National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

This periodic series (shooting for twice monthly beginning in January) will catch readers up with NSAF stars who excelled at our events in the past and reveal what they're doing now.  The first installment of the series catches us up with Shalina Clarke, the Evanston Township, IL (Class of 2006) hurdle/sprint queen who ran with us on our first Team NSAF at the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational.
 

Followers of the Illinois prep track and field scene for the past 10-15 years will never forget Shalina Clarke … and national-level high school hurdle fans of the same vintage should remember her pretty well, too.  From Chicagoland to Charleston, from Albuquerque to Puerto Rico to Greensboro, Indianapolis and more, the amazing Evanston Township High School hurdler and sprinter made quite an impact wherever she raced.

On the Illinois stage during her 2003-06 career, Clarke led an unbeatable Wildkit girls’ track and field squad to four straight Class AA state titles, winning eight gold medals, two silvers and a bronze during her historic career.  She captured the 300 hurdles four straight times, setting state meet records in three of those.  As a senior, she won the 100, 200, 100H and 300H.  Not only was Clarke elected to her school’s Hall of Fame in 2012, but the 2003 Wildkit team she starred on was also elected in 2015. 

Nationally, Clarke first became well-known for her success at the Great Southwest Classic.  She was first invited to compete there as a sophomore in 2004 and won eight individual races over three years there.  Three of those victories came in the 300H – the final one particularly memorable as an outstanding 40.40 might have been an even faster national record had it not been for a stumble in the final meters.  She also won back-to-back 100H titles in ’05 and ’06, plus other unseeded 100 and 200 races. 

During her memorable senior season, Clarke was 2nd in our Nike Outdoor 100H, then made Team USA for the 2006 World Juniors in Beijing with her runner-up finish at USA Juniors.  She was selected for Team NSAF for the first Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Puerto Rico in July, where she won the 100H and contributed legs to both winning relays.

    
Above photos: Shalina Clarke shown at 2006 CSI in Puerto Rico: Her position in the top group photo is indicated by the cropped version at above right (white shirt). Above left, Clarke warms up (left) with Elizabeth Olear; above center, she hands off to Olear during the winning 4x100 relay. Photos below: Shalina with her high school Coach Fenton Gunter at 2005 Great Southwest (courtesy of DyeStat.com); in front of her restaurant, the Mad Men Cafe; with some of her Mad Men Cafe team.
 

Then it was on to Southern Cal, where she starred for the Trojans during 2007-2010.  There she was a three-time All-American and earned a nomination for the NCAA Woman of the Year as a senior for her efforts on the track, the classroom (she earned her degree in Business) and in the community.  She continued her track career for two more years, making a bid for the Jamaican Olympic team for 2012 before refocusing her attention on her career in business.  She currently owns and operates the Mad Men Café, a Los Angeles restaurant.

NSAF:  You’ve been named to the Evanston Township High School Hall of Fame ... not just once, but twice: Individually in 2015 and with your 2003 team (freshman year) three years earlier.  Tell us about “coming home” for those events, getting together with old teammates and what those ceremonies were like.

Shalina:  It is such an honor to be inducted into my high school’s Hall of Fame twice.  I was only able to make it home when I was inducted individually.  Coming home for this great celebration I was able to walk the halls of my old high school and reflect on the countless hours I spent there.  I was able to catch up with my two favorite coaches, Fenton Gunter and Jesse Sibert.  We talked about my accomplishments back in high school and, of course, joked about embarrassing moments.

NSAF:  You had an amazing career at Evanston Township ... and in July of 2006, as your senior year was ending, you came with us to our first Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Puerto Rico –and won the 100m hurdles and ran on two winning relays with some other amazing gals.  Tell us your memories of that weekend and how that international experience benefited you as you moved to the next level.

Shalina:  When running internationally as an athlete you go through a lot of changes that can put stress on your body.  The time change, the food, the climate, the environment, all things that are different than what you’re used to.  I was lucky to have this experience before running on the collegiate level because I knew what to expect when traveling to big meets. 

At this meet in Puerto Rico, I ran with some fast girls.  I remember being thrown on the 4x4 relay at the last minute.  I ended up running one of the fastest legs of my life!  This was a time I was in some of the best shape.  Everything just flowed.

NSAF:  Another of your races we’ll never forget was the 300 hurdles race at Great Southwest your senior year.  You came thisclose to breaking the national record.  What are your memories of that race?

Shalina:  Man, I still dream about this race.  Wanting to go back and change things.  I clipped the second-to-last hurdle and almost stopped running completely, but someone in the crowd yelled for me to keep going.  So I did.  I ran pretty fast, but I didn’t break the record – so I believe I was pretty upset.  That was my last opportunity to break the 300m hurdle record, because the next year I would be running the 400m hurdles in college.  My coach was there for me, like he always is, with a smile on his face and told me I ran well. 

