SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Former Syracuse University field hockey player Julie Clark '93 was inducted to the Orange Plus Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 28, at Drumlin's Country Club. Chancellor Emeritus Kenneth Shaw and his wife, Mary Ann Shaw, were inducted as honorary members. The Orange Plus Hall of Fame recognizes exceptional Syracuse Sportswomen and those individuals who support women's athletics at Syracuse University.
"I am tremendously honored to be inducted into the Syracuse University Orange Plus Hall of Fame," Clark said. "It's a compliment to me, the women with whom I played and the coaching staff that led us along the way. Syracuse field hockey has played such an important role in my life both personally and professionally, so to be recognized is a thrill."
As a senior at SU in 1993, Clark earned All-America and regional All-America recognition. She was a first-team All-BIG EAST honoree on her way to helping SU to its first-ever BIG EAST Conference Championship and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. She served as team captain in 1992 and 1993. She received the Lucille Verhulst Award as the most valuable person on the team in 1993, and was twice voted defensive MVP.
Since graduating from Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science, Clark has kept field hockey a central focus of her life. She is currently in her first season as assistant field hockey coach at Skidmore College and her fourth year as assistant director of the East West Field Hockey Camps. Her field hockey camps enroll 500 players and a staff of 60 from all around the nation.
Prior to accepting her current position at Skidmore, Clark worked as assistant field hockey coach at SUNY New Paltz, Providence College, James Madison University and the University of Richmond. During her two-year stay at New Paltz (2002-04), Clark took on additional responsibilities as the athletics facility manager.
Clark's first job out of college was head field hockey coach at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey from 1994-98. In addition to her coaching responsibilities at Drew, she also served one-year stints as an assistant to the athletics director and as the department's business manager. She instructed physical education skills classes including strength and conditioning, tennis, and aerobics. In 1998, Clark was voted the Middle Atlantic Conference, Freedom League's Co-Coach of the Year.
Active in the United States Field Hockey Association's Futures Program, Clark has worked numerous camps and clinics since 1994, including the Syracuse University Field Hockey Camp. She even founded and directed her own camp called Clark Field Hockey Camps.
In 1998, Clark was a member of the Division III National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American Committee, the Regional Ranking Committee and the Regional All-American Committee.
The Shaw's hosted the annual Orange Plus Senior Reception at their residence from 1992-2004. Avid sports enthusiasts, the couple frequently attended women's athletics events at the Carrier Dome and the Lampe Athletics Complex.
Orange Plus, founded in 1979, is the support organization for women's athletics at Syracuse University. It has grown during the past 25 years into one of the largest and most active organizations of the SU Orange Pack. Funds raised through contributions and special projects benefit 12 women's varsity sports. Orange Plus has donated equipment and contributed to teams' trips abroad.
Established in 1974, the Orange Pack is the parent organization for athletic fund raising at Syracuse. Through gifts from more than 7,000 members, the Orange Pack gives special assistance to SU's 21 varsity teams. The Varsity Club of Syracuse University is an active network of more than 1,500 former student-athletes who earned SU varsity letters. Chartered in 1934, the club offers a variety of services to members and sponsors the annual LetterWinner of Distinction Awards. All Syracuse letterwinners are eligible to join the Varsity Club.