Liberty Clark Shines at the Ohio State Fall Invitational
The 2025 Ohio State Fall Invitational, held from November 18-21 at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, OH, witnessed a standout performance by Liberty Clark, a freshman from the Indiana Hoosiers. Clark's impressive day culminated in a remarkable 45.87 relay split in the 100-meter freestyle, contributing to her team's success.
Clark's exceptional talent was evident from the start. She broke the Indiana School Record in the 50-meter freestyle, clocking an impressive 21.54, surpassing Kristina Paegle's previous mark from the NCAA Championship meet by 0.02 seconds. But it was her performance in the 400 medley relay that truly turned heads.
As the anchor swimmer, Clark delivered a breathtaking 45.87 split, leading her team to victory with a time of 3:27.20. This achievement is particularly notable as it outpaced Julia Dennis, a top sprinter for Louisville, by half a second. Clark's time places her among the top 10 women in history to complete a relay exchange in under 46 seconds.
The list of sub-46 second split times showcases a who's who of American and collegiate sprinting over the past decade. Notable names include Gretchen Walsh, Maggie MacNeil, and Simone Manuel, among others.
Despite her elite sprinting abilities, Clark's high school career was relatively modest, earning her an Honorable Mention in SwimSwam's 2025 recruit rankings. However, her recent surge has been extraordinary. In early October, she achieved personal bests at the USC Invite, posting times of 22.03 in the 50-meter freestyle and 47.39 in the 100-meter freestyle.
With her relay split, Clark is now poised to break the Indiana School Record in the 100-meter freestyle, currently held by Olympian Anna Peplowski. Peplowski boasts the eight fastest 100-meter freestyle times in the program's history.
Indiana's men's team has traditionally excelled in sprinting, but the women's team has made significant strides in recent years. Clark's performance aligns with this upward trajectory, and with the addition of top-ranked recruit Alex Shackell for the spring, the Hoosiers are poised for continued success.
This article was written by Braden Keith, the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of SwimSwam.com, who has a background in building The Swimmers' Circle.
