Brenley Bonez, Chesterton’s top swimmer, moves one step up the state medal stand from last season in two races and adds a pair of fifth-place relay medals

Brenley Bonez, Chesterton’s top swimmer, moves one step up the state medal stand from last season in two races and adds a pair of fifth-place relay medals

Chesterton sophomore Brenly Bonez on her way to third-place finish in 100 breaststroke at the state meet. (Amy Lutterman/photo)

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com
Carmel’s Molly Sweeney and Valparaiso’s Maddie Moreth, the only two swimmers who finished ahead of Chesterton sophomore Brenley Bonez in the 100-yard breaststroke at the state meet, are seniors. That doesn’t mean Bonez won’t face strong competition next year.
Every swimmer who finished behind her in the championship final has remaining eligibility and so does the winner of the consolation final. Plus, there is always a chance a mega-talented Class of 2030 swimmer could become the one to beat next season.
Still, the results of Saturday’s race bode well for the chances of Bonez winning a state championship before she graduates.
Halfway into her high school career, Bonez has a third-place finish, two fourths and a fifth in her four individual races at state. And she’s getting a little better all the time.
As a freshman last year, Bonez placed fourth in the breaststroke with a time of 1:02.83, which is 1.16 seconds slower than her third-place time Saturday. Moreth was first, Sweeney second then. They switched spots Saturday. Sweeney won Saturday with a time of 59.24 and Moreth (1:00.28) placed second.
“I was trying to stay up there this season,” Bonez said. “I know I’ve worked my butt off this season and it’s great to see how far I’ve come.”
Bonez defeated Moreth, the 2025 state champ, in a dual meet at Chesterton early in the season and finished one place behind her in their other three races.
“It’s always fun racing Maddie,” Bonez said, adding that she has raced Sweeney several times and has not yet beaten her. “She’s really good. It’s fun racing her whenever I get the chance to.”
Bonez also moved one step higher than last year to fourth place in the 50 freestyle, cutting her time from 23.50 to 23.13, despite a start that put her behind most of the championship final field Saturday.
“My starts have always been something I’m trying to work on,” Bonez said. “They’ve always been a struggle but they’ll become better.”
A better start would give her a better shot at climbing up the medal stand next season, passing the three swimmers who placed ahead of her Saturday: Fort Wayne Carroll juniors Maris Williams (22.86) and Kate Fetters (22.99) and Mount Vernon sophomore Peyton McDaniel (22.98).
In the 200 medley relay, Chesterton was fifth after Adalyn Laughner’s backstroke leg and second after Bonez’s breaststroke. The only ones in the race who had better breastroke splits than her again were Sweeney and Moreth.
Bonez had the fourth-best anchor split (50.57) in the 400 free relay, taking her school to a fifth-place finish in her fourth race of the day and eighth in 20 hours.
“It’s awesome to swim with them,” she said of her relay mates, “so much fun. This team’s amazing. I wouldn’t want to do it in any other group. This team is the closest it’s ever been.”