Oct 5, 2005
Jennifer Toland
Telegram Staff/College Sports
Breaking your foot isn't a great way to start the summer "for anyone" but "overtraining in bad shoes" caused Assumption College cross-country standout Caitlyn Clark to do just that.
However, the injury was hardly a setback for Clark, who vowed to make this year, her last at Assumption, her best. So far, it has been.
On Saturday, Clark won for the third straight week, capturing the Bryant University Invitational and leading the Greyhounds to the women's team title. The two previous weekends, she won the Worcester City Championship and the Saint Anselm Invitational.
"I feel like this is my last season, and I‚m a lot more focused because this could be the end," said Clark, a Worcester resident. "I‚ve been pushing myself physically and mentally."
Clark was a three-time Central Mass. champion in cross country and a CMass track champ in the mile at St. Peter-Marian High, but despite being named Northeast-10 Conference Freshman-of-the-Year in cross country in 2002, said she found the transition to college racing difficult.
The breakthrough for Clark was last spring, when she ran the 1,500 and made what she said were her first real improvements since high school. Her success made her realize: "Hey, I am pretty good at this," she said. "I can do this."
Clark was prepared for a great summer of training when she broke her foot. Unable to run, she worked on developing her upper body and core strength and eating healthier, components she has kept in her training regimen this fall. When she was ready to run in August, she worked closely with Assumption assistant Joe Catalano to get ready for the season.
Her program included longer runs, 10 or 11 miles and 200- and 400-meter sprints on the track.
"The sprints helped her speed a lot, and her cardio is better, her weight is better, she‚s stronger and fitter from the endurance runs," said Catalano, in his second year with t he Greyhounds and a longtime friend and former coach of AC head cross country coach Mark Perrone. "She's been very consistent in her races."
Clark won last week's race in 19:49. Her personal best is 19:08, set at the Connecticut College Cross Country meet in early September. Catalano thinks she can break 19 minutes. Clark thinks she can, too, this weekend at the New Englands at Franklin Park in Boston.
"It's a fast course," she said. "It's one of the flatter courses."
Clark's ultimate goal for her senior season is to qualify for nationals. The top finishers in the NCAA Division 2 Regionals on Nov. 6 at Franklin Park advance to the national meet.
"With her natural ability and mental concentration, there may be no stopping her," said Perrone, who has known Clark since he was an associate track coach at St. Peter-Marian. "She's having a phenomenal year, and she's not even on all cylinders yet. She's worked really hard. She wants to go out in a blaze of glory."
Clark has also worked closely with assistant Gary Jusseaume.
Clark is an art/education major and hopes to become an elementary school art teacher, possibly working with inner-city or underprivileged kids. Painting is Clark's favorite medium, and she‚ll often come up with ideas for landscapes when she's out running. She's currently working on a painting of Wachusett Mountain.
Clark's success this season has also resulted in success for the Greyhounds. They've won their last two meets, finished second at Saint Anselm, and ninth at Connecticut College, and they're ranked fifth in this week's regional poll.
"Caitlyn's having a great year, and the rest of the team is following in her footsteps," Perrone said.
