Emily Weiss was a two-time All-American at Indiana University and a 2021 Olympic trials qualifier in the breaststroke.
Submitted photo | IU Athletics
Indian Creek has a proud history of punching above its weight in the swimming pool, and the Braves have taken what they believe is a big step back in that direction.
Emily Weiss, one of the most decorated high school swimmers the state of Indiana has ever produced, has been hired as the new aquatic director and varsity swim coach at Indian Creek. She replaces David Martin, who resigned after the 2023-24 school year.
“I don’t know how we got her,” Braves athletic director Derek Perry said of Weiss. “She’s got a pretty good background, high school, collegiately, and she’s young. I think she’ll help grow our numbers for our swim program.”
Though this will be her first stint in either of the above roles, Weiss’ credentials in the water are unimpeachable.
During her high school career at Yorktown, Weiss joined former Center Grove star Michelle McKeehan as the only swimmers to win four consecutive state championships in the 100-yard breaststroke. She broke Olympic gold medalist Lilly King’s state record in that event as a sophomore in 2017, and her time of 58.40 seconds the following year was a national prep record at the time.
She also competed for USA Swimming’s junior national team at the 2017 World Junior Championships and the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
Weiss was then a two-time All-American at Indiana University, winning a Big Ten championship in the 200 breaststroke in 2021, and competed at the U.S. Olympic trials that summer before abruptly retiring from the sport in January of 2022 for mental health reasons.
Upon graduating from IU, Weiss began working toward a career in athletic performance. She spent time at at an internship in Louisiana as well as at D1 Training, a private sports training facility in Carmel. On the side, Weiss was helping out at some local swim clubs in both places — which helped reignite her interest in swimming and in pursuing a coaching position.
“I kind of learned to love the sport again through coaching,” she said. “I really see myself in a lot of these kids — especially the younger ones. They’re just so eager to learn, and they eat up any information you give them or any help, and it makes me feel amazing.”
When discussing what led her to Indian Creek in particular, Weiss — who resides in Greenwood — also cited the district-wide program that includes learning to swim as a mandatory part of the physical education curriculum from kindergarten through ninth grade.
“I thought that was really interesting and really important, because it is a life lesson that everyone needs to know,” Weiss said. “From my experience, a lot of other schools don’t enforce that.”
In addition to overseeing all of the aquatic programs at the school, Weiss will also be involved with Indian Creek Swim Club.
Provided that all works out as Perry hopes, the addition of Weiss will be yet another step in solidifying Johnson County as a swimming stronghold. Center Grove and Franklin have established themselves as perennial state power players, and Whiteland is slated to debut a new 50-meter pool in late 2026. If the Braves can return to peak party-crasher status — described by Perry as “not strong in numbers, but strong in getting kids to the next level” — then the area should soon be as strong top to bottom as it’s ever been in the water, perhaps second only to Hamilton County in terms of overall talent.
