Brooks: Exiting Eugene Suits Clark; Goal Is Returning

BOULDER - If it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck . . . you know the rest. Erin Clark spent her formative years in Eugene, Ore., in the shadow of a very large, often imposing Duck - the University of Oregon's ultra-successful track and field program.

There are a couple of things you should know (and probably already do) about Eugene and UO track. The city bills itself as TrackTown USA, and Hayward Field is never far down the list as a potential site for NCAA meets, USATF Championships, Olympic Trials, etc. And this might not astound you as much as it does me, but Oregon sells track and field season tickets.

With its facilities, its passion for the sport and unparalleled community support, Eugene's claim as TrackTown USA is indisputable. If you can even find a runner-up, get back to me.

But for Clark, walking like a duck, sounding like a duck, running for the Ducks had minimal appeal. When a "reasonably" successful Pac-12 T&F competitor - the University of Colorado - came calling before her senior season at South Eugene High School, you'd better believe Clark was an eager listener.

"For me there was a big drive to get out of town," Clark, a CU redshirt freshman, told me earlier this week. "I went to South Eugene High School, which is about five minutes from the University of Oregon. I think it was too close to home for me. I just felt like there would be a lot of pressure and a lot of eyes on me if I stayed there . . . when I came on a visit here I was definitely sold."

Oregon made a passable pitch to keep her in town, "But they knew sticking around was something I wasn't sure I wanted to do," she said.

Added CU associate head coach Heather Burroughs: "I think she was ready for something new . . . if she was dying to be an Oregon Duck, they would have snatched her up. She's certainly good enough to run for any Division I team."

Now comes the very pleasant dilemma of settling on what event to run. Clark immediately established her cross country credentials last fall, winning the Rocky Mountain Shootout, then placing seventh at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, finishing fourth at the Pac-12 XC meet, second in the NCAA Regionals and finally earning All-America honors with a No. 31 finish in the NCAAs.

"She was our No. 1 runner in every race in cross country - no doubt," said Burroughs. "She was an All-American, placed fourth at the Pac-12 meet . . . in our conference, which is arguably the best distance-running conference, that's really good stuff."

CLARK DIDN'T COMPETE IN EITHER the 2014 indoor or outdoor track seasons, sitting out both due to a lingering lower leg injury that would appear to temporarily heal then reappear and hobble her for a week. She, Burroughs and coach Mark Wetmore finally reached a consensus and called it all off.

Recalled Burroughs: "It was bad for a week, good for two weeks, just off and on - nothing big or traumatic, just enough that we said, 'Let's not expend a season if we don't need to.' If she'd been a senior with no redshirt season we could have continued. But we just kept thinking, 'Why even hurry?'"

Indeed, there was no rush. By redshirting for the track season(s), Clark was given time to heal, reenergize and refocus. It must have helped. As a redshirt freshman this spring, she's set personal records in the 1,500, the 5k and the 3k steeplechase. Her 5k time of 15:57.54 placed her third at the Stanford Invite on April 3 and is the fourth-best time in the Pac-12 this season. Her 3k steeple time of 10:10.62 won the event in the Mt. SAC Relays on April 16 and is the conference's top time thus far.

Burroughs calls those two times "two of the best performances in CU history," and that leads her (and Clark) to ponder the future and what events most suit Clark. Truth be told, she's a relative newcomer to the steeple, having run it once in high school - "I really don't count that one" - and twice at CU, winning both times.

"Neither (meet) had the kind of competition that will be coming up . . . but I'm really enjoying it," Clark said. "It's been fun to try something new."

If ever there was a time to experiment and a school and staff to fine tune a steepler, now is the time and CU is the place. If Eugene is TrackTown USA, Boulder is Steeple City USA. The Buffs' list of NCAA champs and Olympians is eye-popping, and Clark noticed right away. "I knew all the success Colorado had in the steeple," she said. "I thought it was a good opportunity."

And, said Burroughs, Clark has an even better opportunity to improve because she's far from being technically sound in the steeple. "I know she has a lot of room for improvement," Burroughs said. "There are many things we can fix. She's not technically a good steeplechaser yet. Unlike Emma (Coburn), unlike Shalaya (Kipp), even one of our freshman who (Clark) can beat by 20 or 30 seconds right now is better technically than she is. And that bodes well for her future. If we fix those things she's got a very good jump in her."

Where does Clark's technical fix begin? She needs to find a greater comfort level in using her non-dominant leg to push off in ascending the barrier before the water jump. "Almost everyone has a favorite lead leg (going over the barriers)," Burroughs said. "She has very strong right leg now; we'd like to make her 'ambidextrous.'"

Asked if that constituted a difficult fix, Burroughs answered, "It varies . . . Emma has never had a dominant leg; she's equally good with both - but that's rare. Some people can make big improvements, some people can't. It depends on how much they hate that other leg, what their flexibility is, how good a learner they are."

BY ALL ACCOUNTS, CLARK IS a quick study who professes unshakable faith in Burroughs and Wetmore. She isn't a reluctant pupil; their guidance couples well with an intensity that accompanied her to Boulder. "They're really focused and they expect that from us," Clark said. "That brings out the right kind of intensity in people. I like their training philosophy."

Clark will use the remainder of this outdoor season to help determine her future and what event(s) she might settle into. Next year might bring a decision, although she won't limit herself to running the steeple only if that's her first choice. Burroughs called the 1,500 meters Clark's "best credential probably" coming out of high school. "But she would say the 5,000 . . . I think she's more comfortable now with the longer distances. We're trying to keep her interested in the shorter events. We think that number is good for her, but she really likes the 5k and the 3k.

"It's all yet to be determined. I think she can be very good at the steeplechase. She could also be very good at other events, and having options is better than not having options."

Deciding what to run for the remainder of her CU career doesn't have to be done before this weekend, or even before the end of the outdoor season. Clark will compete in the 1,500 on Saturday at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford. Two weekends later come the Pac-12 Championships in Los Angeles, followed by the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Texas.

Next are the NCAA Outdoor Championships. You can guess where those will be held, and you can nail Clark's outdoor goal.

"I'd really, really like to make it to the outdoor nationals," she said. "I'd like to go back representing Colorado on my home turf. It would be so nice for friends and family to come out. That's the big goal, and winning in the Pac-12 as well."

Her preference would be to qualify for the nationals in the steeplechase, but she's hinted to Burroughs and Wetmore that if she can qualify in the 5k, then why not give it a go?

"Just in case I mess up in the steeple," she said, grinning. "I'd really like to have another shot (at competing in Eugene.)"

It will take more than a little work, but Erin Clark is more than willing to do it. It would make for a sweet trip home.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU