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Clark won't fuss about the penalty that gave her title

Clark captures national crown

Date published: 3/14/2007

By Kurt Nicoll

R ED FLAG SIGHTED means Captains' delight.

Rachael Clark's bid for a national title seemed to be at an end when top-seeded Dana Klemm of Loras (Iowa) College unleashed a long-strike missile on her final attempt in the women's shot put in last week's NCAA Division III national indoor track championship at Terre Haute, Ind.

But before the throw could be marked, a red flag was raised, causing the potential winning throw to be discounted due to a foot fault--lifting the former Liberty High sports standout to her first national title.

The sophomore threw a 45-4 on her first throw in the preliminary round, then saw her distances decrease until righting herself with a winning throw of 46-8 on her final attempt. Klemm was runner-up at 46-6.

After earning All-America honors during the 2006 outdoor season with a fifth-place finish in the same event, Clark became the 32nd individual indoor champion in Christopher Newport University history and the first since Casey Taylor was crown long jump champion in 2000.

The performance was as nerve-racking for the athlete as for first-year coach Tyler Wingard.

"Rachael is a very explosive athlete and she has the tendency to get excited and rush her throws," he said. "The first throw was about a foot further than her personal best, the next couple of throws were shorter.

"She needed to refocus and make sure she used her legs and not just her upper-body strength."

Clark, a math major, is concentrating on the shot put and discus this spring after dividing her time between track and softball her freshman year.

A trip to nationals was not in the cards, but Allegany's Marvin Bolden (Courtland) and Louisburg's Jessica Duncan (Riverbend) nevertheless enjoyed productive rookie seasons playing collegiate basketball.

Aiken Technical College rallied from an eight-point deficit to beat Allegany College of Maryland 65-58 in the District 3, Division I title game with a berth in the NJCAA national tournament going to the winner.

Bolden totaled 14 points as the Trojans concluded the season with a 24-9 mark. The freshman point guard averaged seven points, seven assists and two steals a game.

Meanwhile, Duncan and her Hurricane teammates saw their 13-game winning streak snapped, losing to Georgia Perimeter in the District H playoff game, 96-75.

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Date published: 3/14/2007