State Champions Crowned in Girls Swimming & Diving
INDIANAPOLIS - The 52nd Annual IHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving State Finals took place at Indiana University Natatorium, IU Indianapolis, on February 13-14, 2026. The event was a showcase of talent and determination, with Carmel High School emerging as the top team, claiming their 40th consecutive team championship.
Among the standout performers was Catie Brenneman of Concord High School, who was named the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award by the IHSAA Executive Committee. Brenneman, an academic star, ranks fourth in her senior class and is a member of the National Honors Society. She has been a consistent performer, earning USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and NISCA All-American status for the past three years, and a four-year All-Conference selection in the Northern Lakes Conference.
This year, Brenneman qualified in the 100 and 200 freestyle events and was a key member of Concord's 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams. Her achievements include breaking Olympian Lindsay Benko's sectional record in the 200 free as a freshman and now holding school records in the 200 free, 500 free, and 200 IM. Outside of school, she is a dedicated 4-H club member and a volunteer, assisting with younger members and the annual Elkhart County Fair. She also volunteers with the Concord Swim Club and Concord Junior High Swim Team as a timer.
Brenneman, the daughter of Dan and Angie Brenneman of Elkhart, Indiana, will attend the University of Notre Dame, where she plans to major in marketing and compete for the Fighting Irish swimming team. She becomes the second girls swimmer from Concord to earn this award, following her sister, Grace Brenneman, who received the honor in 2022.
The Mental Attitude Award is presented annually to a senior who was nominated by her principal and coach and demonstrated exceptional mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability. This year, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA's corporate partner, presented $1,000 to Concord High School's general scholarship fund in Catie Brenneman's name.
The state finals were a celebration of athletic excellence, with Carmel High School dominating the event. The top 10 teams included Carmel, Fishers, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Zionsville, Penn, Hamilton Southeastern, Chesterton, Valparaiso, Center Grove, and Munster. The state champions were determined in various events, including the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 50 Freestyle, One Meter Diving, 100 Butterfly, 100 Freestyle, 500 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle Relay, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breaststroke, and 400 Freestyle Relay.
The event was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the athletes and their coaches, and it served as an inspiration for future generations of swimmers and divers.
