Owen McDonald Transferring From Arizona State to Indiana

Owen McDonald -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Owen McDonald Transferring From Arizona State to Indiana

Following Bob Bowman’s departure as head coach of the Arizona State swimming program to take over the men’s team at the University of Texas, numerous Sun Devil swimmers have announced their intentions to continue their swimming careers elsewhere. Leon Marchand has turned professional while Hubert Kos is following Bowman to Texas. Now, another member of the Sun Devils’ national-title-winning team is going to join head coach Ray Looze and co. at Indiana University.

Owen McDonald has announced his intentions to join the Hoosiers next season. McDonald was not one of the biggest names on the Arizona State roster this season, but he took second at the NCAA Championships in the 200 IM (ahead of Kos), third in the 200 backstroke and sixth in the 100 backstroke. He was not part of any relays at the NCAA meet, but he split 1:32.00 on ASU’s 800 free relay at the Pac-12 Championships.

McDonald will thus provide a big boost next season to an Indiana team that has emerged as the top program in the Big Ten and a consistent, year-to-year threat for the top-five at the national level. Indiana was fourth at this season’s meet, just two points behind third-place Florida, and McDonald will join freestyler Rafael Miroslaw, breaststroker Josh Matheny and, if he returns for a fifth year, Tomer Frankel as the swimming standouts while Indiana always has one of the country’s top diving squads.

Indiana makes sense as a destination for McDonald considering the success he achieved under Bowman and Bowman’s longtime friendship with Looze, with the two becoming close when they were on the U.S. coaching staff together at the 2016 Olympics

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Honest swim fan

13 days ago

The specific reason why Indiana Makes sense as a destination for McDonald is that his brother Cooper will be a freshman there next year. Blood thicker than water and all that.