Jearl Miles Clark Day Information
HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- Jearl Miles-Clark has recalled Alabama A&M as a "place where she "had a chance to grow up and not get lost."
Five-time Olympian Jearl Miles-Clark will be honored by her alma mater, Alabama A&M
It was a place where she had a chance to grow as an athlete, help develop a career in which she was a member of five U.S. Olympic track teams and, most recently, earn induction last December into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
On Friday, she'll be honored on "Jearl Miles-Clark Day" at Alabama A&M, celebrating her career.
Miles-Clark will be presented to the Alabama state legislature in Montgomery on Thursday, then will be presented at a program at 9 a.m. Friday at the A&M new school of business building. She will visit three local schools before a luncheon and then, at 3 p.m. an autograph session at Parkway City Mall.
Miles-Clark grew up in Archer, Fla., not far from Gainesville, and was discovered by long-time Alabama A&M track coach Joe Henderson while she was competing in the long jump. She figured on that being her specialty at A&M as well. But as she participated in the same training program as the runners, Henderson noticed her running skill. And when one of members of a relay team was hurt, he put her in the lineup.
She was impressive enough to make the 1988 U.S. Olympic team as an alternate. In 1992, she joined Natasha Kaiser, Gwen Torrence and Rochelle Stevens to win a silver medal in the 4x400 relay.
She won gold medals in 1996 (along with Stevens, Maicel Malone and Kim Graham) and 2000; the latter was stripped because teammate Marion Jones was revealed to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
Miles-Clark also participated in two Olympics in the 400 and 800, and is a former world champ in both events. She still holds the American record for the 800.
Miles-Clark lives in Knoxville with her husband J.J. and son Jorell.
J.J. Clark is the director of track & field and the women's cross-country coach at the University of Tennessee. (He's also a bit of pop culture trivia: His father Joe is the high school principal portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the movie "Lean on Me."
