Alex Shackell Named MaxPreps Female High School Athlete of the Year
High school sports website MaxPreps named Carmel, Indiana, swimmer Alex Shackell its 2024-25 athlete of the year on Tuesday.
Shackell qualified for the United States Olympic team at Olympic Trials in the summer of 2024 before her senior season of high school. She made it to Paris in the 200 butterfly, where she finished sixth in the final.
Shackell returned with a gold medal from morning preliminaries in the 400 medley relay and a silver from prelims of the 800 free relay.
Shackell is the latest in a long line of standouts at Carmel’s dynasty. She helped Carmel continue its run of 39 consecutive state championships on the girls side. Shackell won the state title in the girls 100 fly each of her four years. She added eight relay titles (three as a senior), the 100 back as a junior and 50 free as a sophomore.
“Just to be part of the Carmel legacy and dynasty is amazing,” Shackell said. “I’m so proud to be a Greyhound. I remember being in eighth grade and I couldn’t wait to compete for Carmel at state and be a part of the legacy. Looking back on the past four years, it’s everything I wanted and it’s crazy to think it’s over.”
Shackell was born in California and lived in Tennessee and Missouri before the family settled in Indiana. Both parents were All-Americans at Auburn, with Nick Shackell a 1996 Olympian for Great Britain and Ali (Hansen) a standout at Auburn. Twin Andrew Shackell and brother Aaron Shackell, who also was a Paris Olympian, make it a swimming family. All three are active at U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis this week.
Alex Shackell will delay the start of her college swim career before staying close to home at Indiana University in 2026.
MaxPreps has bestowed the award since 2007-08. Shackell is the first swimmer to win it since Missy Franklin did so in consecutive years from 2011-13.
“I’m honestly kind of shocked,” Shackell said in a press release. “It’s a huge honor.”
Other finalists included Maddyn Greenway, a basketball player from Providence Academy in Minnesota; Phenix City, Alabama, softball standout Gerritt Griggs; Utah track and cross country runner Jane Hendengren; Randolph, Texas, track athlete Taylor Nunez; volleyball player Charlotte Vinson of Yorktown, Indiana; and Georgia basketball player Hailee Swain.
