Heptathlete Clarke of Valley Signs With UNLV

Melanie Clarke, the 1990 and ’91 state junior college champion in the women’s heptathlon for Valley College, has signed a letter of intent with Nevada Las Vegas.

Clarke, 21, originally made a commitment to USC in the summer of 1991, but those plans were put on hold when she became pregnant that fall. She did not compete last year.

Clarke, who gave birth to her daughter Reshae a year ago, competed unattached in a few meets this season while trying to plan the remainder of her collegiate career. Clarke will have two years of athletic eligibility remaining at UNLV.

“I think I kind of needed the break,” Clarke said of her time away from track. “But now I think I’m ready to come back.”

She said she narrowed her choices to USC, Fresno State and Nevada Las Vegas before choosing the Rebels.

“We kind of used this season as a way for her to get her feet wet again,” Valley assistant James Harvey said. “UNLV is getting a real talent.”

Clarke, a 1989 graduate of El Camino Real High, has a 7-0 career record in the heptathlon, which consists of the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shotput and 200 on the first day, and the long jump, javelin and 800 on the second.

She has a personal best of 5,352 points in the heptathlon, and has also run 53.43 seconds in the 400 and 14.5 in the 100 hurdles, and spanned 19 feet 7 1/2 inches in the long jump.

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