Joe Clark
Sprinter - Men's Track & Field

How much focus does your team put on the upcoming outdoor Mid-American Conference Championships?
The season has been a little slow to develop because of the bad weather we’ve had. But, our whole emphasis throughout the year is to prepare for the MAC Championships. We set up the whole season to peak at the end and do our best at that point.

Aside from sprinting, what other types of running do you do in preparation for meets?
In the fall season, we have a lot of different methods of preparation – we run in the grass, for example. That is all base training, which gives us the endurance we need to get through the season. Once we are in the season, we do a lot more short stuff and focus heavily on technique.

What does it mean to you to hold records in both the indoor and outdoor, 200 and 400 events at UB?
It means a lot, but I would certainly like to break both of the outdoor marks again. I’m proud of any record I get at UB, including some of the relay teams I’ve been on.

What goes into a best time? Do the conditions have to be perfect for you?
Actually, when I broke the 400 mark I just happened to be real crazy that day. I just wanted to go out after the record and get it. Usually I run well at the MAC Championships, which is where I set that outdoor 400 mark.

How much have the experiences at the Empire State Games helped you out?
I’ve been doing that over the last three years and it’s a lot of fun. It gives you something to do over the summer and it brings all of the area athletes together. It helps me stay in shape, but for the most part I just do it because I love track and it’s just a great event.

What types of training have you been involved in over your summers aside from the Empire State Games?
Last summer, I experimented with a Michael Johnson-based training program, just to see how my body reacted to it. I run in a couple small meets, but for the most part it is just training and not much competition.

How different has your track experience been at UB as compared to Troy State, where you attended school before transferring to Buffalo?
The atmosphere is great within both of the programs. Troy State has a smaller team, which allows for the team to be close. At UB, there are a lot more athletes but the attitude is still great.

What is the level of competition in the MAC as compared to other conferences throughout the country?
To me, the MAC is one of the top three or four track conferences in the country. It is loaded with great athletes. The winners of the events I run in are often times ranked near the top of the country.

How much did the opportunity to return to your hometown play into your decision to transfer to UB?
It made a big difference in my decision. I went to high school at Sweet Home, which is right next to UB. One of my goals in coming back here was to better the program, and maybe to convince some of the top local athletes to attend UB. The other major factor in my decision to transfer to UB was that I knew our head coach, Perry Jenkins, pretty well.

What are your plans upon the completion of this season?
I plan on moving to Orlando when the season ends. I am graduating as a legal studies major and my goal is to be a state trooper in either Florida or New York. As far as athletic goals, I will continue to train and try to qualify for the Olympic Trials in 2004.

-The ‘10 Questions with…’ feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.

05/13/2003