Erin Clark

Photo by: Gary Breedlove

Position:
Distance
Height:
5-5
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Eugene, Ore.
High School:
South Eugene

PERSONAL BESTS
INDOOR
Mile: 4:48.06 (2017)
3,000-meters: 9:05.93 (2017)
5,000-meters: 15:50.96 (2017)
OUTDOOR
800-meters: 2:16.58 (2016)
1,500-meters: 4:22.87 (2016)
5,000-meters: 15:57.54 (2015)
10,000-meters: 33:03.22 (2017)
3,000-meter steeplechase: 9:48.72 (2016)

MPSF SCORING
2015 3,000-meters, 5th (9:19.60)
2016 3,000-meters, 1st (9:08.29)
2017 5,000-meters, 1st (15:50.96)

PAC-12 SCORING
2015 3,000-meter steeplechase, 1st (10:02.16)
2015 5,000-meters, 2nd (16:16.37)
2016 3,000-meter steeplechase, 1st (9:48.72 – meet, stadium record)
2016 5,000-meters, 2nd (16:13.46)
2017 10,000-meters, 1st (33:23.92)
2017 5,000-meters, 8th (16:16.31)

NCAA SCORING
2016 (I) 3,000-meters, 5th (9:08.63)
2017 (I) 3,000-meters, 8th (9:13.56)
2017 (O) 10,000-meters, 5th (33:03.22)

ACADEMIC HONORS
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention (2015, 16)
Pac-12 All-Academic First Team (2017)
Academic All-MPSF (2016, 17)
USTFCCCA Academic (2017)

HONORS
2017 All-America First Team (Outdoor 10k)
2017 All-America First Team (Indoor 3k)
2016 All-America Second Team (Steeplechase)
2016 All-America First Team (Indoor 3k)
2015 Pac-12 Women’s Track & Field Freshman of the Year
2015 All-America Second Team (Steeplechase)
2014-15 CU Female Co-Freshman of the Year

2017: Indoor: Clark raced at three different events, but her main focus was the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs. She placed sixth in the 3k at the Husky Classic, running a personal best time of 9:05.93, which would qualify her for the NCAA Championships in the event. Clark switched gears to the 5k at the MPSF Championships two weeks later where she won the individual crown with another PR (15:50.96), which was the fourth fastest time in school history. Clark moved back to the 3k for NCAAs and placed eighth overall (9:13.56) to earn first team All-America honors in the event for the second consecutive indoor season.
Outdoor: During her third season running for the Buffs, Clark competed in the 5,000-meters and the 10,000 meters. During her 2016-17 campaign, Clark ran at the Oregon State Performance meet (4/29) in Corvallis, Ore. where she earned a first place finish in the 5,000-meters with a time of 16:11.32. In her first 10,000-meters race of the season, she won her third Pac-12 title where she recorded an impressive time of 33:23.92, which puts her fourth on the all-time performers list at CU. In the NCAA Championships (6/7), she came in fifth in the 10k with a time of 33:03.22, which is her personal best and put her third on CU’s all-time performers list.

2016: Indoor: As just a sophomore, Clark entered CU’s top five all-time performers list in the 3k and 5k. Her 5k time of 15:54.01 is the fourth best time ever by a Buff, and was run at the Husky Classic (2/12) for ninth overall. Clark recorded a time of 9:08.29 to win the 3k at the MSPF Championship, which good for third on CU’s all-time performer list and qualified her for NCAAs. At nationals, Clark placed fifth overall, clocking in at 9:08.63, to earn her first indoor track All-America first team honor.
Outdoor: Clark had another outstanding season as a sophomore, focusing on the steeplechase. She debuted in the event at the Stanford Invite, and finished in 10:00.77. Clark’s next big race came at the Stanford Twilight where she recorded a personal best in the 1,500 (4:22.87). She switched back to the steeplechase after that, earning a fourth place finish (second heat) at the Payton Jordan Invitational (10:01.20) before the postseason started. At the Pac-12 Championships, Clark recorded 18 points for the team score, winning her second straight steeplechase title (9:48.72) and recording a second place finish in the 5,000-meter run (16:13.46). Her time in the steeplechase set the conference meet and Husky Track record, and was also a qualifying time for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Clark placed fourth overall at the NCAA West Prelims and earned second team All-America honors at NCAAs, finishing 16^th overall in the semifinals. At the Olympic Trials, Clark ran 10:00.85 to place 23^rd overall.

