Coach Plummer

Coach Tony Plummer is looking for a few good swimmers and the time is now.                                                 Swimming Tryout Information:

Senior class sings alma mater

On a night when the baseball team clinched a playoff spot and the softball team won their game giving them a playoff spot and the best ever season in Clark history, the Clark athletic community celebrated a year of great accomplishments.  The annual Clark Athletic Booster Club Sports Banquet was a phenomenal success with accolades for players and coaches alike.

Highlights included a moment to recognize Coach Lloyd Alexander and his role in shaping a culture of winning in competition and in life, a parade of athletes and coaches that also included each player and teams successes and the awarding of $15,000 in scholarships to Clark seniors.  The $15,000 was a new record for scholarships awarded by the Booster Club and was made possible by parents and their membership fees, cap/tshirt and etc. sales, ad sponsorships by advertisers and volunteers at concession duties and the ATT golf tournament.

The Booster Club has also given over $30,000 this year directly to the athletic department for their needs.

SASports.com’s Jay Tope emceed the event and as usual did an outstanding job.

Congratulations to several Clark Cougars as the spring edition of the Express News all city awards were announced. Seniors Elhad Emerllahu and Jason Brickman made the Express News Super Team in basketball.  Junior Johnny Lawson made the Express News Super Team for soccer as did Gabrielle Santorio.  Several athletes also made all area teams and all district teams.  All can be found at mysanantonio.com.

ALL AREA

It was a busy weekend in Clark sports.  Here’s what happened if you missed it:

Miller places at State meet

SWIMMING

Chelsea Miller, a senior who was the lone Cougar represented at the state meet, placed 8th in the 100 yd. Breast Stroke.  Following graduation, Chelsea can next be seen swimming for Boise State.

BASKETBALL

Cougar seniors end season in Buda

The Bi-District champion boys basketball team finished their season with a tough loss to Austin Bowie 69-56.  The Cougars lead after the 1st qtr. 14-11 after jumping to a 9-2 start.  The 2nd qtr. was mostly Austin Bowie until a flurry of  three pointers by Manny Paz y Puente and Sam Perez brought the Cougars from a deficit to taking the lead into halftime.  The second half, however, was all Bulldogs.  The Cougars finish with a District Championship, a 15-1 district run, a 29-7 overall record, and a bunch of fans who were proud of their efforts.

• PHOTOS
• Austin American Statesman

SOCCER

The boys team came back from a 0-1 halftime score to defeat Jay in the final seconds of the game, 2-1.  They are now 10-1-1 in district and nationally ranked at #34 in the nation by ESPN Rise and #10 in Texas.  The girls team also defeated Jay 1-0.  The win puts them in the playoff chase still, although a couple of other dominoes have to fall their way in order for them to make it to the playoffs.  With four games left, a loss or tie would most likely eliminate them from the first round of playoffs.

BASEBALL
Playing in the Northside tournament, the Cougars went 2-3 against opponents.  The culprit seemed to be cool bats after an 18 run explosion in a win against Roosevelt.  Their record is 3-3 and 1-0 in district.

SOFTBALL

The girls went 1-1-1 against competition in the NEISD tournament.  Overall, Clark Cougar softball is 6-5 and 0-1 in 28-5A.

Chelsea Miller headed back to state

Senior Chelsea Miller, who is headed to Boise State after graduation, will once again compete in the state swimming competition this weekend in Austin.  Read more about her story here from our favorite news reporter, Pat Turner.

Cougars advance to regionals

Clark swimmers brought their “A” game to the Northside Natatorium on Saturday, January 30^th for 28-5A District Swim Championships.  Arriving very early on that morning, Clark Cougars were ready to demonstrate what they had been working for since the first day of practice in August.

The day began with preliminary competition from 9 am – 1 pm, and the top 8 finishers in each event returned at 5 pm to warm-up for the 6:00 pm finals.   All 6 Clark relay teams returned for the finals and 29 lanes in the individual events were occupied by a Clark Cougar.At the end of finals, the Clark girls earned a 3^rd place district finish, and Clark boys placed 4^th.  This accomplishment was achieved in one of the most competitive Northside swim seasons.  Coach Tony Plummer said, “In our first team meeting, I alluded to the increased competition at the District level.  We all witnessed that on Saturday.  I want everyone to know how proud I am of the kids.  They never quit.  They never counted themselves out of any race.  That’s character and that will stay with them forever.” (continue reading…)

At the Alamo Area High School Swim League City Invitational, Clark swimmers took to the pool and then to the medal stand.  Several area schools participated from NISD, NEISD and other districts.  The next meet is the district championships on Jan. 27th.  Congratulations to all.

Miller headed to Boise State

Surrounded by Boise State blue, Clark swimmer Chelsea Miller signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Broncos swim team in the fall of 2010. Miller enjoyed a record breaking  junior year at Clark setting new standards  in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. She currently holds 4 records at Clark and says her goal is to finish her senior year with a bang and take more records for the Cougars.

Boise State has a relatively young, but rising program in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). They heard about Miller when the WAC held their conference swimming and diving championships at Palo Alto College Natatorium here in San Antonio last February. After meeting the coach and visiting the campus Miller was sold on the program, which she says is improving rapidly. She says they are determined to do what it takes to win and she can really see herself there. Miller will study Environmental Science.

Clark swim coach Anthony Plummer says this step to a Division 1 swim program is what they had hoped would happen for  Miller considering the way she has been swimming the past few years. Miller was the only swimmer to represent the Northside School District at the State Swim meet last year and was named to the 2008-2009 Express News Super Team.

Chelsea’s parents are Laura and Michael Miller.

Jessica Rourke take 2nd in the 500m freestyle

The Clark Cougars held off a formidable Alamo Heights Mules swim team on Saturday for a win:   407 Clark – 280 AH.    Clark sprinters, distance swimmers, backstrokes, and IM’ers did very well in their first scored dual meet of the season.   In addition to the individual races, six different relays are swum at a meet:   200 yd. medley relay, 200 yd. free relay and 400 free relays, each having men’s and women’s races.   Of the 6 relays on Saturday, Clark “A” squad relays finished 1^st place  in every one of them!    “B” squad relay swimmers  were right behind  “A”, and “C” relays, sometimes comprised of kids in their first swimming relay,  held their own!    Demonstrating, once again, that Clark Cougars stick together and know the meaning of  teamwork.

-Susan Ogden

PHOTOS from team parent