Behind a strong showing in 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle qualifications, Swim Columbus swimmer Izzy Clark earned a trip to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the 2025 Southern Zone Age Group Championships for the third straight year.
Clark notched a 30.29 in the 50-meter freestyle at the Firecracker Invitational on June 7 in Brentwood, Tennessee, and a 1:05:71 in the 100-meter freestyle at the same event on June 9 to book her ticket to Orlando.
This year’s event will be held from July 30-Aug. 2 at the Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center.
Clark, a 14-year-old and soon-to-be ninth grader at Caledonia High School, will represent Mississippi along with around 18 other 11-14-year-olds in the travel swimming competition against 13 other states in the Southeast. Beth Clark, Izzy’s mother, said her daughter has proved herself to be a strong competitor in the quicker races.
“She’s more of a short-race girl,” said Beth, who is also the president of Swim Columbus’ Board of Directors. “She does not do any distance. She is very much a sprinter.
“She’s really strong, I know it sounds kind of crazy, but she’s very strong in her shoulders and she’s a lot of fun to watch. But of course I’m very biased because I’m her mom,” Beth said with a laugh. “She’s very explosive. I will say that.”
Stephani Gonzalez, the head coach of Swim Columbus, said seeing one of her swimmers reach for higher levels is an amazing moment.
“I am always proud to see a swimmer achieve a goal, no matter how small or grand it is,” Gonzalez said. The purpose of the swim team is not simply to create champions, but to make every kid feel as though they are a champion. So every goal earned is an achievement and is celebrated as such.”
Clark, who has been with Swim Columbus for seven years, will compete with her fellow Mississippi swimmers in different events with points given out for the best finishes. The regions with the most points win the event.
“They do a very nice job making it a big deal for this age group to go,” Beth said. “They’ve got a parade one day they’ll take part in. They are there for four days, so they’ll have a t-shirt that they’ll wear for each day so they know what team they are part of. At the end of the competition, the athletes will commonly kind of swap with the different teams; so they’ll swap gear and that kind of stuff. So, it’s a really neat experience for them.”
Beth said the whole trip will cause Clark to miss some of the first days of school and “that can be a challenge.” But Clark is just as well adapted to competitive swimming as she is at excelling in school work.
“The school has been very supportive of her and going to zones. But she’s a good student and she balances stuff very well,” Beth Clark said. “She’s on the school swim team as well as the school volleyball team. She’s got a lot going on, but she’s balancing it and getting it all done.”
Beth said she is a proud mother and just wants to see Clark excel.
“I just want to see her do her best. I want to see her compete at the highest level and I want to see her beat her personal times,” Beth Clark said.
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