by Jamie Harris
Before current Berkeley Springs High School Athletic Hall of Famer’s Rachel Buser and Valerie Peer were dominating the cross country courses and tracks for the Lady Indians running programs, there was another female athlete who was a dominant runner back in the early 1990s.
Karen Clark burst onto the running scene for the Berkeley Springs High School Lady Indians and head coach John Rowland and never looked back.
Clark was a contender any time she stepped foot onto a cross country course or track. For her outstanding accolades in both sports she has earned her rightful place in the Berkeley Springs High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
She was a three time all state cross country runner for the Lady Indians. Clark was a part of two All Region teams, was a regional champion, All PVC conference for two years and an All Apple Valley League Conference selection for three years.
Clark was a member of the Lady Indians Cross Country Team that was undefeated for three years in dual, tri and quad meets. In her senior year (1991-92) Clark became Berkeley Springs first state girls cross country champion with an outstanding run.
In track Clark was a five time all state runner. She broke the school record in the 1600 meters. Clark was also a member of the Lady Indians state runner-up 4×800 meter relay team that also broke a school record. Clark earned multiple all-conference honors from the Potomac Valley Conference.
The Berkeley Springs High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018 will be presented to the home football crowd on Friday, September 14. The Class of 2018 will officially be inducted on Saturday, September 15 at 6 p.m. Before the induction ceremony there will be a Hall of Fame meal for the inductees and their guests at 5 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.
