Bey, Sárkány Highlight Friday at NCAA Championships

Friday, March 27

Atlanta, Ga.

6 p.m.

Indiana University

NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships - Finals

Bey, Sárkány Highlight Friday at NCAA Championships

3/27/2026 10:30:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

ATLANTA – Indiana earned four top five performances and six podium finishes on Friday (March 27), the third of four days at the 2026 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships inside the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta.

IU used its numbers to improve to third place in the team standings with one day remaining.

Senior Zalán Sárkány closed his collegiate career with a Big Ten and program record swim in the 500-yard freestyle. Sárkány became the first swimmer in Big Ten history to break the 4:08 barrier, his 4:07.95 finishing fourth in Friday night's final. In his last NCAA Championships, Sárkány earned top 10 finishes in all three of his events, set an NCAA record in the 1,000-yard freestyle and broke the Big Ten and program records in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle events. Junior Aaron Shackell placed sixth in the event after setting a personal best 4:11.14 in the prelim.

For the second consecutive season, a Hoosier recorded a sub-1:49 in the 200-yard breaststroke final. Freshman Josh Bey swam a 1:48.79 in a silver medal performance to become the second-fastest man in program history, the second-fastest freshman in NCAA history and the No. 10 quickest swimmer all-time. Among Hoosiers all-time, he sits second only to 2025 NCAA Champion Jassen Yep (1:48.30). In lane eight beside Bey, junior Toby Barnett became the third-fastest Hoosier all-time with his 1:49.80, which placed sixth. Four Hoosiers scored in the top 10 of the 200 breaststroke Friday between Bey, Barnett, freshman Noah Cakir and sophomore Alexei Avakov.

After becoming the second Hoosier under 44 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke with a morning 43.98, senior Owen McDonald lowered his best time again in the final with a 43.84. That time tied for fifth with Army West Point sophomore Johnny Crush. McDonald will race his final individual event Saturday as the top-seeded swimmer in the 200-yard IM.

Indiana ended its high-scoring evening with a fourth consecutive top five finish in the 400-yard medley relay. The quartet of sophomore Miroslav Knedla, Avakov, McDonald and junior Dylan Smiley placed 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 in the 200 IM, 100 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 400 freestyle relay and platform diving event on Saturday, the final day of the meet.

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