But the Great Southwest meet is a great meet that top high school athletes come and run their fastest.  The people that host the meet are always very kind and make you feel like at home.  They also give out big trophies! 

NSAF:  Of course, CSI and GSW were just a couple of the many championships you contested at the state level, as well as at the national level.  What are some of your favorite races, meets and memories over those 4 years?  And who were the coaches, family or others who were your biggest influences?

Shalina:  The meet that I will never forget was our sectionals in 2006.  It was very cold, raining, dark, and grim.  It was the worst weather we could hope for.  The sun barely came out.  In addition to the terrible weather, three days earlier I had clipped a hurdle in practice and fallen down pretty badly.  I scraped my shoulder in the fall and to this day I still have a scar.  So the day of the meet I was still very sore.  But if I didn’t compete I couldn’t go on to the state meet.  I ran all my races not moving my left arm.  I looked like Captain Hook running hurdles.  It was funny because all of my teammates knew how bad I felt and really encouraged me. 

Over the years I’ve run many races.  But there is no bigger competition than our state meet.  It’s the meet that my teammates and I worked the hardest to get to.  It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time competing or your 4th time competing at the state meet, you always get knots in your stomach, and can’t sleep the night before.  The thing that I remember the most are all of the ETHS Alumni that come out and support us.  We got so many calls and pep talks by girls who had competed at the same meet years before us.  Even today, I give pep talks to girls getting ready to compete at their first state meet.  That’s what I loved so much about ETHS is that we were such a close-knit family. 

The biggest influences through all my years of competing were my two coaches, Fenton Gunter and Jesse Sibert.  It’s years later that I realize how lucky I was to have coaches like them.  They are knowledgeable, smart, and so passionate about track and field.  The most important thing is that they nurtured us as we grew up over the years.  Yes, they taught us about track, but they also taught us about life and the importance of going to college.  I couldn’t tell you how many girls they helped get to college on scholarship.  Who does that???  If it wasn’t for them I would have never accomplished the things I did in track. 

I also need to thank my mother, Sharon, who is my biggest and number-one supporter.  She made sure I had a roof over my head, food to eat, and a bed to sleep in.  Now that I’m older, I realize the simple things that people take for granted were the foundation to my success.  She gave me everything I need to be successful, which was support and a lot of pep talks.  She was at all of my biggest meets with food and Gatorade. 

NSAF:  You went on to USC, where you excelled at the PAC 12, regional and national level.  What are your thoughts on your competitive career in college as you look back?

Shalina:  My collegiate career I experienced much success.  I was a 3-time All-American and a 2-time Olympic hopeful.  I ran some of the fastest times in my career and I couldn’t be happier with my experience.

NSAF:  I read where you were a member of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Council from 2008-2010.  What was that experience like?

Shalina:  On the SAAS (Student Athlete Advisory Council) I was able to work with a group of athletes from different sports and help make decisions to better the conditions of student-athletes. 

NSAF:  Tell us about your hurdling career, post-USC, and your quest to make the Jamaican Olympic team in 2012.

Shalina:  Ever since I was a little girl, it was my dream to go to the Olympics.  I remember being in the living room with my family watching track and field at the Olympic Games.  I saw how proud my family was when they saw Jamaican athletes crossing the line in victory.  Both my mother and father are from Jamaica.  Being able to run for Jamaica would be a great honor and would make my parents proud. 

After graduating from college, I made it my goal to get ready for the 2012 Olympics.  I did experience a little struggle because I switched coaches three times before the Trials.  I also worked several jobs to support myself.  It was a challenge because I didn’t get a contract out of college that would have given me the support to focus only on track. 

A year after graduating, I found Coach Larry Wade.  Coach Wade was a successful 110m hurdler himself, and also worked with top athletes like Dominique Arnold, who was a previous American Record holder for the 110 hurdles, and athletes like Carmelita Jeter early in her career.  I trained everyday with him and was able to meet the qualifying standard to try out for the Jamaican team.

At the Jamaican Trials, I placed 4th in the prelims, but after the second heat I had the 9th fastest time… not making it to the finals.  It was a crushing feeling and I felt like I let everyone down.  But when I look back at things, I realized I traveled on a journey some people only dream of being able to have.  I’m thankful for all the support I received from my coaches and family.

NSAF:  Now please catch us up on what you’ve been doing the past 3+ years.  Did you continue to compete after 2012?  A LinkedIn profile of you said you were an aspiring systems analyst.  Is that the career path which you’ve pursued?

Shalina:  After completing my Business degree at USC, and a very successful career in track and field, I finally decided to get focused on what I wanted for my life.  And that was becoming an entrepreneur.  For the past 3 years I’ve owned and operated a restaurant in Los Angeles (Mad Men Café).  It’s been a great success.  Being an entrepreneur is an incredible experience and gives me a lot of satisfaction.  I create almost 15 jobs, and provide healthy meals to many customers.  At the rate I’m going, I will become the #1 delivery service in Los Angeles serving healthy meals and sandwiches.