Clarke Named All-American at NCAA Championships

This past weekend, co-captain Alexandra Clarke accomplished a feat that hasn’t been achieved by a female Harvard swimmer in nearly four years: she secured All-American status with a stellar 16th-place finish at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

The last female Crimson swimmer to earn the distinction was Noelle Bassi ‘07 in the 200-yard butterfly in 2005 and 2006.

But Clarke shined in the 1,650-yard freestyle as she has her entire career, clocking in at 16:10.25 and breaking her previous school record.

Breaking into the top 16 of the race was no guarantee for Clarke entering Saturday morning. The 1,650 is unique in that the players only get to swim once, as opposed to other races that involve a preliminary round prior to the final race. Her fate thus rested on a single thrust of energy.

“After I finished my heat, it became a waiting game [to see how opponents from other heats were going to perform],” Clarke said. “There were three girls who had beaten me earlier by less than a second, so I was really nervous to see how they would do.”

The star athlete’s adrenaline promptly kicked in, and she was able to edge out a talented group of swimmers to clinch the 16th—and final—All-American spot.

“Ali and I have swam at NCAAs for three years now, and we even went to Olympic trials together,” junior teammate Kate Mills said. “I’ve seen how she’s worked so hard both in and out of the pool. She totally deserves her success, and it was very special that she was able to accomplish this goal in her final meet. She just put it all out there at the very end.”

Attaining All-American status was only the crowning jewel on the co-captain’s already-decorated college career. The Phoenix, Ariz. native has received the Sharon Beckman Award, given to Harvard’s most outstanding swimmer, for two consecutive seasons. In her main event—the 1,650 free—Clarke has posted top-30 finishes at the NCAA championships all four years. Although she is the first female Crimson swimmer to gain All-American status since 2006, Clarke is the first to specifically do so in the 1,650 in over 18 years.

“I’m definitely happy about going out on a positive note this weekend,” Clarke said. “This is the first time that I swam better at NCAAs than I did at Ivies. I was nervous about not having this last meet go the way I wanted it to, but everything worked out.”

Indeed, Clarke was able to build on a very strong league campaign, in which she was one of eight Harvard women’s swimmers to receive All-Ivy distinction. Clarke was further the sole Crimson representative on the All-Ivy First Team following her victory in the 1,000-yard freestyle at home during Ivies.

The All-American’s talents also extend beyond longer-distance freestyle events. Clarke came in 44th in the 200-yard freestyle and 48th in the 500-yard freestyle at NCAAs, with times of 1:48.03 and 4:47.87, respectively.

The senior’s dominance in the pool has become more than apparent over the past four seasons, but just as much praise can be allotted to her strong character and unwavering leadership.

“Ali has been captain for two years now,” Mills said. “We elect our captains, so that says a lot. We value her guidance so much. We wouldn’t have chosen her if we didn’t have complete trust in her abilities. She’s honestly not lacking in any sense of the word [leadership].”

Mills also competed at the NCAA championships this weekend. The junior put forth an impressive display, placing 27th in the 200-yard butterfly and 64th in the 200 free.

“I would’ve liked to be All-American, but the great part is that I still have another year,” Mills said. “I think I swam an outstanding heat, and I’m really ecstatic.”

Clarke and Mills’ performances at the NCAA championships capped off a successful season for Harvard, which went 6-1 in Ivy League competition. The Crimson also posted solid second-place finishes at the Ivy League and ECAC Championships in February, leaving Mills optimistic about the squad’s future potential.

“Every year’s a new year,” Mills noted. “We’re a really close team, which is odd seeing as we have about 40 players. Next year, we’re hoping to come out strong again. I would love to really see another high-performing relay or two and send more swimmers to NCAAs. Our girls tend to be outstanding students, and there’s nothing to stop them from being just as outstanding athletes.”