Clara Walstad Season 2017-18

Honors & Awards

• One Letter (2019)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2017)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2018, 2019, 2020)
• Nebraska Class A High School Champion (100 Back, 2017)

2019-20 (Junior)
Clara Walstad did not compete for the Huskers in 2019-20.

2018-19 (Sophomore)
Walstad made strides with the Huskers in her second year, achieving six top-five finishes including a victory in the 100 back (long course) at Illinois. She produced a career-best finish in the 100 free at the Hawkeye Invitational (51.52). Walstad also contributed to the Husker relay squads, swimming in the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free. In the Big Ten Championships, Walstad competed in three races, finishing in the 50 free (30th), 100 fly (33rd) and 100 back (36th). Outside of the water, Walstad achieved her second Tom Osborne Citizenship Team accolade.

2017-18 (Freshman)
Walstad provided depth for the Huskers before her season was cut short by injury. Walstad captured one top-five finish in the 50 free against Iowa State (24.55). She also notched two then-career bests at the Mizzou Invite with a time of 24.08 in the 50 freestyle and a clocking of 52.72 in the 100 free. She also competed in the 100 back at Mizzou, taking 20th (56.52). Walstad also swam a leg of the 200 free relay (Lindsay Helferich, Jessica Pentlarge, Walstad, Allie Worrall). The Huskers finished eighth at the Mizzou Invite with a time of 1:33.89. In the classroom, Walstad earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2017. She was also a member of the 2018 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Previous
Walstad came to the Nebraska swimming and diving team after helping Lincoln Southwest High School to back-to-back state titles. Lincoln Southwest was ranked No. 2 in the nation in the medley relay and eighth nationally in the 200 free relay (2016-17) by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. In 2015-16, the NISCA ranked Lincoln Southwest third in the medley relay and 20th in the 200 free relay. Walstad was a Nebraska state champion and record holder in the 100 backstroke. She was also a member of the state champion 200 free and 200 medley relays. A Scholastic All-American, Walstad was ranked 45th in the 100 back and 71st in the 50 free by NISCA. She was an All-State and Academic All-State selection. While competing for Erik Wiken, Walstad and Heartland Aquatics took seventh as a team at the Midwest Short Course Championship in 2014, fourth in 2015, sixth in 2016 and fifth in 2017. Walstad holds the Midwestern swimming record in the 100 back. The two-time Junior Nationals qualifier earned USA Swimming Scholastic All-America honors and was a Heartland Aquatics Academic All-HLA Gold Team member. Walstad was named Female Performer of the Year, Most Valuable Female Swimmer and Midwest Swimming First-Team All-American. A star in the classroom, Walstad earned a 4.0 GPA and was on honor roll all eight semesters.

Personal 
The daughter of Tammie Fischer and William Walstad, Clara was born June 18, 1999, in Lincoln, Neb. She has four sisters. A biological sciences major, Clara earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2017. She was a three-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She chose Nebraska over Minnesota.

Career-Best Times

Event	Times	Meet (Date)
50 Free	23.08	Mizzou Invite (2017)
100 Free	51.52	Hawkeye Invite (2018)
100 Back	55.15	Hawkeye Invite (2018)
100 Fly	55.32	Big Ten Championships (2019)