Olympic sports: 2021 was another golden year for Indiana athletes — especially women

In this annual column featuring Indiana athletes in Olympic sports, choices are always difficult. That was especially true of 2021, the year of the woman.

How so? I could not find room for 11 female medalists with Indiana ties from the Tokyo Olympics, notably golden women such as volleyball player Annie Drews and sprinter Lynna Irby.

Following are 22 honorees in pro, college and high school categories. Fifteen are swimmers or divers:

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Pro female

>> Gold: Molly Seidel, marathon. In an inspirational run to Tokyo bronze, the Notre Dame graduate finished mere seconds behind two Kenyans whose marathon bests were nearly 10 minutes faster than hers. “This is incredible stuff. I can’t believe what we’re watching,” said NBC analyst Kara Goucher, a former Olympic marathoner. Three months later, Seidel was fourth at New York in 2:24:42, a personal best — despite two broken ribs. USA Track & Field honored the 27-year-old as breakthrough performer of the year.

>> Silver: Lilly King, swimming. Indiana University graduate from Evansville was upset at Tokyo in her specialty, the 100-meter breaststroke, in which she took bronze. At 200 meters, King unexpectedly won silver in one of the best swims of her career. The Hoosier also won a third medal with silver in 400 medley relay.

>> Bronze: Lee Kiefer, fencing. Notre Dame graduate won Olympic gold in foil, beating defending champion Inna Deriglazova of Russia 15-13. Kiefer, 27, is four-time NCAA champion and three-time Olympian.

Pro male

>> Gold: Zach Apple, swimming. Former IU sprinter anchored Team USA to gold medals in 400 freestyle and 400 medley relays. “That last leg by Zach was just incredible, just dropping the hammer,” IU coach Ray Looze said after Apple’s 46.69 anchor in the freestyle relay. The Americans set a world record in medley with a 14th consecutive gold and USA Swimming’s relay performance of the year.

>> Silver: Michael Hixon, diving. Former IU diver won his second silver in synchronized 3-meter, teaming with Hoosiers’ Andrew Capobianco. Their score was 23 points behind China but nearly 40 ahead of bronze medalist Germany. Hixon became second Hoosier diver to medal in two Olympics. (The other was Mark Lenzi on individual 3-meter in 1992 and 1996.)

>> Bronze: Blake Pieroni, swimming. Pieroni, also a former IU sprinter, teamed with Apple in the 400 freestyle relay. Not since 1972, with John Murphy and Mark Spitz, had two Hoosiers won Olympic gold together in this event. Pieroni (2016, 2021) joined Spitz (1968, 1972) as Hoosiers with two golds in this relay.

College female

>> Gold: Sarah Bacon, diving. Cardinal Ritter graduate did not qualify for Olympics . . . but did everything else. Minnesota diver was Big Ten athlete of the year, NCAA champion on 1- and 3-meter and first diver to win Honda Award for swimming/diving. In a pre-Olympics event, Bacon’s silver made her first U.S. female springboard diver to win a World Cup medal since 1989.

>> Silver (tie): Emma Nordin and Kelly Pash, swimming. Both state champions from Carmel. Nordin, who redshirted at Arizona State, was fifth in 400-meter freestyle at Olympic Trials. In a May meet at Indianapolis, she clocked 4:04.60, fast enough to have made the U.S. team. Pash, of Texas, was sixth and fifth in 100 and 200 butterfly, respectively, at Olympic Trials.

>> Bronze: Tarrin Gilliland, diving. As IU freshman, she was NCAA champion on 10-meter. She was injured and unable to compete at Olympic Trials.

College male

>> Gold: Cole Hocker, track and field. Twenty-year-old Cathedral graduate was one of three finalists for Bowerman Award, the track version of the Heisman Trophy. As an Oregon sophomore, he won a NCAA mile/3,000-meter double indoors and the 1,500 outdoors. Hocker broke the Olympic 1,500 record at Tokyo and finished sixth in 3:31.40 (a 3:47 mile).

>> Silver: Andrew Capobianco, diving. Before collaborating with Hixon for synchro silver, the IU diver climbed from sixth to second in last round of U.S. trials to make Olympic team on individual 3-meter. He was Big Ten diver of the year, NCAA 3-meter champion and 10th at Tokyo.

>> Bronze (tie): Drew Kibler and Jake Mitchell, swimming. They became first Olympians from Carmel’s accomplished swim program, and both made Tokyo finals. Kibler, top scorer for Texas’ NCAA champions, was on 800 freestyle relay team finishing fourth. Mitchell, a Big Ten champion for Michigan, was eighth in 400 freestyle after dramatically qualifying for Tokyo in a solo time trial at Olympic Trials.

High school female

>> Gold: JoJo Ramey, swimming. As Fishers sophomore, she did not win a state title, but she was a breakout star at the Olympic Trials — seventh in the 200-meter backstroke as a 16-year-old. Her time of 2:08.90 ranked 17th in the world. In short course, she won a World Cup silver medal in Berlin and was 15th in the world.

Next wave: Fishers swimmer JoJo Ramey, Plainfield diver Daryn Wright add to Indiana medal haul

>> Silver: Keagan Rothrock, softball. National player of the year as a sophomore in leading 31-2 Roncalli to Class 4A state title. She had a 24-2 record and 0.13 ERA, featuring 364 strikeouts (and six walks) in 160 innings pitched. Five perfect games, seven no-hitters. She also batted .442. Pitched for Pan American junior gold medalists.

>> Bronze (tie): Addy Wiley, track and field, and Daryn Wright, diving. Wiley, of Huntington North, became first Indiana girl to win state titles at both 800 and 1,600 meters. Colorado-bound runner broke five state records during the year, including a 4:38.14 mile that was fastest in nation. Purdue signee Wright, of Plainfield, won winter nationals on 10-meter to qualify for May’s World Championships. She was eighth at the Olympic Trials and won three junior Pan American medals.

High school male

>> Gold (tie): Tyler Downs and Josh Hedberg, diving. Downs, 18, trained in Fishers ahead of Olympics and made Tokyo team on 3-meter. He won winter nationals on 1- and 3-meter as a Purdue freshman. Hedberg, 14, of Noblesville, was second in winter nationals on 10-meter and will be youngest male diver ever to represent United States at a World Championships. He was fourth at Olympic Trials.

>> Silver: Kamyren Garrett, track and field. Lawrence Central high jumper led nation at 7 feet, 3 inches, won national indoor and state outdoor titles. Tied for 13th at Olympic Trials. Now a Kansas State freshman.

>> Bronze: Tucker Smith, track and field. Columbus North junior nearly became state’s first 70-foot shot putter, hitting 69-4 ½ to rank No. 2 in nation. Set state meet record of 67-11 ½ with five throws exceeding 67 feet, all longer than previous record. Oklahoma signee.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: These are Indiana's top Olympics sports athletes of 2021