The future of his wrestling career also isn’t as certain as anyone would like it to be in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. While no definite obstacles to his senior season have been put forth at this time, there are very likely to be disruptions. For now, Clarke is focused only on what he can control, which is his level of preparation to compete on the mat.
“Although COVID has caused me to adjust my whole life, I live in a house full of other wrestlers, so we still find ways to lift, wrestle, and work out,” he said. “I don’t plan on my law school schedule interfering with my wrestling either, especially now that I’m in the part-time program. My goal of becoming AU’s second national champion hasn’t changed since I stepped foot on campus.”
Clarke made plenty of progress toward that goal in his redshirt junior season when he was, at one point, ranked as high as seventh in NCAA Division I at 149 pounds. After finishing with 36 wins to rank third all-time at AU in a single season, and placing fourth at the EIWA Championships, Clarke earned his first-ever spot at the NCAA Championships. Unfortunately, COVID led to the abrupt cancellation of those championships just a week out.
The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) decided to honor All-Americans based on their body of work throughout the year. Clarke and teammate Tanner Harvey both earned Honorable Mention All-America status, and Clarke was also named the wrestling team's MVP at the virtual year-end banquet.
“Having the support system I have with my coaches, my family, my girlfriend, all my teammates behind me having my back, it just made this year such a bright one," he said. "It's unfortunate how it ended, but there's a lot of momentum moving forward and I'm excited for the future.”