2015: Indoor: After redshirting the 2014 season, Clark was ready to hit the track and made an impact right away. In the 3k at the Husky Classic (2/14), she clocked in at 9:23.77. Clark ended the season racing another 3k at the MPSF Championship and took fifth in 9:19.60, which put her ninth on CU’s all-time performers list.
Outdoor: Clark had one of the best freshman seasons for the Buffs, earning several honors during the spring. She raced the 1,500, 5,000 and 3,000-meter steeplechase events and excelled in all three. Clark earned a season best of 4:23.86 in the 1,500 at the Payton Jordan Invite (5/2), her third 1,500 of the season. She clocked her 5k season best at the Stanford Invite (4/3), finishing in 15:57.54, which put her third in the second section. Her primary event became the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She debuted in the event at the CU Invite (4/11), winning in 10:33.27. Clark’s next steeplechase was five days later at Mt. SAC Relays (4/16) and she improved her time to 10:10.62 to win section ‘A’. Clark ran both the steeplechase and 5k runs at the Pac-12 Championships. She won the steeplechase in 10:02.16, CU’s seventh straight conference steeple win, and placed second in the 5k (16:06.37) to pick up 18 points for the team score. With her performances, Clark was tabbed the Pac-12 Women’s Track and Field Freshman of the Year. She went on to compete in both events again at the NCAA West Prelims. She was sixth in the steeplechase with a season best 9:57.67, which put her fourth on CU’s all-time list behind Olympians Jenny Simpson, Emma Coburn and Shalaya Kipp, and placed 33^rd in the 5k (17:03.19). Clark advanced to NCAAs and was 15^th in the prelims (10:15.83) to earn second team All-America honors.

2014: Indoor: Redshirt. Did not compete.
Outdoor: Redshirt. Did not compete.

CROSS COUNTRY: (2016) Clark finished her outstanding career with the Buffs by helping CU to team Pac-12 and NCAA Mountain Region Championships, as well as a third place finish at nationals. She started her final season by winning her third straight Rocky Mountain Shootout, becoming just the second female to win three titles at the meet. Clark finished the 5.8-kilometer course in 19:54, the fourth fastest ever, joining former Buffs and Olympians Jenny Simpson and Kara Goucher as the only other women to finish the course in less than 20 minutes. She was the runner-up at the following two meets, NCAA Pre-Nationals and the Pac-12 Championships, which helped CU take home its second straight conference team title. At regionals, Clark was the third Buff to finish the race, coming in at seventh overall. She finished her career at nationals, placing 133rd. Clark was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the All-Mountain Region team during the season.
(2015) Clark led the Buffs in three of its five varsity races. She was undefeated through the first two meets, winning her second straight Rocky Mountain Shootout and NCAA Pre-Nationals. Clark was second for the Buffs at Pac-12s and regionals, placing fourth and third, respectively, to earn all-conference and all-region awards. Clark recorded her second All-American honor by placing 11^th at NCAAs, leading the Buffs to a second place team finish.
(2014) Clark moved into a leadership role as a sophomore as the top harrier for the Buffs. She started the season by winning the Rocky Mountain Shootout. A couple weeks later, Clark placed seventh at NCAA Pre-Nationals. She was fourth at Pac-12s, earning All-Pac-12 First Team recognition. Clark continued to excel and was the runner-up at regionals, earning her second all-region honor in as many years. She capped off the season with a 31^st place finish at NCAAs for her first All-America honor.
(2013) Clark earned a spot on the varsity roster as a true freshman. She ran the Rocky Mountain Shootout unattached, but finished an impressive third overall. The following meet, NCAA Pre-Nationals, she finished as CU’s No. 3 runner, crossing the finish 28^th overall. Clark helped the Buffs to a second-place team finish at the Pac-12 Championship, placing 13^th, once again as CU’s No. 3. She recorded her best finish of the season at regionals, coming in fifth overall. Clark finished the year helping the Buffs capture a seventh-place finish at NCAAs by placing 97^th. During the year, she was named All-Pac-12 Second Team and all-region.

HIGH SCHOOL: Clark recorded a sixth-place finish at the 2012 Oregon State 6A Cross Country Championships after placing third at the 2011 meet and was eighth in 2010. Following her sixth-place finish as a senior, Clark placed eighth at the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional and took 11th at the Foot Locker West Regional. Clark also competed at the Nike Cross Northwest Regional her junior and sophomore years, placing fourth and seventh, respectively. On the track, she won the state 3,000-meter title twice. Clark won in 2013 with a state and school record (9:32) and she also won as a sophomore in 2011. At the state meet during her junior year, she took second in the 3k and was third in the 1,500. She was also recruited by Cornell, Oregon and Stanford.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Clark earned her degree in ecology and evolutionary biology, finishing with an undergraduate GPA of 3.558. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice and has a GPA of 3.756.

PERSONAL: Erin Elizabeth Clark was born on December 28, 1994 in Albany, Ore. She is the daughter of Andy and Susan Clark and also has one younger brother, Nathan. Her aunt, Kathy Herrmann, ran on Oregon’s cross country and track and field team. Clark also enjoys skiing and was an alpine racer in high school.