Sitka’s Clare Mullin named Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year for girls track and field

Following a dominant junior season in which she led the Sitka High School girls track and field team to a successful title defense at the Division II state championship meet, Clare Mullin on Tuesday became the first athlete in program history to be named Alaska’s Gatorade Player of the Year for girls track and field.

After winning a Division II state championship in cross country in the fall, Mullin was just as dominant in the spring: The 5-foot-4 middle distance and distance talent pulled off a rare triple crown by finishing first in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter races at the state championships to cap off this past season. She was also part of the second-place 4x400 relay quartet. Her podium-topping performances increased her career title total to nine, between cross country and track and field, with another year left to cement her legacy by adding to an already illustrious list of accolades.

[Previously: Freshmen phenoms claim titles and several champions repeat on Day 2 of state track and field championships]

At the USA Track and Field-sanctioned Brian Young Invitational, which is an All-Division meet of the state’s top athletes, Mullin was the first to cross the finish line in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:12.19. She also came in first in the 1,600 with a mark of 4:58.40.

“Clare is a dedicated competitor and has the sports IQ to be successful in the distance running events,” Mountain City Christian Academy head coach Serge Duchatellier said in a statement. “As a Division 2 school, our athletes sometimes struggle against the Division 1 athletes at the BYI meet, but not Clare. She gave everyone a run for their money and she’s a fierce competitor.”

This prestigious honor recognizes a student-athlete for their scholastic excellence and exemplary character as well as athletic dominance, all of which Mullin embodies.

In addition to maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom, she is a member of the Sitka High School robotics team and volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach for Sitka Rush Soccer, offering instruction for players whose grade levels ranged from kindergarten through the fifth grade. Mullin also served as a volunteer coach at a one-day, female-led soccer clinic for girls this past winter.