With five years under his belt, Trey Clark has
had an impressive start as the head coach of the
Lamar Track and Field Program. In five seasons
at the helm, he has coached 13 NCAA qualifiers,
12 Southland Conference champions and 15 new
school record holders. In the fall of 2004,
Clark added another accomplishment to his
ever-growing list, as the women's cross country
team won their first-ever SLC title.
Behind a trio of all-conference performances,
the Lady Cardinals harriers won their first
Southland title in nine seasons with the
conference, while also claiming the first league
win since the program began in 1985.
In 2003, Clark guided the men's 1,600-meter
relay team to its first conference title since
1998. The mile relay squad went on to place 11th
at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
As if that weren't enough, Clark coached
Yamelis Ortiz to the 2000 Olympic Games in
Sydney, Australia. Ortiz, who completed her
brilliant career at Lamar in 2000 by winning her
fourth straight conference crown in the 400
meter hurdles, was a member of Puerto Rico's
4X400 meter relay team.
Clark was named head track and field coach
August 11, 1999, replacing Barry Collins who had
spent eight years in the position. After four
years as an athlete at Lamar and five more as an
assistant coach, Clark had definitely earned the
job.
Lamar has not only made strides on the track
under Clark, but also to the track. The track
was resurfaced in 2001 and the stadium has
undergone a facelift as well. Clark is also
spearheading a campaign to add a top of the line
dressing room to the program.
Clark's coaching resume is certainly
distinguished. During his five years as an
assistant, he coached 33 conference champions
and 114 all-conference performers. He has added
to that total since becoming a head coach with
20 all-conference performers.
In addition to the all-conference performers
that Clark coached as an assistant, he helped
Lamar athletes set 21 school records. He also
coached former standout Mark LeDoux to the
United States Track and Field Nationals twice,
and coached four other USATF Junior National
qualifiers.
During his tenure as an assistant, Clark
coached two of the stronger parts of the LU
track program, relays and hurdles. Clark led the
4X100 meter relay team to the 1999 Southland
Conference championships, and guided LeDoux to
three straight conference titles in the 400
meter hurdles and a 12th place finish at the
2000 NCAA Championships.
The four-year letter winner in track at Lamar
became a full-time assistant in 1995 after
spending the previous season as a part-time
coach. An all-conference performer for Lamar
during his racing days, Clark will look to
return Lamar to its heyday of track and field
when the Cardinals almost annually won the
conference championship.
A 1988 graduate of Anahuac High School, Clark
earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from
Lamar in 1993 and followed that up with his
master's degree in kinesiology in 1995.
Clark was among the eight finalists in 1993
for the "Outstanding Senior Male Student"
awarded by Lamar, and won the Sun Belt
Conference Medallion for that year. Clark was
also named to the Sun Belt Conference
Commissioner's List and Athletic Director's List
during his career.
Clark is married to the former Laura Hughes
and the couple has a son, Quade.