Coaching Highlights:
Record: 51-62 (7th Season)
Synapse.com National Coach of the Year: 1 (2021)
SAC Coach of the Year: 1 (2021)
SAC Tournament Championships: 2 (2021 & 2022)
SAC Regular Season Championships: 1 (2021)
SAC Division Championships: 1 (2022)
National Player of the Year: 1
All-American Awards: 9
National All-Rookie Team: 4
SAC Player of the Year: 4
All-Conference Selections: 15
All-Tournament Selections: 8
SAC Tournament MVPS: 2
SAC Elite 23 Award: 1
NFHCA National Academic Team: 5
NFHCA National Academic Squad: 48
NFHCA Scholars of Distinction: 12
Presidential Honor Roll: 40
SAC Comissioner's Honor Roll: 14
CSC Academic All-District: 7
In her seventh season as the Valkyries head field hockey coach, Clarke guided Converse back to the South Atlantic Conference Tournamnet. The Valkyries finished the season with an 8-9 overall record and a 6-8 record in South Atlatnic Conference action. Under the guidances of Clarke, Catalina Pistaccio became the first three-time All-American in Converse history and was named to the All-Conference First Team for the fourth straight season. Freshman Amparo Figueroa became the fourth Valkyrie to be named to the Synapse.com All-Rookie team, following a successful freshman season.
In her sixth season as the head coach of the Field Hockey team, Clarke guided the Valkyries back to a South Atlantic Conference Tournament Appearance. Converse finished the season with an 8-10 overall record and a 6-8 record in South Atlatnic Conference play. Under the guidance of Clarke, Catalina Pistaccio became the first two-time All-American in Converse history and was named to the All-Conference First Team for the third straight season. Off the field, Clarke had 11 players named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad, two players named NFHCA Scholars of Distinction, 16 named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll, and eight named to the Dean's List.
The 2022 season was not a let done for Clarke and the Valkyries Field Hockey program, in her fifth season Clarke guided Converse to a 17-2 overall record, 11-1 conference record, the SAC Mountain Division Championship and the SAC Tournament Championship. For the first time in program history the field hockey team was nationally ranked every week in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, Clarke also guided the Valkyries to their longest winning streak in program history (11 games) and their best start in program history (9-0). Under Clarke's coaching the Valkyries offense exploded onto the nation scene in 2022, Converse was ranked second nationally in eight different statistical categories and they won seven SAC statistical championships this season. This past season, three players earned All-America honors, four players earned SAC All-Tournament honors including the SAC Tournament MVP, four players earned SAC First Team All-Conference honors and one player earned SAC Second Team All-Conference honors. For the second consecutive season Clarke coached both the SAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year winners. Clarke also had one athlete named National Offensive Player of the Year by Synapse.com and one athlete win a pair of NCAA Individual Statistical Championships. Off the field the success continued in the classroom with one player earn SAC Elite 23 honors. Converse also had 16 athletes named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad, four athletes named to the NFHCA Scholars of Distinction list, a trio of athletes named to the College Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District Team and 24 named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll.
Entering her fourth season at the helm of the Valkyries Field Hockey program, Clarke guided the Valkyries through one of the most magical season's in program history. It was a season of firsts for the 2021 Field Hockey team, they became the first team to win their home opener, they became the first team to defeat a Top-10 opponent and the 2021 team holds the longest winning-streak in program history. Clarke guided the Valkyries to their first ever Regular Season SAC/CC Championship, their first ever Tournament win and their first ever Tournament Championship. Clarke was named the SAC/CC Coach of the Year following the Valkyries Regular Season Championship. Converse had a school record five players make the All-Conference teams, including four named to the first team. Clarke also coached the 2021 SAC/CC Offensive Player of the Year, 2021 SAC/CC Defensive Player of the Year and the 2021 SAC/CC Freshman of the Year. Clarke had four players named to the SAC/CC All-Tournament Team, including the tournament MVP. At the end of the season, Clarke had one player named a consensus First Team All-American for the first time in program history. Clarke also had two players named to the Synapse.com All-Rookie team and was named National Coach of the Year by outlet.
Clarke, who served as the club administrator, elite head coach, and goalkeeping coach for the Milwaukee Field Hockey Club, will bring close to a decade of coaching experience to a young Converse team that will be entering its third year of competition in 2019 and looking to make strides in the growing conference. Clarke recently brought in a record-breaking class of 13 incoming players for the season, pushing the roster total to its highest in 3 years at 18 total players.
Prior to Converse, Clarke was an assistant coach at Concordia Wisconsin for 2 seasons, focusing on the goalkeeper development while also helping to start the program from scratch in 2016. Clarke helped Concordia earn numerous awards in its first 2 seasons, including their goalie being named to SAA all-tournament team in 2017, along with a 2nd team All-Region player and rookie of the year for conference in 2017. Included in her duties at CUW were travel planning and student athlete recruitment.
Clarke spent four seasons as the head coach of the elite level travel teams of the Milwaukee Field Hockey Club in Mequon, Wisc., focusing on the U16 level and the newer athletes' development. She also was an assistant coach for the U14 team, who finished 6th at the National Club Championship in 2017. On the recruiting front she helped to recruit players who wanted to continue at the next level post-graduation and currently has former players at all 3 division levels in college.
Prior to her stint at the club level Clarke coached high school Field Hockey for University School of Milwaukee from 2010-11 and then Divine Savior Holy Angels High School from 2011-15. In 2010, her team won the Wisconsin State Championship after an undefeated season.
Clarke graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and German from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. She played all four years for the Lynx as a goalkeeper, where she led the conference in goals against average during her senior season. Clarke also helped guide her team to conference championships during her freshman and senior campaigns. She also obtained her Masters of Science in Sport Management from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee in 2012.
Clarke returns back to the southeast after graduating in 2006 from The Asheville School, a private boarding school in nearby Asheville, North Carolina. At Asheville, she was a three-sport athlete where she won multiple conference championships and state awards for field hockey, snowboard racing, and soccer.
Clarke resides in the Greenville area with her husband, James, and their chocolate lab, Sadie.
