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Till- lIFIUln Wednesday February Ian Clark- in his own world class Ian Clark been running most or life for the chance to he the best in the world Now that dream could come true at World Junior Championships in Paris irk a Itg injury may get In the way The student h suffering from a micro stress fracture of the bone In his loner leg Although he Is In it In it wild whirlpool baths and ultrasound treat mi ils while still trying to keep up his training with swims etc work he still Isn sure whether his doctor will ill him tocompclellehopcstiO says he would run if lt the okay even though he could re injure the j further The final will take place this weekend he spoke with Colin Gibson about his I irk should be leaving Canada Saturday and in Pins trance isa theCanadian li which will In the World Junior Cross championships scheduled for March Tins would be lark second crack at thy World Junior ross field where in 1979 he made an It bin lie finished fifth in a field of over 100 i miners mid this represented the second best showing ever innlnnil this world event The previous year Rob I- of Toronto pi iced second TIil imdian team placed eighth out of teams in Hi competition Is optimistic about Canada limes it the upcoming championships Tin Georgetown runner won I be 19 until September i Inn hi will on longer be i junior and his 135 pounds is slri economically over a five feci 10 inch frame lie is grade at Georgetown and Hi li t allowed his In interfere classroom work He is an A sports a highly creditable 78 percent average lrHlrSTSIItkf running was sparked jui I ijli si Clark wanted to gel involved in sports lit i im and the competitive ispect As is in is the first sport on calendar he I mill up His lilent is noticeable is ho left mi li fivi county eh impionships in Inck ind i under his Willi open I liijfLli school continued lo ill juii I tutelar of toadies Metcalfe and into this springs Ontario Federation of e nil rv Athletic Associations track and field i I irk is n treed is the figure on the In tin of competition lie has won four Ontnrio i 1 1 second only once ll is 1 runier some note wilh the powerful ill ii Optimists His is irnes lln iriitis melhxLs seems to squeeze the Ink liken under Barnes winj in the fill of li itinnsl i As club competitor i J is won three Ontario Trick and Id it crosscountry distances He ilso I it id jiinii championship His with the Optimists led Clark to the i 1 lumfir country championship staged in in fill of 1978 There he In ii well competing as a firs year Junior and tin ind of those in attendance by handily nit III let to his 191 debut on Hie world prestigious Toronto Star Maple Indoor nits Toronto s Maple Gardens has also Last year Mini tin high school metre race this in in the Open metre fun a respectable third in the in in m field with i time of 1 503 I irk s best limp in indoor I metres is 51 I id rwi n ihlt lo Hint In this particular race nit it would hive again been regarded as something I is hi wis against a highly competitive Oil Tint Tin IT9 other highlights for irk is runner reckoned with At Ontario Senior Indoors champion I ips I irk pheed fourth out of 10 in the metre race l runners His time of broke the old in junior mark held by Rob Earl by more than This past June he competed in the Pan American in is in the metre event and placed fourth His turn of however set a new Canadian junior ml ird for the outdoor metres Clark Is the present Idi r of two Canadian junior track records and is well villi striking distance of three others man who has morelhan just a hint of future grcitncss in the track world Clark is quietly mi Itis attitude closely parallels that of American speed skating phenomonon trlc all the hoopla and gushing superlatives sprayed it them both appear to have the uncanny ability to put things in and not become either or mi regocd by their athlelie accomplish In CI sc family background undoubtedly has loi In do with Ins even keel eel outlook and lack of pretension His older brother John now in his fourth year University in Kingston was a starting safety football team older sister Cathy now second vear at Queens was quite a high school runner m her own right Her high school running career highlighted by a fourth in the metres ind second place finish in the OrSSAA crosscountry championships His parents Beth and Don have also provided solid support fnr throughout his running career Mr Clark more often than not can usually be found quietly hovering behind the scene whenever Ian competes CH HUT TO HIM However the lion share of the credit for Clark commendable attitude must go to the runner himself In this age of overblown overpaid and often overrated athletes Clark has set his own standards and sticks by He has always enjoyed the team aspect of sports and throughout his years has never held himself above the team Indeed meets before and alter his own particular race or races Clark could always be found at the front of the pack vocal encouragement to his competing teammates He also realizes that his athletic ability while still on tht upswing is fleeting and represents just a part of Ian the person Asked why he runs the immediate response is Because I enjoy running and enjoy competing He enjoys the atmosphere of competing a gainst the best and feels that last year s World Junior Championships had a positive effect on him I got caught up in the atmosphere he admits but was a positive thing and I want stay at that competitive level As for how long his running career will last Clark provides a realistic response I don have any long term goals he says although some things ore in the back of my mind but I prefer setting short term goals and taking things one step at a time I always have IK says his immediate goal is to do well the upcoming world junior crosscountry championships This summer he will compete the Canadian Track ind I- Associations Olympic Trials if a boycott is not in effect in the metre event for which he qualified Then ills eyes south as he has made up his mind to accept in athletic scholarship in the States lark has been contacted by over major United States universities concerning an athletic scholarship including Notre Dame the University of Cahfornn at Princeton VHIanova Kansas East Tennessee Mile Western Kentucky and He is leaning towards the University of California llerkety for a number of reasons not the least of which is university excellent academic reputation He plans tnimjnriu business and gel i solid educational foundation bee niseis he puts it You won the running all your life university also offers an excellent track program iLunst calibre competition and its in California is for distance running training Hi first begin to perceive his potential as world diss runner two years ago but this realization his ither his training methods or Ins overall outlook With he exception of three weeks during his competitive season when he suffered an injury he has lieen in continuous days a from the fill 1075 lit daily in ind around commutes to York University in Toronto i wick mikes use of the indoor facility there him to log approximately 70 ilis wrek but this varies iceordmg to the in his low key refuses to spteuhte on just what Hie future holds for him in highly t iss running ranks muses I don t want to rush I II just lake things as they tome and let my actions Hi is definitely committed to running at four vcirs for i United Stiles University and m limit i forlheScirloriujliOptmiisli but beyond that hi In Tin IHHOIjmpics if they are ever held obviously liMim n tin linn in but igam is committal on it subject He ants to go as fir as hi in In rl to reach the absolute peak When he Ins itioinplishtd tint irdless of the time ime he will knot islmie to up his spikes without rcgrcl and with his life A Imdihlt objeclivi and one few of us ever