Missouri State will host the Richard Clark Invitational on Saturday, September 26 at the Missouri State Cross Country Facility.  The event will feature 570 runners from 21 high school programs as well as middle school programs from around the state of Missouri as well as Kansas and Arkansas.    The event is named in honor of former Missouri State head cross country and track and field coach Richard Clark.  Coach Clark was named the Missouri State Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Coach of The Year five times during his career (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992).  At the helm of the Missouri State cross country program his teams earned seven league titles, including five Mid-Continent Conference Crowns.  His teams had an additional five top three conference finishes.  Clark also spent four years coaching at Kickapoo Junior High and eight years at Parkview High School in Springfield.  A Thayer, Mo. native Clark was a student-athlete for Missouri State seeing action in football, basketball, cross country and track and field.   “Coach Clark was highly successful at MSU but even more impressive has been his reputation as a man dedicated to our sport and to the students he coached,” said current Missouri State Head Cross Country Coach Greg Hipp.  “Coach Clark is someone I hold in high regard and I’m excited we can honor is amazing contributions to Missouri State and our sport with the continued naming of this event in his honor.”   There is no admission charge for spectators and gates open at 7:00am with the event schedule as follows:   8:30 AM - Boy’s and Girl’s Middle School 3,000-meter Race 9:15 AM - Girl’s Varsity 5,000-meter Race 9:55 AM - Boy’s Varsity 5,000-meter Race 10:35 AM - Girl’s Junior Varsity 5,000-meter Race 11:15 AM - Boy’s Junior Varsity 5,000-meter Race 12:00 PM - Awards Ceremony   Spectators should enter the facility through the Division St. gates just east of Highway 65.  Teams will enter through the LeCompete Rd. gates just south of Kearney St. 

Results will be posted at:www.bearstrack.net/richardclark/09results.htm