BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University Athletics continues its Great Moments in Cardinals History series.
  With his sights set on returning the program to its former glory, Lamar University's Trey Clark stepped back on campus in 1994 as an assistant coach of the track and field program. He became the program's sixth head coach in August 1999, and has led the Cardinals to unprecedented success since that day.

Clark, now the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, is entering his 21st season at the helm, and has 16 team and 120 individual Southland Conference championships in that time. He has coached 19 league Athletes of the Year and 10 All-Americans, 11 Southland Conference Newcomers of the Year, 14 Freshmen of the Year, 10 Outstanding Track Performers and eight high point scorers in that time, along with 40 current Lamar record holders and 125 athletes who currently rank in the top five in the school's record books.

Quite possibly one of his best accomplishments could be the restoration of Lamar's distance program. The men's side won its 12th championship in 15 years in 2019, and before that both programs swept the league in 2013 and 2014. The distance Cardinals have had at least one league Athlete of the Year since 2013, and had two in 2014 (Minttu Hukka and Sam Stabler). In 2018 Clark and Houchin coached Jamie Crowe to an NCAA South Central Regional individual title, and sent Crowe and Jordan Rowe to the NCAA National Championships, the first time any Southland Conference runner has reached nationals since 2015. Rowe won the SLC Individual championship in 2019 and returned to the NCAA National Championships that season.
 
LU gained its first distance all-American since 1969 when Francis Kasagule achieved in back-to-back seasons in 2006-07.  Since then Samuel Kosgei (2008) and Johnsen (2012) have both done it.  As a team, the men were one spot away from earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in 2014 and the women two spots away.

Please continue to check back with LamarCardinals.com as we continue to update more Great Moments in Cardinals History.
 
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