Hazel Clark
Olympian 2000, 2004
Athlete Bio#
Height
5'9.75"
Age
47
Hometown
Knoxville
Education
Columbia HS (NJ) ‘95 Florida ‘00
PRs: 800m - 1:57.99 (2005); 1,500m - 4:16.04 (2000)
Career Highlights
3-time USA Outdoor champion ('00, '05, ‘06); 2-time ('00, '04) Olympian; 2-time USA Indoor champion ('00, '05); 3-time NCAA Indoor champion (‘97, ‘98, ‘99); 2-time NCAA Outdoor champion (‘98, ‘99)In 2007, Clark consistently ran times under two minutes in the 800m, including a runner-up finish at USA Outdoors. At the 2006 USA Outdoor Championships, Clark held off Alice Schmidt to win her third U.S. title...had a great season in 2005 after claiming her second U.S. crown in the 800m to make the Team USA roster in Helsinki...At Worlds, she held the fourth-place position going into the backstretch before gradually falling to eighth place. Clark began to regain her form in 2004 as she made her second Olympic team following a stress fracture suffered at the 2001 World Outdoor Championships in Edmonton, where "she stepped on a pine cone or a walnut in the grass and did something to her foot," her coach and brother, J.J. Clark, told Track & Field News...another national champion from the Clark clan, Hazel is the younger sister of 800m legend Joetta Clark-Diggs, and is coached by her brother, J.J. Clark...Hazel and Joetta's sister-in-law is American record holder Jearl Clark...at the 2000 Olympics, Hazel finished 7th in a personal-best time (1:58.75)...has been a dancer since age 6, and has 12 years of experience in figure skating. She ran 55.65 and 4:36.99 (1500) while in high school and was the top-ranked prep 800m runner in the nation...a telecommunications major while at Florida, Clark minored in business and psychology...says, ‘I used to feel a lot of pressure to live up to [Joetta and Jearl], but now I see it as a positive thing. They give me so much confidence, and now I know I can get where they are.' Her husband, Wenston Riley, proposed in the mixed zone after the 2004 Olympic Trials 800m final...she accepted and they got married in October 2007...family and friends call her "Peachy"...Her toy poodle, Pluto, accompanies her to most competitions.
Competition Results:
2008: 1st at Ponce (1:59.82)
2007: USA Outdoor runner-up (1:59.60)... 5th in heats at World Outdoors (2:00.61), 8th in semis (2:02.92)...1st at Reebok Grand Prix (1:59.07)...4th at Nike Prefontaine Classic (1:59.50)...2nd at Lausanne (1:59.43)...4th at Madrid (2:00.20)...ranked #2 in the U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:59.07.
2006: USA Outdoor Champion (1:59.94)...2nd at Rome (1:59.83)...4th at London Grand Prix (1:59.48)...1st at Prefontaine (1:59.10)...7th at World Athletics Final (2:00.88)...ranked #10 in the world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 1:59.10.
2005: USA Outdoors 800m champion (1:59.74)...USA Indoor 800m champion (2:01.98i)...8th at World Outdoors (2:01.52)...1st in semi-finals at World Outdoors (1:59.00)...4th at Oslo (1:57.99PR)...2nd at Stockholm (1:58.59)...5th at Rome (1:59.30)...2nd at Jamaica (2:01.17)...1st at Power by Tyson Invite (2:02.68i)...1st at Millrose Games (2:06.00i)...fell at Nike Prefontaine, dnf...ranked #9 in the world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 1:57.99.
2004: 3rd at Olympic Trials 800m (2:00.37)...5th in opening round at Olympic Games (2:05.67)... USA Indoors 800m runner-up (2:01.06)...3rd in 800m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (1:59.32)... 1st in 800m at Millrose Games (2:05.79i)...3rd in 800m at Tyson Foods Invitational (2:02.34i)...ranked #3 in the U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:59.32.
2003: 5th at USA Indoors (2:07.23)...6th at USA Outdoors (2:01.71)...6th at adidas Boston Indoor Games (2:08.52)...1st at Verizon Millrose Games (2:07.66)... 2nd at Tyson Foods Invitational (2:04.45)...ranked #7 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 2:01.71.
2002: Did not compete due to a stress fracture in her right foot suffered at the 2001 World Outdoor Championships in Edmonton.
2001: 2nd at Tyson Foods Invitational (2:02.89i)...2nd at USA Outdoors (2:01.15)...5th in qualifying heats at World Champs (2:00.56)...DNF in the semifinals...ranked #2 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:59.95.
2000: 7th in Olympic 800m final (1:58.75)...won Olympic Trials with PR 1:58.97...2nd was sister-in-law Jearl Miles-Clark with sister Joetta Clark-Diggs third...won USA Indoors 800 (2:03.40)... ranked #1 in U.S. in 800m by T&FN...bests of 1:58.75 and 4:16.04.
1999: Won 800 at NCAA Indoors (2:07.7) and Outdoor Champs in 4:16.11...dnf 1500 heats at NCAA Outdoors (injury)...did not compete at USA Outdoors...ranked #8 in U.S. in 800 by T&FN...bests of 2:02.01 and 4:16.11.
1998: Won NCAA Indoors (2:02.53) with largest winning margin in 16 years; 1st place SEC Indoor (2:03.92)... anchored 4th-place 4x400 (52.9 for 3:35.31)...won SEC (2:02.74); third leg on runner-up 4x400 (3:32.06)...won NCAA Outdoors (2:02.16); third leg on 4th-place 4x400 (53.1 for 3:31.35)...4th in USA Outdoors (2:00.23 PR)...7th in Goodwill Games (2:08.68)...5th in South Regional XC...93rd in NCAA XC...ranked #4 U.S. by T&FN...best of 2:00.23.
1997: Won SEC Indoor (2:04.27); ran on winning distance medley (11:30.52)...won NCAA Indoors (2:02.76 PR); ran first leg for 2nd-place distance medley (11:10.35)...PR 4:26.09 for 1500m...won SEC Outdoor (2:02.52 PR) and anchored winning 4x400 (3:31.58)...9th in NCAA Outdoor (2:16.77, fell); anchored the 3rd-place 4x400 (52.75 for 3:30.53)...4th in USA Outdoors (2:01.42 PR)...ranked #7 U.S. by T&FN...bests of 2:01.42 and 4:26.09.
1996: Won SEC Indoor (2:05.08); ran on winning distance medley (11:32.64)...at NCAA Indoors ran on distance medley (2:08.29 split, 11:29.14 team time)...missed most of the outdoor season with mononucleosis...7th in heat at NCAA Outdoor (2:09.74)...9th in SEC XC Champs...best of 2:05.08.
1995: Won USA Juniors (2:06.18) and New Jersey HS state indoor titles in the 400, 800, mile & 4x400; state outdoor title at 800...15th in SEC XC...27th at District XC...did not finish NCAA XC Champs...best of 2:05.50.
1994: Best of 2:10.24.