Liberty Clark Rips 1:39 200-Yard Freestyle, Third-Quickest All-Time

ATLANTA – It took lower than a yr for Anna Peplowski’s NCAA Championship-winning 200-yard freestyle file to fall.
 
362 days later, Indiana freshman Liberty Clark – who hadn’t been sooner than 1:45.76 prior to school – swam the third-fastest 200 free in NCAA historical past, main off IU’s 800 freestyle relay with a 1:39.70 Wednesday (March 18) night time on the 2026 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships contained in the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta.
 
Clark turned the fifth girl all-time to interrupt the 1:40 barrier and handed Virginia sophomore Anna Moesch – the highest seed in Thursday’s particular person 200 free occasion – who went 1:39.72 on the ACC Championships final month. Notably, Moesch anchored UVA’s successful 800 free relay in 1:39.03 Wednesday night time. Clark and Moesch had been the one swimmers to separate 1:39 within the relay.
 
The freshman’s time additionally broke the 17-18 NAG file, coming in six tenths sooner than Missy Franklin’s 12-year outdated mark of 1:40.31 from 2014. Clark is the second Hoosier this season to interrupt a 17-18 NAG file – Noah Cakir swam a 1:50.47 200-yard breaststroke on the Big Ten Championships final month.
 
Clark set the tone in Indiana’s program-record breaking 800 freestyle relay that featured three freshmen. Clark, classmate Alex Shackell, junior Macky Hodges and freshman Grace Hoeper mixed to throw down a 6:48.85, 2.26 seconds sooner than their time from the Big Ten Championships. The quartet has trimmed 5.18 seconds off the earlier program file (6:54.03) set on the 2024 NCAA Championships.
 
Indiana completed fifth within the occasion, tying a program file end within the occasion (2010 and 2024). Shackell adopted Clark with a 1:41.47, as IU led midway by means of the race. Hodges contributed a 1:44.59, and Hoeper anchored in 1:43.09.
 
IU ranks No. 8 within the group standings with 46 factors after swimming two of three occasions on the primary day of the nationwide meet.
 
Indiana swam the 200-yard medley relay within the morning with the second-fastest warmth, ending second in that warmth with a season-best 1:34.26. The Hoosier quartet would place ninth general following the ultimate warmth within the night. Junior Miranda Grana gave IU the lead after 50 yards with 23.77 backstroke break up, and sophomore Jonette Laegreid adopted with a 27.24 on the breaststroke leg. Freshman Alex Shackell break up the second-fastest butterfly leg with 22.27, and senior Kristina Paegle anchored in 20.98; she was considered one of six swimmers underneath 21 seconds.
 
In each opening night time relays, Indiana dropped time and moved up the rankings from its seeds coming into the meet. The 200 medley relay rose from thirteenth to ninth.
 
“A super positive first day for the Indiana Hoosiers, highlighted obviously by the 800 freestyle relay,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze stated. “Liberty Clark, new program record leading off, the No. 3 time ever. Alex Shackell, awesome split, Macky did her job, and then Grace, awesome anchor. Three freshmen on that relay, new program record. Great start there, and the medley relay really moved up getting ninth. So, a solid first day. We did the best we possible could, moved up in every regard. Now it’s time to be able to get them loosened up and rested mentally from an exciting first day so we can have a great Thursday.”

RESULTS

200 MEDLEY RELAY

9. Miranda Grana, Jonette Laegreid, Alex Shackell, Kristina Paegle – 1:34.26 (Second-Team All-America)

 

800 FREESTYLE RELAY

5. Liberty Clark, Alex Shackell, Macky Hodges, Grace Hoeper – 6:48.85 (Program Record, First-Team All-America)

• Liberty Clark (leadoff) – 1:37.90 (Big Ten Record, Program Record, 17-18 NAG Record, Personal Best)

 
UP NEXT
Indiana will compete within the 100-yard butterfly, 400-yard IM, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay and 1-meter springboard occasions on day two of the NCAA Championships Thursday. Prelims start at 10 a.m. ET, adopted by finals at 6 p.m.
 

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