Coming off identical 7-3 marks in their dual meets, the Indian River High School boys’ and girls’ swim teams have veteran coaches Colin Crandell and Donna Smith back leading the charges with several key returnees. However, maybe more importantly, there are a lot of fresh faces to help restock the cupboards for the present and future of the Indians’ programs.
Crandell has been walking the decks of the pool for 16 seasons now, and has expressed excitement with all the new talent that has joined the boys’ team for the 2025-2026 season.
“We have eight new swimmers to the team who have never competed before,” disclosed Crandell. “All show promise, but they are young, and will need time to develop.
“I’m looking to lay down a foundation this season that will last for the next four years. With half the team being freshmen, the goal is simple — to develop. As always, I expect my upperclassmen to set the culture and model success, which includes trying to make state cuts and reaching individual goals in their races. It’s more about each of them reaching small obtainable goals and building step-by-step from those marks.”
Back for the Indians this season are seniors Landon Arauz and Andres Lucenti, juniors Caiden Clark and Harrison Benner, and sophomore John Lovellette.
Newcomers on the roster as of this writing include senior Braden Jones, juniors Dade Kappes and David Miller, and freshmen Mark Cappo, Aiden Crooks, Logan Deane, Gonzalo Lagos-Magnere, Fisher Lints, Calvin Nuttle, Colby Sneaker and Ethan Thompson.
“Every match for us is key this season,” said Crandell. “We are very young and new, so each meet is an opportunity for growth and learning.”
The Indians are already off on the right foot for this campaign with a pair of wins against Milford (102-52) on Friday, Dec. 5, and Dover (99-52) on Monday, Dec. 8.
Against the Bucs, the Indians swept all but one match — the 100 breaststroke — while winning all three relays —- 200 medley (1:57.44), 200 free (1:39.88), and 400 free 4:36.94 — in the meet.
Double-winners in individual events featured Lovellette – 200 IM (2:34.56) and 100 back (1:05.49), Clark – 50 free (24.34) and 100 butterfly (1:05.07), and Arauz -200 free (2:19.34) and 100 free (56.00). Lucenti picked up an individual win of his own in the 500 free with his time of 6:31.03.
Against the Senators, the Indians won 8-of-11 events with the 200 medley (2:21.14) and 400 free (3:47.95) relay teams amongst the winners.
Arauz picked up a pair of individual wins in the 200 free (2:14.45) and 50 free (24.78), while Clark was a two-time winner in the 200 IM (2:34.26) and 100 free (54.43). Benner was victorious in the 500 free (7:14.28), and Lovellette added a win in the 100 back (1:05.22).
The IR girls will once again be coached by Smith, who was the original girls’ coach when the program started back in 2009-10. She coached the team through the 2013-14 season before stepping away for a couple seasons. She rejoined the staff following her retirement from elementary teaching back in 2018, which makes this her eighth year back — second as its head coach during this tenure — and 13th overall with the team.
Smith and the Indians have a great group of returnees as well as some exciting newcomers that should provide more competition and depth for the roster.
Returning seniors for IR include Kassidy Berhorner (distance freestyle in the 200 and 500 free), Natalie Moran (backstroke, IM, freestyle), Leila Hernandez (sprint freestyle), and Jewelian Griffith (breaststroke events).
Juniors back in the fold features multi-time school record holder and state level finalist in the 100 butterfly and 100 back last year Macyn Hockman, Emily Davis, Maddie Moore, and Harper Stanley, who will all provide the necessary depth the team needs for success.
Sophomores Grace Clark, Lucille Feathers, Ellie Walls, and True Jaeger are back, and according to Smith, “All swam well at conferences and/or states last season, and I look forward to their improvements this season.”
Some key newcomers for the green-and-gold this season include freshmen Grace Barthelmess, Harper McDavid, Libby Greene, Sophie Dawson, Bethany Erazo, Payton Geier and Kaitlyn Turak.
“I look forward to seeing which even Grace excels in as she comes to us with plenty of experience from her years swimming with the Sea Colony Sharks,” Smith said. “There’s no rush or pressure on Grace as a freshman, but maybe she will go after her older sister’s (IR grad Emma Barthelmess) records in the free and breaststroke events.
“Harper and Libby also bring SC Shark experience with them to the pool, so I have confidence they can handle the high school events very well. Sophie, Bethany, Payton, and Kaitlyn are swimmers who caught our eye at tryouts, and we look forward to seeing how they progress in the water with stroke technique and speed.”
As far as key matches on the scheduled this season, Smith — like Crandell — feels that every meet is important for the growth of their team.
“We believe every swim meet in our dual season is important for our team to grow and learn as a competitor,” confirmed Smith. “But some close meets will be Dec. 15 at Caesar Rodney, at Lake Forest on Jan. 16, home meets against Sussex Tech on Jan. 23 and Sussex Central on Jan. 26, and the last meet on Jan. 29 at Polytech.”
The numbers on the roster are equal to last season, but the quality of the depth is what has Smith excited thanks to the experience that the girls have swimming outside of the school’s program.
“Our depth is greater this season than last,” Smith said. “With our new ‘Super Seven’ freshmen, we have to work on stroke technique development and building speed. Our pool space is extremely tight, which limits the types of workouts we can create. We do the best with the space we have, often creating a dryland ‘Lane 6’ to strengthen swimmers. So, all that considered, It would be fantastic to maintain the 7-3 (record) season like last year or improve upon that. I look forward to many more personal best times from our swimmers along with some new team records being set in 2026.
“I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to Sea Colony’s Freeman Fitness Center and Sussex Academy Aquatic Center for working with us, and allowing us to buy pool space this season. Thank you to our Athletic Director Todd Fuhrmann for his athletic department leadership and support this season.”
Like the boys, the girls got things going already this season.
Against Milford, the Indians won the meet 124-24 with Behornar and Hockman each earning double wins. Behornar won the 200 free (2:27.46) and 500 free (7:00.03), while Hockman took the 100 free (59.14) and 100 back (1:05.48).
Hernandez won the 50 free with her time of 28.63, and Griffith touched the wall first in the 100 breast at 1:27.15. McDavid picked up her first individual varsity win with a 1:24.50 in the 100 butterfly.
The Indians won all three relay events as well with Hockman, Clark, McDavid, and Hernandez winning the 200 medley (2:15.97). Moore, Clark, Moran, and Hernandez combined for the 200 free relay win (no time disclosed), while four freshmen — McDavid, Greene, Dawson, and Turak – combined for the 400 free relay victory in 5:23.41.
No results were available as of press time for the meet against Dover.
