Ducks are coming off a shutout win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Boettcher addressed how the team can keep momentum, but called Indiana a better opponent.

Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher celebrates his win as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I mean, we had a really good game. I think it just obviously gives you confidence. You can’t get complacent with that confidence. You got to realize that Indiana is going to be a way better team than Tech. Tech was a good team, but Indiana is better. At this point, it’s win or go home. We’re pumped for the opportunity,” Boettcher said.

What Sticks Out About The Rematch Against Indana

“A couple things defensively. First off, when you stop the run, they’re really good at running the ball. We got to do that. Got to cage your quarterback. Feel like he’s overlooked for how good he is at scrambling at times, getting out of the pocket. Got to do that, just do our job.”

How Oregon Has Changed Since First Game Against Indiana

“We’ve sewn some things up within our defense. As we played them, we installed some new defenses that we’re still working the kinks out of. Now we’re experts at it. Everybody knows their job in and out. We’ve had a lot of reps at it.”

Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher walks the orange carpet as the Oregon Ducks arrive at Miami International Airport ahead of the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29, 2025, in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Much The First Matchup Against Indiana Goes Into Playoff Preperation

“It definitely comes into play. I mean, obviously, they’re not a new team but an evolved team, and so are we. I think more so, kind of correcting our errors in where we went wrong in the first game, doing some self-scout and recognizing that. They may try to expose that again in this next game. Yeah, it comes into play a little bit. We also watched new film because they’re an evolved team.”

The Challenge In Beating The Same Team Twice

“I mean, I think obviously that’s a narrative. I know teams have been beaten twice. Sometimes it doesn’t happen. I don’t know, I think Indiana is a good team. We’re also a good team. The better team’s going to win.”

What Being In The Semifinals Means To Bryce Boettcher

“It means everything. It’s a pretty rare opportunity. There’s four teams left. Pretty cool. Surreal. I’ll be happy once we get this win. Honestly, I’m head down, focused on the task at hand. But it’s a cool opportunity.”

MORE: Curt Cignetti Speaks Candidly On Oregon Ducks Playoff Rematch

MORE: Oregon’s Three Most Impactful Transfer Portal Departures

MORE: Oregon Freshman Brandon Finney Turns Heads With Comments After Orange Bowl

How Bryce Boettcher Is Handling The Magnitude Of The Game

“I mean, I’ve played a lot of big games in my year here, whether it be football or baseball. I feel like I do a pretty good job at handling the magnitude of the game. At the end of the day, it’s a football game. We play the game every day in practice. We’ve been in pretty dang big games. It’s just another game, but it’s win or go home, so I’m pumped for that aspect.”

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) poses for a photo head coach Dan Lanning before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

How Oregon Is Handling The Long Trips

“It’s always cool when you get to spend some time together. Obviously, most of the time we’re spending time together, it’s pretty locked in at the task at hand. We try not to spend a whole lot of time talking about other stuff other than football. There are other times on the plane or in the hotel room when you have some downtime that you can come together, bond. So it’s been fun.”

How The Defense Can Install New Ways To Stop Indiana

“You can’t be the same team every time you play another team, or else they’ll just scout you, know what you’re in every single time.”

“You got to do your assignment, play hard. At the end of the day, the team that plays the hardest and does their assignment is going to win. Some variables, throw in some new things at a team, which is definitely important. When Indiana comes out, I’m sure they won’t do everything we’ve seen on film. They’ll have a few wrinkles. That’s the exciting part.”

What Went Wrong Against Indiana In October

“Just doing our job within our defense. Honestly, the past Indiana game, couple mental errors where I didn’t necessarily do my job in the body of the defense. Same goes for other guys on our team. I think just sewing that up, better understanding our opponent, having a better game plan going into the game.”

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the fourth quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

What Makes Indiana’s Offensive Line Good

“They’re smart, fast, and physical. I know up front in their run game, they play physical, and they do their job. They don’t have a lot of unblocked hats. I know in the screen game, they get out and are elite at kind of retracing and blocking for their receiver in the screen game, which was present in our last game. We’ve done a lot of screen drills. They’re a good unit. They play well together and do their job.”

