Indiana Returns Tomer Frankel, Jassen Yep, and Gavin Wight For 5th Years

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

Indiana returns three fifth-year men for the 2024-2025 season as Tomer Frankel, Jassen Yep, and Gavin Wight will all use their COVID-19 fifth year.

Frankel was the fourth-highest scorer at the 2024 NCAA Championships as he finished 2nd in the 100 butterfly and was 4th in the 200 butterfly scoring a total of 32 individual points. Frankel also swam on all five relays for the Hoosiers.

In 2023, Frankel also an ‘A’ finalist in both events as he was 3rd in the 100 fly and 5th in the 200 fly scoring 30 individual points. As a sophomore, he was 5th in the 100 fly and 16th in the 200 fly while he was 9th in both events as a freshman.

Yep also made an individual NCAA ‘A’ final as he was 7th in the 200 breast. He also made the ‘B’ final of the 100 breast finishing 12th. He scored 17 individual points. Both of these swims were his first-ever NCAA finals as he finished 17th in the 200 and 21st in the 100 at 2023 NCAAs. He did not earn an invite to the meet as a freshman or sophomore.

Wight was a relay-only swimmer for the Hoosiers at 2024 NCAAs swimming on the team’s 200 free relay that finished 11th. Wight also was a relay-only swimmer for the team at 2023 NCAAs.

The return of all three men is key for the Hoosiers who lose their top scoring swimmer Brendan Burns as he already used his fifth year of eligibility. The Hoosiers finished 4th as a team at 2024 NCAAs but were only two points behind 3rd place Florida. Not only does the team bring these three back as fifth years but they also welcome Owen McDonald as a transfer from Arizona State. McDonald was the 2024 NCAA runner-up in the 200 IM and also was in the ‘A’ final of the 100 and 200 backstrokes, both of which Burns was in as well. Fifth year transfer Brian Benzing will also arrive this fall after scoring 18 individual points at NCAAs including a 2nd place finish in the 100 breast.

All but three of the team’s 20 relay legs will be returning next year as Burns is the only relay swimmer that will graduate. Individually, the only other senior to score points was Max Reich who finished 12th in the 200 breast to score five points.

SwimSwam: Indiana Returns Tomer Frankel, Jassen Yep, and Gavin Wight For 5th Years