Catching up with Top Returners: Tom Clark

-Athlete Name:  Tom Clark

-School: Mason High School

-Year of Graduation: 2014

-Best time in a 5K race and in which meet: 15:13 New Balance Nationals Outdoor

-Tell us how your summer training is going?:

It’s going great so far. I’m injury free while increasing my mileage and the team is looking really good right now.

-What are your goals for the upcoming season?:

Top 5 at the State Meet and get on the podium as a team.

-How long have you been running and how did you get started?:

I started running in the 7th grade five years ago to get in shape for soccer.

-Will you be competing anywhere out of state this season?:

The team will be going to the Louisville Trinity Valkrie Invite, Culver which is in Indiana and then most likely Nike Regionals.

-What is your favorite course to run in Ohio?:

The State course since the atmosphere there is incredible and it always runs fast with such great competition.

-What is the toughest course to run in Ohio?:

Our Mason home Invite since there are so many obstacles like the creek and hay bales.

-What meet during the regular season do you put extra emphasize on to compete well at?:

This year I’m putting extra emphasis on the Trinity Valkrie meet since it’s my first time running at that meet. It is a good place to run with some of the best runners in the Midwest to push you and your team prior to the post season.

-What is your favorite cross country race so far in your high school career?:

My favorite race so far was last year’s State meet. This is because it was exciting to do so well as an individual but getting second as a team was the best. Celebrating what I worked so hard for with my friends was a lot of fun.

-Favorite cross country memory?:

It is standing on the podium at the 2012 State Cross Country meet as we got our medals.

-When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?:

Video games and other sports like soccer or basketball.

-Favorite quote?:

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.” -Pre

-What shoes do you train in?:

Brooks

-What shoes do you race in?:

Adidas 

-What's on your Ipod when you go out for runs?:

I don’t run with an iPod.

-What professional athlete would you most like to meet?:

I would want to meet Galen Rupp because he’s just lots of fun to watch race and he’s a role model of how I want to run.

-What is something that most people don't know about you?:

In my free time I like collecting and reading comic books.