Mary Ellen Clark

Last updated
Mary Ellen Clark
Personal information
BornDecember 25, 1962 (1962-12-25) (age 62)
Abington, Pennsylvania
Height155 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight54 kg (119 lb)
Sport
SportDiving
Event(s)10-meter platform
Springboard diving
College team Pennsylvania State University
ClubMission Bay Makos Divers
Coached byBob Goldberg (Penn State)
Ron O'Brien (Mission Bay)
Vince Panzano (Ohio State)
Medal record
Women's diving
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1992 Barcelona 10 m platform
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1996 Atlanta 10 m platform

Mary Ellen Clark (born December 25, 1962) is an American diver who won a bronze medal in 10-meter platform in both the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. After retiring as a diving competitor, in 2004 she worked as a diving coach at Amherst and Mount Holyoke Colleges, and later at Wellesley College from 2012-2014. [1]

Contents

Early life

Clark was born on December 25, 1962, in Abbington, Pennsylvania to a family of seven. Likely influencing her future athletic focus, her father Gene was an accomplished diver and team captain at Penn State University. Beginning to dive at the age of seven, she attended the national championships at age 10 and won a national championship at 15. She attended Radnor High School, where she was a State Champion as a Senior, graduating in 1981. [2] [3]

She received her B.S. in Health and Physical Education in 1985 [3] from Pennsylvania State University where she competed for the Lady Lion's Head Coach Bob Goldberg, and Assistant Coach Nancy Jannarone. As a Freshman in mid-March, 1982, she won titles in both the 1 and 3-meter springboard at the Eastern Association Championship, as part of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, qualifying for the National Championships in Austin, Texas. [2] At Pennsylvania State, Clark was swim team captain her senior year. After graduating Pen State, and focusing more on the platform event, she was a National Champion in Platform diving in 1987, and 1992. [4]

Clark attended the 1988 Olympic trials but finished seventh in her specialty, the 10-meter platform, putting her well out of the running to qualify. In an equally disappointing turn of events, she left the trials suffering from a left shoulder injury which required surgery, but she eventually recovered. [3]

She received her M.S. in Health and Physical Education from Ohio State University in 1991, where she continued to train as an elite diver with OSU Diving Coach Vince Panzano. [5] [6] After completing her Masters degree and training with Vince Panzano at Ohio State, she moved to Florida to train with Ron O'Brien's Mission Bay Diving Team around 1991. [3]

Olympics

She won Olympic bronze medals in 10-meter platform diving at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. [1]

Diving highlights

She suffered with vertigo, which resulted in dizzy spells that began to bother her in 1992. She missed all of the 1995 season as they increased in frequency. She went through natural holistic therapies to treat her disorder, and resumed her diving career.( Source: "Radical Cures." from A&E Channel program. "Mysteries of the Unexplained". uploaded from doc spots in YouTube)

She was a member of the United States National Diving Team beginning in 1996. She was a three-time member of the United States Pan American Team and a seven-time National Champion. [6] Clark won seven US titles, five on platform and two in springboard diving. In 1994 she was a triple national champion, winning the platform and taking first place finishes on both the 1 and 3-meter springboards. [1]

Coaching diving

She began as the Head Diving Coach at Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College in 2004, [7] and served as the diving coach at Amherst Regional High School (Amherst, Massachusetts). [6]

She coached three Amherst College divers to NCAA Division III Nationals qualifications in the 2007–2008 season, [8] and one of her divers, Kai Robinson, was the 2008 NCAA Division III Men's National Diving Champion on both the 1 and 3 meter boards. [9]

She coached the Wellesley College diving team from 2012-2014. [7]

Honors

Clark was voted one of the "Top-10 women athletes in America" in 1996" by the USOC. In 2008, Clark received New England Small College Athletic Conference Diving Coach of the Year honors, as well as NCAA Division III Diving Coach of the Year honors. [7] [8]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Olympedia Biography, Mary Ellen Clark". Olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Kowalski, Pete, "Stretch Clark Takes a Dive", Centre Daily Times, State College, Pennsylvania, 15 May 1982, pg. 22
  3. 1 2 3 4 Morkikes, Chris, "Diver Seeks a Spot at Barcelona '92", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 20 June 1991, pg. 289
  4. "Penn State's Participation in the Olympics, Profile: Mary Ellen Clark". psu.edu. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  5. "Ohio State Buckeyes, Mary Ellen Clark, 1992-1996". olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Olympic Medalist Mary Ellen Clark to Present Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series Lecture". hhd.psu.edu. September 16, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Brad Avery (October 22, 2015). "Sudbury kids get diving lessons from Olympian". The MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Amherst Places 10th at NCAA Championships; Kai Robinson Named Diver of the Meet". athletics.amherst.edu. March 22, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  9. "Bonewell, Scott & Kuster earn top NESCAC awards/11 Ephs All-NESCAC". ephsports.williams.edu. March 4, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2019.