What The Loss Against Indiana Meant For The Rest Of The Season

“I believe everything happens for a reason. I think we needed that to kind of wake us up. We came out of a big Penn State win, kind of thought we were pretty cool going into that week, pretty confident. Got a little lackadaisical with our prep, I think. It was a good wake-up call. The rest of the season leading up to this point is a pretty good testament to the way we responded to that loss.”

FBI thwarted ‘ISIS-inspired plot’ at Indiana school, but won’t say where

Published

23 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

FBI thwarted ‘ISIS-inspired plot’ at Indiana school, but won’t say where

At some point in 2025, the FBI helped a local police agency foil an “ISIS-inspired plot” that at least one minor planned to carry out at an unnamed central Indiana school, according to an annual summary released by the federal agency’s Indianapolis field office on Jan. 5, 2026.

FBI agents “disrupted an ISIS-inspired plot targeting a Central Indiana high school through rapid coordination with local partners,” according to the news release.

Beyond that, the agency provided few details, sharing neither the name of the school involved nor the city or town in which the school was located. Nor did the agency clarify why the report characterized the plot as ISIS-inspired.

Chris Bavender, an FBI spokesperson, declined to answer an IndyStar request for additional information about the foiled attack, responding in an email that “this matter is ongoing.”

“Because the student had immediate access to firearms, FBI Indianapolis worked closely with the high school and our local law enforcement partner to remove all firearms from the house, and the student was expelled from school. DOJ did not file charges as the individual is a juvenile,” Bavender wrote.

Bavender did not provide any information on whether the student is facing charges in the juvenile justice system.

Although high schools in both Mooresville and Westfield were the site of high-profile threat investigations in 2025, neither matched the details mentioned in the FBI report.

In February 2025, Trinity Shockley, 18, was arrested after sharing plans for a Valentine’s Day school shooting at Mooresville High School. Though the investigation into Shockley began after the FBI received a tip, Shockley was not a juvenile at the time of her arrest. Nor did court documents filed in her case reference any connection to ISIS.

The Mooresville Police Department did not immediately respond on Jan. 5 to a request for comment.

In September 2025, Westfield High School was placed on lockdown after a “potential threat.” Billy Adams, the assistant chief of the Westfield Police Department, said there’s no indication the lockdown “had anything to do with an ISIS-inspired plot.”

IndyStar reached out on Jan. 5 to multiple police agencies in central Indiana, including the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Southport Police Department, the Speedway Police Department and the Beech Grove Police Department.

Officials for IMPD, Southport, and Speedway police said their agencies handled no such threat. Beech Grove’s police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.

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Indiana

Unseasonably mild temperatures for central Indiana this week | Jan. 5, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Unseasonably mild temperatures for central Indiana this week | Jan. 5, 2026

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Temperatures in Central Indiana are expected to remain above normal through late this week, with highs near 60 degrees expected by Thursday and Friday. Rain showers are predicted from Thursday through Friday night, with the possibility of isolated thunderstorms.

Today:

Dry and mild, with high temperatures ranging from the mid 40s to low 50s. Just a mix of sun and clouds with light winds should make for a pleasant afternoon.

Tonight:

Lows in the mid 30s to low 40s, with patchy drizzle or fog possible late.

Tuesday:

Mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions with wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph, elevating highs into the lower to middle 50s. A few light showers will be possible through the day as well.

Wednesday:

Should be the best day of the week, featuring more sunshine and lighter winds, with highs in the low to mid 50s.

Late week storm system:

Highs on Thursday and Friday are set to approach 60°, which will be pushing a few records across the state.

A warm front moving through Thursday evening will spark scattered showers and possibly some thunderstorms across the area starting Thursday afternoon.

A stronger storm or two can’t be ruled out.

Showers will continue into the first half of Friday, before the cold front pushes out of the state later in the day.

As the weekend approaches, the cold front will move through, leading to a significant drop in temperatures. Conditions will become cooler and breezy, with spotty flurries possible as temperatures return to seasonal norms for this time of year.

Looking ahead, the weekend is expected to bring a return to cooler temperatures and near-seasonal norms, with potential light snow flurries in the forecast as a cold front passes through Central Indiana.

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