University of Tennessee Athletics
Former Lady Vol Joetta Clark Selected To USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame
April 26, 2023 | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday afternoon that former Lady Vol track star and four-time Olympian Joetta Clark has been named a 2023 inductee into the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame for track & field and cross country.
Clark rose to prominence as a member of the University of Tennessee's powerful track teams in the early 1980s. Over the course of her collegiate career, she claimed a program record nine national collegiate titles, which included five individual wins and four as part of championship-winning relay teams.
An inaugural member of the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame, Clark's primary event was the 800 meters/880 yards, where she secured three of her five individual national titles. She also excelled in the now-discontinued 1000 yards/meters event, winning two additional titles. Clark's versatility made her an invaluable asset to the Lady Vol relay teams, as she could competently participate in relay legs ranging from 400 to 1200 meters.
During her time at Tennessee, Joetta amassed a staggering 87.5 points in the AIAW and NCAA Championships, combining indoor and outdoor national championships. She also set a total of 10 collegiate records, combining individual and relay events, with four of those coming in national championship finals.
In 1981, Clark helped the Lady Vols deliver the University of Tennessee its first national championship in women's athletics at the AIAW Outdoor Championships. She ran a leg of Tennessee's victorious 4x400-meter relay squad and chipped in a third-place finish in the open 800-meter run as head coach Terry Crawford's squad scored 61 points to fend off runner-up UCLA.
Clark will be Tennessee's first inductee into the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame, which was established by the USTFCCCA in 2022 to honor the best of the best in collegiate track & field and cross country. The hall of fame recognizes the achievements of athletes who have left a lasting mark on the sport during their time in college.
The 2023 induction class will be enshrined on September 14, 2023, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon. The induction ceremony will be open to the public and will be held two days prior to the start of the Prefontaine Classic which has been designated as this year's Diamond League Final.
Clark rose to prominence as a member of the University of Tennessee's powerful track teams in the early 1980s. Over the course of her collegiate career, she claimed a program record nine national collegiate titles, which included five individual wins and four as part of championship-winning relay teams.
An inaugural member of the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame, Clark's primary event was the 800 meters/880 yards, where she secured three of her five individual national titles. She also excelled in the now-discontinued 1000 yards/meters event, winning two additional titles. Clark's versatility made her an invaluable asset to the Lady Vol relay teams, as she could competently participate in relay legs ranging from 400 to 1200 meters.
During her time at Tennessee, Joetta amassed a staggering 87.5 points in the AIAW and NCAA Championships, combining indoor and outdoor national championships. She also set a total of 10 collegiate records, combining individual and relay events, with four of those coming in national championship finals.
In 1981, Clark helped the Lady Vols deliver the University of Tennessee its first national championship in women's athletics at the AIAW Outdoor Championships. She ran a leg of Tennessee's victorious 4x400-meter relay squad and chipped in a third-place finish in the open 800-meter run as head coach Terry Crawford's squad scored 61 points to fend off runner-up UCLA.
Clark will be Tennessee's first inductee into the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame, which was established by the USTFCCCA in 2022 to honor the best of the best in collegiate track & field and cross country. The hall of fame recognizes the achievements of athletes who have left a lasting mark on the sport during their time in college.
The 2023 induction class will be enshrined on September 14, 2023, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon. The induction ceremony will be open to the public and will be held two days prior to the start of the Prefontaine Classic which has been designated as this year's Diamond League Final.
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