(Audubon) Audubon’s Co-Ed Track Meet is now known as the Bob Clark Relays. The school re-named the meet in honor of coach Clark who passed away earlier this month.
Audubon girls track coach Tony Konkler was around Clark ever since his days as a junior high student and athlete. He says, “Just every experience with him has been really, really great. He was just a great human being.” Clark’s guidance helped Audubon establish a dynasty in the hurdles. They had Shuttle Hurdle teams at state for girls every year from 2003-17. Their boys team qualified in the Shuttle every year from 2013-19. The girls were champs in 2010 and the boys won it all in 2016. Several other years brought top five finishes, “He took a lot of pride in that.” Konkler says, “I don’t even know how to express it. That’s what he lived for. Truly that’s what he lived for. You knew he was going to coach until the very end. As long as he could.” Audubon also had a pair of 110 Meter High Hurdle champions in recent years with Mitchell Nelsen winning in 2016 and Nolan Smith in 2017.
Coach Clark had a knack for getting his message across to kids. Audubon boys track coach Monte Riebhoff says, “Just his personality number one. He’s one of those guys that is very patient with kids all the way from junior high up to high school. Those kids just buy into the hurdles. There’s days he’d spend hours down there.”
Coach Clark had track on his mind a lot more often than just a couple of months in the spring. “I never had to look at a calendar, because I knew when track season was starting he’d be up in my room asking at the 1st of February ‘Don’t you think we need to get those hurdlers in?’ He was always one of those guys anxious to get started.” Coach Konkler echoes Riebhoff’s comments, “He was always anxious for the season to start. He knew what the start date was because he’d been on the athletic union website. He’d give me a call ask if we had hurdles ready to go and blocks and everything we needed to get going.”
Fittingly, Audubon had success in the hurdle events at their home meet this week. The girls won the Shuttle Hurdle Relay. The boys were 2nd in the Shuttle and had Gavin Smith win both the 110 Highs and 400 Lows. Riebhoff admits, “I thought Gavin ran with a little different edge last night knowing that Bob had passed away. His wife Josie was in the crowd and they had a ceremony for him saying they had re-named the relays so that was really neat.”
Clark passed away in April at the age of 80. The Coon Rapids graduate was a high school state champ and went on to compete in track in college at Northwest Missouri State. Clark taught junior high social studies for over 40 years at Audubon and continued to coach after his retirement from teaching in 2002.
Tony Konkler:
Monte Riebhoff:
