Anna Peplowski, Van Mathias Claim Two Wins Each at Indy Spring Cup
A host of top swimmers based in the Midwest are racing this weekend at the Indy Spring Cup, taking place at the renowned Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. Anna Peplowski earned a pair of wins in 200-meter events during the Friday evening session while Van Mathias has already backed up his American-record-setting breaststroke efforts from last month in Bergen.
Peplowski picked up a come-from-behind victory over fellow Indiana-trained swimmer Liberty Clark in the women’s 200 freestyle. Clark, fresh off a breakout collegiate season in which she cracked the 1:40-barrier in the 200-yard free, had the lead at the final turn before Peplowski surged to the finish. Peplowski clocked 1:58.01, a second behind her season-best effort of 1:57.01 from January and a bit further from her lifetime best of 1:55.70 set last summer. Clark finished in 1:58.37 to just miss her best of 1:58.18.
Later in the session, Peplowski came through in dominant fashion in the 200 backstroke, checking in at 2:09.78.
A day earlier, Clark had picked up a victory in the 100 free in 53.72, a lifetime best, while Alex Shackell took second in the race in 54.59. The Indiana and Carmel-trained swimmer returned to top the field in the 200 butterfly in 2:10.18, holding off fast-finishing teen Ellie Clarke (2:10.40) in the closing meters.
On the men’s side, Mathias has continued to excel, not matching his breakthrough swims from his recent European trip but still winning the 100 breast in 59.30 and the 50 breast in 26.83 (following a time of 26.73 in the morning session). Meanwhile, Indiana’s Mira Knedla blasted a time of 24.81 for a strong win in the men’s 50 backstroke.
Ohio State’s Maria Ramos Najji came through in the women’s 100 breast (1:10.57) and 50 breast (31.65), and Julie Mishler swam a time of 28.96 for the win in the 50 back. Ohio State was strong in the longer events, with Adair Shaw getting first in the 1500 free (16:50.76) and Mila Nikanarov in the 400 (4:09.52).
Brady Kendall took first in the 50 butterfly, edging out Louisville’s Caroline Larsen by four hundredths (26.55 to 26.59). Emma Finlin swam three-and-a-half seconds quicker than anyone else in the 400 IM, touching in 4:47.31.
Michigan’s Antoine Suave was the winner of the 100 free, touching out Indiana’s Owen McDonald by one hundredth, 49.87 to 49.88. Raekwon Noewl was the only swimmer under 2:00 in the 200 fly (1:59.87). Luke Whitlock, a 2024 U.S. Olympian now competing at Indiana, went 3:51.42 for first in the 400 free, and Kentucky’s Dziugas Miskinis cruised in the 1500 free (15:11.86).
Aaron Shackell swam a time of 1:48.23 to win the 200 free by more than two seconds, and Chris Weeks came through in the 50 fly (23.67) as he teamed with Buckeyes Matthew Klinge and Evan Fentress to dominate the event. David Kovacs of the Hoosiers won a come-from-behind race in the 200 back, overtaking and then passing Indiana’s Miroslaw Knedla by a margin of 1:59.50 to 1:59.77.
