Creekside's Clark First C/O 2017 Commitment, Keeps Gator Tradition Alive

Todd Grasley

Creekside senior Matthew Clark becomes the first commitment for the class of 2017 after announcing he will follow in his older brother Jimmy's footsteps, and compete for the University of Florida. Clark, who was 5th at the 3A Cross Country Finals owns personal bests of 4:28.04 (1,600m), 9:17.58 (3,200m), and 15:49.60 for 5k. We caught up with Clark to talk about his decision, and his goals for the upcoming season as an individual and for his 2015 3A Cross Country Finals state champion Creekside team.



You are the first commitment for the class of 2017. How important was it to get this decision out of the way so you could focus on your senior season?

I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to commit early, but I kept and open mind throughout the summer. I felt committing early would help me focus more on the season and help me make a bigger impact to better my team.

What was the recruiting process like for you and where all did you consider?

The recruiting process was very stressful. It is all fun when you are first talking to all these coaches, but then you realize that it's a lot of work and takes lots of thought. It's extremely hard to tell someone no. The other schools I considered were USF and Belmont.

Your brother Jimmy Clark ranks in the top 5 all-time at UF in the 3k, 5k, and 10k and has numerous accolades in the orange and blue. What was his role in your recruiting and how did his success as a gator impact your decision?

Since Jimmy went there I was around the campus and meets a lot. When I went on the official visit it felt like home for me. After touring the new student athlete building I new I was going to be a gator. The way they treat the athletes and give them academic assistance is unbelievable.

There are a lot of Florida kids on the team. What was your bond like with the current guys?

I had previously talked and raced against them multiple times. They brought me in like family and were extremely fun to hang out with.

What meets do you have coming up and what are your goals for your senior year both in XC and on the track?

Great American and Pre-State are the two big meets in the regular season. We like to keep goals within our team so I'm going to say stay humble and train hard with the team every morning.

Lastly, what are you looking forward to most about being a Gator both in and outside of running?

The education they offer is unbelievable and I know that if I put in the academic work there I will succeed after graduating. I really look forward to putting on a Gator jersey and stepping up to the starting line of a race.


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