The Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame today announced its Class of 2027, a group of 22 swimmers and divers, four coaches and three special award recipients whose achievements span more than eight decades of Indiana high school swimming and diving. The class will be formally inducted on April 18, 2027, in Indianapolis.
This class of honorees reaches from Terre Haute Wiley’s Harley Pritchett, who competed in the early 1940s, to a remarkable wave of athletes from the 2010s who went on to star at the collegiate, national and international levels, including Olympic gold medalists Lilly King of Evansville F.J. Reitz and Blake Pieroni of Chesterton and Olympic silver medalist Sarah Bacon of Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter. Carmel leads all schools with three inductees in the class.
“This class tells the story of what Indiana high school swimming and diving has become. These athletes didn’t just win state titles; many went on to wear the Stars and Stripes, stand on international podiums and compete against the very best in the world. When we say this class represents some of the finest Indiana has produced, we also mean it represents some of the finest the United States and the world have seen. Their selection for the Hall of Fame, along with our coaches and honorees, is more than recognition of what they accomplished. It is an opportunity to celebrate the dedication, commitment, leadership and excellence that helped shape the sport for generations to follow,” said Jennifer Kelsik, President of the Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame Class of 2027 Swimmers and Divers
Claire Adams, Carmel (2013–16)
● 8 individual and 8 relay state titles, 12 state records and 4 national relay records and
Mental Attitude Award.
Joshua Arndt, LaPorte (2010–13)
● 2 individual state diving titles
Sarah (Bacon) Jaworski, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter (2012–15)
● 2 individual state diving titles and a state record.
Amy Bilquist, Carmel (2014–15)
● 4 individual and 4 relay state titles 8 state records and 4 national relay records
Veronica Burchill, Carmel (2013–16)
● 3 individual and 12 relay state titles, 7 state records and 6 national relay records
Sara Conkright Bresnahan, Lafayette Jefferson (1974–75)
● 2 individual state titles at the first-ever IHSAA girls swimming & diving championship
Alice (Darter) O’Connor, Muncie Northside (1976–78)
● 2 individual state titles both in state record time
Kyle DeCoursey, Zionsville (2012–15)
● 3 individual state titles with a state record and one relay state title
Dale (Etnyre) Huntington, Columbus East (1982–83)
● 2 individual state titles in state record time and a relay title
Ian Finnerty, Bloomington South (2012–15)
● 2 individual state titles with a state record
Kevin Frebel, Homestead (2013–16)
● 2 individual state diving titles
Bethany Galat, Penn (2011–14)
● 5 individual state titles with two state records
Lilly (King) Wells, Evansville F.J. Reitz (2012–15)
● 2 individual state titles with a state record and Mental Attitude Award
Dotty Linsemeyer Ault, Michigan City Rogers (1980–83)
● 2 individual state titles with a state record
Chris Lovin, Hammond Bishop Noll (1980–82)
● 2 individual and one relay state title with a state record
Tom Perrin, Muncie Central (1966–68)
● 2 individual state titles with a state record
Blake Pieroni, Chesterton (2011–14)
● 5 individual and 4 relay state titles, 5 state records and 2 national relay records and the Herman F Keller Mental Attitude Award
Stephen “Pete” Rees, Columbus (1959–62)
● 2 individual state titles
Cody Taylor, Columbus North (2011–14)
● 2 individual state titles with a state record
Aaron Whitaker, Chesterton (2011–14)
● 4 individual state titles all with state records, 4 relay state titles with 3 state records and 2
national records
Being inducted posthumously:
Harley G. Pritchett, Jr., Terre Haute Wiley (1941–42)
● 2 individual state titles with a state record
Roger Ridenour, Kokomo (1967–69)
● 2 individual and one relay state title with 2 state records
Class of 2027 Coaches
Phil Cole, Columbus North (1989–1994); Bloomington South (2010–present) – coached swimmers to 10 individual state titles with 3 state records.
John Gibson, Fort Wayne Concordia (1995–2006); Fort Wayne Carroll (2008–2024) – coached swimmers to five individual state titles and three relay state titles as well as 29 runners-up.
Stephen P. Hoeferle, Hamilton Heights (1998–2024); North Central (2024–present) – coached divers to a 1-2 finish at the state championships twice as well as three additional diving state champions and a state record that still stands.
Jess Preston, Penn (2008–2024); Noblesville (2024–present) – coached swimmers to 11 individual state titles with 2 state records, 3 relay titles and 3 team runners-up titles.
Special Award Honorees
Doc Counsilman Award: Jay Chambers — Chambers built a coaching career spanning nearly four decades in Indiana, leading programs at West Lafayette Harrison (1980–1986), Zionsville (1986–1989), and Fishers (2010–2017) before joining USA Swimming in 2017, where he continues to serve today.
Hobie Billingsley Award: Melvin P. Kovenz — Kovenz coached swimming and diving at LaPorte from 2004 to 2021 placing his divers at the state championships seven times, twice winning the state diving title. He has also coached diving at the club and collegiate levels in Indiana with his career spanning more than 40 years.
Contributor Award: Linda Ludlow Horn — Ludlow Horn coached at Brownsburg from 1976 to 2001 she was one of the founders of the Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame and serves as historian of the Hall of Fame, preserving the records and stories that make classes like this one possible.
The Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame honors the athletes, coaches and special contributors who have made a lasting impact on high school swimming and diving in Indiana. Through its annual induction class and the Hall of Fame Classic, the organization works to recognize, preserve and promote the sport’s history in the state. Nominations for future classes are accepted year-round; more information is available at ihssdhof.org.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.