The Clark surname is synonymous with wrestling success at Franklin Community High School, though the latest family wrestler approaches her career differently than her father and uncles.
That’s correct — her.
Freshman Lanie Clark, whose family accounted for seven sectional championships and an individual state title in the early 2000s, isn’t the first girl hoping to make an impact for the program run by longtime coach Bob Hasseman.
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Clark is, however, the only one to be part of Franklin program in January.
The demands the no-nonsense Hasseman puts on athletes has weeded out males and females alike over his 33 years in charge. Clark, who has a 5-4 record in the 106-pound division for the Franklin junior varsity squad, becomes more of a trailblazer with every practice she attends.
“I would like to be a state champion as a girl. Not in the guys division, but as a female and be the first one to actually make it through the season as a girl at Franklin,” Clark said. “I just go out there, give it my all and hope for the best.”
Clark is the daughter of 2006 Franklin graduate Chris Clark, who, like older brothers Aaron (2001) and Brandon (2002), spent much of his childhood in a blue and white singlet. Aaron Clark capped a 48-0 senior season by winning the state championship as a 103-pounder.
Lanie Clark’s goals are similar, but different. The 15-year-old is currently Hasseman’s third-best option at 106 pounds in varsity meets and would have no problem competing against varsity boys from other schools should her career advance to such a level.
But with girls wrestling gaining popularity in other states, Clark often competes against females at weekend tournaments while still being a member of the Grizzly Cub boys squad.
“When we have our school meets, I wrestle against guys. But when my dad finds girl tournaments he tells me to tell coach Hasseman and I sign up for those,” Lanie Clark said. “Wrestling is wrestling.”
The seeds of Clark’s wanting to wrestle were planted as a sixth-grader watching her little brother, Macklin, compete in tournaments. She thought it looked fun and asked her father if she could get started in the sport. He consented.
“(Wrestling varsity) is one of my goals, but not one of my main ones,” said Clark, whose busy schedule includes maintaining a 3.4 grade-point average. “Win or lose, I’m still proud of myself either way.”
As well she should.
Lanie Clark first wrestled in seventh grade, but she was uncomfortable with the transition and quit before the season was over. She returned last season to be part of Franklin’s middle school team, carrying that dedication into her freshman year.
She is 10-0 against girls wrestlers this season going into the Indiana High School Girls Wrestling (IHSGW) regional, which starts today at Franklin. Clark hopes to advance to the IHSGW state championships at Hamilton Heights next Friday.
“She has just kind of stepped away from that negativity to do what she wants to do,” Chris Clark said. “The first thing I tell her before she gets on the mat is that I’m proud of her. And I’m probably more nervous than she is.
“Lanie doesn’t just talk the talk. She walks the walk. And there are a lot of young girls out there that look up to her not just because of wrestling, but because she’s a straight-A student.”
Hasseman, who has coached four individual state champions in his three-plus decades at Franklin, breaks new ground every day Clark is part of the program. Without getting into detail, Hasseman said coaching a girl forces him to alter certain wrestling-related terminology during practices so not to possibly offend Clark.
The admiration he has for her is obvious.
“One thing about Lanie is this: she’s really a good wrestler. I’m not going to lie — two years, three years ago I had no 106. I would’ve given my right arm to have her,” Hasseman said. “There are guys out there she can compete really well with.”
“The big deal is … I’ve had guys that weren’t as tough as her. She doesn’t cry. She doesn’t whine. She practices through everything, and my practices are tough.”
