Woman of the Year finalist: Cristin Clark

Published 6:31 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Early in their marriage, Cristin Clark’s husband, Brady, suggested they had a chance to win several national curling titles.

“I was thinking just one would be incredible,” Cristin Clark said.

She evidently had no idea how formidable she and her husband would be. Because in 2012 the couple won two national titles, pushing their career total to 12. Nine of those championships were in mixed curling (teams of two men and two women), and three were in mixed doubles.

The Clarks, who live in Lynnwood, won one of each in 2012, and they also advanced to the 2012 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Erzurum, Turkey, last April as the United States representative. They began the tournament well, finishing with a 6-2 record in their group and then defeating China in the quarterfinal round.

Unfortunately, the Clarks lost to a team from Switzerland in the semifinals, then to an Austrian team in the bronze-medal match to place fourth, out of the medals. Still, their finish at worlds was a best for the Clarks, who also competed in mixed doubles at worlds in 2009 and 2011. It was also the best finish in history for a U.S. team at that tournament.

In July, the Clarks were named Team of the Year by USA Curling.

For her accomplishments last year, Cristin Clark was a finalist for The Herald’s 2012 Woman of the Year in Sports award.

She is, it should be known, a tremendous competitor. Tremendous for her accomplishments, but also tremendous for her determination to compete no matter what — even when pregnant. Cristin Clark was 61/2 months pregnant in 2011 when she and Brady finished sixth in mixed doubles at worlds. They now have a young son, Sean.