Before a race, it is not an uncommon sight to see Antoine Clark running at a slow pace around the track, hidden beneath his hood.

That scene is just a part of Clark’s preparation before meets. So far this season, that preparation has worked.

Clark, a graduate student, played a key role in his relay team’s first-place finish in the men’s 4×100-meter relay at the Big East Outdoor Championships in Cincinnati on May 2. Part of his success comes from his distinctive approach. It’s an approach he hopes will continue into the summer portion of Syracuse’s schedule, which kicks off this weekend at the ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Championships in Princeton, N.J.

‘I’m focused,’ Clark said. ‘I black (everything else) out. Once I get to that track meet it’s all about track. It’s not about anything else. I visualize my race and everything that I need to do right in my race.’

Although Clark has his own, different methods in preparing for sprints, those exact methods seem to be working. On April 25, at the Cornell Big Red Invitational in Ithaca, Clark qualified for the prestigious IC4A Championships in the 100-meter dash.

‘Antoine has his own unique style,’ SU head coach Chris Fox said.

Clark’s style allowed him to qualify for the Big East championships in his first meet of the season. Since that meet, he has refused to let up.

After starting off the season in what Clark considered disappointing fashion, he has caught fire as of late. In addition to qualifying for the IC4As at Cornell, Clark again qualified for the Big East, with top performances in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Orange assistant coach Dave Hegland sees greatness in Clark and is one of his biggest supporters. Hegland has become somewhat of a father figure for Clark. He helps him not just with track but also in life.

Hegland embraces Clark’s laid-back demeanor. And, just as importantly, he understands Clark’s talent and potential.

‘He has had all kinds of ups and downs and has persevered tremendously in everything,’ Hegland said. ‘I can’t say enough about Antoine. He’s put in a lot of work and it’s really gratifying for me to see him in the place where he is, and I look forward to seeing his racing in the next month.’

With the IC4A Championships less than two weeks away, Clark continues to train at full speed.

Feeling confident with his recent success, Clark plans to continue doing what he’s been doing all season, whether that means jogging around the track in his sweatshirt or sprinting at top speeds.

‘He’s done an outstanding job and he’s been awesome,’ Hegland said. ‘That race at Cornell was just the tip of the iceberg for him. Antoine has worked hard to position himself in a place where he can have the best running of his career ahead of him in the next month or so.’

For Clark, every race is about improving and doing better than before. The status quo isn’t good enough.

‘My long-term goal is to make it to nationals and do something good,’ Clark said. ‘I have to take it step by step. It’s all about getting better.’

Clark has continued to improve since he joined the team out of a community college in Kansas a few years back.

And if he keeps getting better, there are possibilities that go beyond Syracuse track and field.

But for now, the next task at hand is the IC4As, and possibly nationals. Both of those meets could go a long way in determining Clark’s future. But they are equally important for his place in Syracuse track and field history.

‘The sky is the limit,’ Clark said. ‘It can go good, it can go bad or it can go great. It can go either way for me. It just depends on me. I’m trying to do great.’

rnmarcus@syr.edu

Published on May 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Rachel: rnmarcus@syr.edu