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Columbia’s Mackenzie Conklin is the LCR’s Girls Swimmer of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)
2020 was full of surprises but not when it came to high school swimming in the area.
Mackenzie Conklin is once again the Lake City Reporter’s Girls Swimmer of the year. The senior earned the honor for the third year in a row after qualifying for regionals in an area-best four events, including the 200 freestyle, the 500 freestyle, the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay.
It capped off an impressive final season at Columbia and was an improvement from her junior campaign, when she moved on in her individual events but came up short in the relays.
“It’s an honor and exciting,” Conklin said.
Conklin placed sixth in the 500 freestyle at the District 2-3A meet with a time of 5:26.33, topping last year’s time of 5:31.28. She improved in the 200 freestyle as well, placing 10th with a time of 2:05.07 after finishing in 2:08.03 in 2019.
Then came regionals, where she took 13th in the 500 freestyle (5:34.78) and 12th in the 200 freestyle (2:06.56). Conklin was hoping to receive that elusive at-large bid to the state meet that’s escaped her the past few seasons, but she never got the call.
Nevertheless, she says she’s pleased with her high school career.
“I was actually very happy with my performance at districts,” Conklin said. “That was the highest I’ve placed so far. I do wish my times at regionals were better but I was still happy with them.”
Getting her relay teams that included Kaydence Clark, Isabelle Glenn and Abigail Schuler to regionals was also a big goal this season for Conklin. The quartet made it happen by placing sixth at districts in both the 200 medley (2:10.32) and then 200 freestyle (1:56.86).
At the Region 1-3A meet, Conklin and company took 13th in the 200 medley (2:11.70) and 12th in the 200 freestyle (1:55.16).
“She’s hands down one of the more focused swimmers on the team,” Columbia coach Shawn Rost said. “She understands the dynamics that it takes to be a competitive swimmer.
“And she has a lot of raw talent. There’s a lot of people that are born with talent and understanding how to swim and she had a lot of that, which is helpful. But she was also very, very determined. She was one of our better athletes and we’re going to miss her for sure.”
Conklin’s performance in the water is made even more impressive when you take a look at her daily schedule. She wakes during the season at 4 a.m. so she can make it to Gainesville by 5:30 a.m. to practice for about an hour and 15 minutes with the Makos Aquatic Club of Gainesville, a team she joined this year after spending the past few years with the Gator Swim Club.
After that, Conklin was back on I-75 to return to Lake City where she dual enrolled at Florida Gateway College, but before she went to class she’d still find time to get in a run so she would stay prepared for cross country. Yes, she’s competed in two sports in the same season through her high school career.
Once she was done with class, Conklin would drive back to Gainesville for more practice with the Makos Aquatic Club of Gainesville on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she’d practice with the CHS cross country team.
“Cross country has helped me build up endurance, which helps me be able to swim longer,” Conklin said. “Especially since I’m a distance swimmer, that definitely helps.”
It’s also turned into an opportunity to swim in college. Conklin says she has scholarship offers from Milligan University, California University of Pennsylvania, Colorado State Pueblo, Grove City College, West Virginia University Tech and the University of Mount Union.
She hasn’t made a decision yet but it’s pretty clear whoever she signs with will get one dedicated swimmer.
“I feel pretty good about my career at Columbia,” Conklin said. “I definitely worked as hard as I could. Regionals this year was a disappointment because I’d thought I’d do better than I did. But I am still being recruited for college to swim.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
Mackenzie Conklin
Columbia, senior
The LCR’s Girls Swimmer of the Year qualified for regionals in four events. Individually, Conklin placed sixth (5:26.33) in the 500 freestyle at the District 2-3A meet before placing 14th in Region 1-3A (5:34.78), and she also finished 10th (2:05.07) in the 200 freestyle at districts to move on to regionals where she took 15th (2:06.56). She also swam on Columbia’s regional qualifying relay teams — the 200 medley (6th at districts, 2:10.32; 13th at regionals, 2:11.70) and the 200 freestyle (sixth at districts, 1:56.86; 12th at regionals 1:55.16).
Kaydence Clark
Columbia, sophomore
Qualified for regionals individually in the 100 butterfly by placing fifth (1:07.27) before going on to finish 16th in Region 1-3A (1:06.38). Clark also swam on Columbia’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams that qualified for regionals. The 200 medley relay team placed sixth in District 2-3A (2:10.32) and then 13th in Region 1-3A (2:11.70), while the 200 freestyle relay team also took sixth at districts before finishing 12th at regionals (1:55.16).
Abigail Schuler
Columbia, sophomore
Swam on Columbia’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams that qualified for regionals. The 200 medley relay team placed sixth in District 2-3A (2:10.32) and then 13th in Region 1-3A (2:11.70), while the 200 freestyle relay team also took sixth at districts before finishing 12th at regionals (1:55.16). Schuler also swam the 50 freestyle (19th at districts, 30.26) and the 100 freestyle (16th at districts, 1:07.13).
Isabelle Glenn
Columbia, sophomore
Swam on Columbia’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams that qualified for regionals. The 200 medley relay team placed sixth in District 2-3A (2:10.32) and then 13th in Region 1-3A (2:11.70), while the 200 freestyle relay team also took sixth at districts before finishing 12th at regionals (1:55.16). Glenn also swam the 200 freestyle (15th at districts, 2:25.99) and the 100 breaststroke (12th at districts, 1:20.61).
Reina Harry
Suwannee, senior
Qualified for regionals individually in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. Harry placed third (1:17.66) in the 100 butterfly in District 2-2A before taking 17th (1:16.12) in Region 1-2A and she finished fifth (1:14.46) at districts in the 100 backstroke before taking 18th at regionals (1:14.38). She also swam on Suwannee’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams at districts, placing sixth in both with times of 2:31.33 and 2:15.20, respectively.
Lydia Warren
Suwannee, sophomore
Qualified for regionals individually in the 100 backstroke and 200 IM. Warren placed third (1:13.01) in the 100 backstroke in District 2-2A before taking 16th (1:14.08) in Region 1-2A and she finished sixth (2:48.47) at districts in the 200 IM before taking 19th (2:47.02) at regionals. She also swam on Suwannee’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams at districts, placing sixth in both with times of 2:31.33 and 2:15.20, respectively.