July 12, 2010

LOS ANGELES - Graduated senior Shalina Clarke has been selected as the USC nominee for the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year Award for her outstanding efforts on the track, in the classroom and in the community.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics, leadership and community service. The top 30 honorees (10 from each division) and the nine finalist will be announced in September by the NCAA News online. The winner of the NCAA Woman of the Year for 2010 will be announced during a celebration Sunday, October 17 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Clarke has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) while at USC and has also served as an Executive Board member of the group. She is a Leadership Team member of Athletes in Action and created a community service project called Cry Out which mobilized USC students to visit housing projects, afterschool programs and homeless shelters to participate in activities like cleaning the streets, painting classrooms, distributing food to the underserved and working with children. She has also been active in Haitat for Humanity and has done some work at Skid Row.

Clarke was a three-time All-American in track and field as a 100-meter high hurdler and member of the Trojan relay teams. Clarke ran a 13.09 100m HH time at the NCAA Preliminary Rounds in 2010 which was the third-fastest time ever in the event by a Trojan female. She also was part of the ninth-fastest time ever posted by a USC women's 4x100m relay team and part of the sixth and seventh best 4x400m relay times by a Trojan female quartet.