As a freshman on the 2008 Battle Creek Lakeview boys swimming & diving team, Clay Youngquist made an immediate impact at his first Finals, finishing second in the 500-yard freestyle and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle – key performances that helped Lakeview secure the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 team championship.

By his junior and senior years, Youngquist wasn’t just competing in those events – he was dominating them. He set blistering times that remain untouched to this day. His 500-yard freestyle time of 4:20.71 as a junior and his 1:34.28 in the 200-yard freestyle as a senior still stand as MHSAA all-Class/Division Finals records.

The Division 2 record books are filled with Youngquist’s name. He holds the fastest times in the 50-yard freestyle (20.09), 100-yard butterfly (47.51) and 100-yard freestyle (43.73).

Following his standout high school career, Youngquist continued to shine at the University of Texas. There, he became a two-time NCAA champion, earned 11 All-America honors, captured eight Big 12 titles, and was selected for the 2014-15 USA Swimming national team.

Internationally, he claimed three gold medals at the 2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships – in the 200-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle relay, and the 400-meter medley relay – and added two golds and a silver at the 2015 World University Games.

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