Ultra Swim Swimmer of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based swimmer who has proven themselves over the past month. As with any item of recognition, Swimmer of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one athlete whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a swimmer who was visibly outperforming other swimmers over the month, or one whose accomplishments slipped through the cracks among other high-profile swims. If your favorite athlete wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.
It’s been a busy five weeks for Liberty Clark, going straight from the World Junior Championships in Romania at the end of August into the start of her freshman year at Indiana University in September.
Clark, who won two gold and four total medals at World Juniors, including helping the U.S. girls set a new World Junior Record in the 4×100 free relay, carried that momentum directly in her first meet for the Hoosiers last weekend.
In a marquee dual meet against Florida, the 18-year-old opened the competition with a bang, throwing down a 21.90 anchor leg on the IU women’s 200 medley relay that placed 2nd to Florida (1:37.86) in a time of 1:39.30. Clark’s leg was the fastest split in the field by 26 one-hundredths (over teammate Chiok Sze Yeo on the ‘B’ relay at 22.16) and was quicker than the Gators’ top split by 87 one-hundredths.
Clark then claimed victory in the women’s 50 free by one one-hundredth of a second over Hoosier teammate and school record holder Kristina Paegle, 22.57 to 22.58, while Yeo (22.79) made it a 1-2-3 sweep for Indiana. The swim was only 27 one-hundredths shy of Clark’s personal best of 22.30, set at the 2024 Winter Junior Championships last December.
Shortly thereafter, Clark rolled to a dominant win in the 100 free, firing off a personal best time of 48.29 to top runner-up Paegle (50.20) by nearly two seconds. The swim lowered Clark’s previous best of 48.48, set last December, and launched her up into #4 all-time in Indiana history in the 100 free.
All-Time Indiana Performers, Women’s 100 Freestyle (SCY)
- Anna Peplowski, 47.18 – 2024
- Kristina Paegle, 47.56 – 2025
- Cora Dupre, 47.84 – 2019
- Liberty Clark, 48.29 – 2025
- Ashley Turak / Kait Flederbach, 48.54 – 2024 / 2014
To close the meet out, Clark led off Indiana’s victorious 400 free relay in a time of 48.43, the second-fastest 100 free of her career shortly after resetting her PB. The Hoosiers clocked 3:18.73 to top Florida (3:23.98) by more than five seconds, though the Gators came away with a 170-130 victory in the team race.
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Way to go Liberty! Chico is cheering for you!