Owen senior swings her way across the Swannanoa Valley
Tinley Clark commits to play softball and golf at Montreat College
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 11, 2024
Owen senior Tinley Clark, surrounded by her family, April 10, signs with the Montreat College softball and golf programs. Photo by Fred McCormick
Heading into the final season of her high school career, a difficult decision loomed for Tinley Clark. The Owen senior and multi-sport athlete was determined to continue competing at the next level, but torn between a sport she loved her entire life and another she had grown to cherish over the past two years.
That quandary resolved itself, April 10, as Clark committed to Montreat College, where she will swing her softball bat and golf clubs while remaining in the Swannanoa Valley.
Becoming a two-sport collegiate athlete was not something Clark, who has competed as a member of the Warlassies softball, golf and basketball teams, ever imagined.
“If you would’ve asked me six months ago, I would have probably told you I was going to college and solely focusing on academics,” she said. “It was always a dream of mine to play college softball, but as a young child I had a lot of health issues. When I was 12, I was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of scoliosis, so I never really knew if college sports was going to be in my future.”
In 2018, Clark underwent spinal fusion surgery that corrected the curvature through the placement of two rods and 18 screws. Those challenges, however, did little to prevent her from returning to her lifelong passion.
“I’ve been playing softball for literally as long as I can remember,” she said. “My older brother played baseball at a young age, and I was always a younger sister who wanted to follow in his footsteps. He got me into it, but I instantly fell in love with the team environment and the game itself.”
Clark earned a spot on the Warlassies varsity softball roster as a freshman, bringing a positive attitude and strong work ethic to the program, according to head coach Pete Ledford.
“She tries to tackle everything that’s put in front of her, and she does it without complaining,” said the fourth-year coach. “She always shows up to the field ready to do what needs to be done, and that approach has really made her a leader on this team.”
Clark, the sole senior on this year’s softball roster, was introduced to a new sport as a junior, following a 2021 knee injury. Golf, she discovered, offered a low-impact alternative to softball.
“At that time, there was only one player (Keira Johnson) and Owen didn’t have a women’s golf team,” she said. “My friend’s dad told me he thought I should look into golf, so I talked to one of my friends and softball teammates, and we went to try it. “
Clark ‘s athleticism, according to Warlassies head golf coach John Knight, eased her transition into the game, as she qualified for the NCHSAA 1A/2A Regional Tournament during her first season.
“A lot of softball players are strong, so Tinley came in hitting the ball well off the tee,” he said. “Once she saw how fun that was, she started working really hard on improving in other aspects of her game.”
Clark recruited multiple fellow softball players to the golf program when she returned last spring, as the senior led the team to a Western Highlands Conference Championship, reviving a program Knight established, in 1998, as the first women’s high school golf team in Buncombe County.
“I really started to love it as much as softball, just in a different way,” Clark said. “It really puts you in this position where it’s you vs. yourself, and I think it really forces you to think about your own response to situations. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about life through softball and golf.”
Tinley Clark is joined by softball and golf teammates, April 10, as she commits to play both sports at Montreat College. Photo by Fred McCormick
While playing both sports offered balance, the experience also introduced Clark to many people, including Montreat assistant softball coach Alyssa Hudson, who coached the player on the Carolina Prospects travel team.
“Her character and attitude immediately stood out to me,” said Hudson, who played four seasons with the Cavaliers. “We’re always looking for student-athletes who are a great fit for our program, and here is this local kid with strong roots in the community who works so hard at the things she’s passionate about. I introduced her to (Head Coach Corbin Weeks), and we felt like she would be a great addition to the team.”
Meanwhile, Montreat head golf coach Daniel Kehler was hearing about a high school golfer who played home matches at the Black Mountain Golf Course.
“I’ve known Coach Knight for a few years, and he’s obviously very knowledgeable about the local golf community. He told me about Tinley, so I wanted to find out more about her,” Kehler said. “We always talk about the ‘Montreat fit’ with our athletic programs, and once I got to know Tinley, I could tell she was exactly that.”
The coach believes Clark will immediately contribute to the program.
“I’d like to see her come in and compete right away,” Kehler said. “She’ll definitely have that opportunity with us, and I’m confident she will work hard.”
The Cavaliers golf and softball programs made separate offers to Clark.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I had really been struggling with choosing between the two, but now I had an opportunity to stay close to home and compete in both. Honestly, it’s still kind of hard to believe.”
Clark is eager to continue playing both sports in a “great environment, right down the road,” but her current focus is on helping the 9-2 Warlassies compete for the top spot in the conference. Owen, which is 6-1 in the WHC, will host Rosman at 5:30 p.m., Friday, April 12.
“This is the closest team I’ve played on, and we really push each other in the best ways,” she said. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, this will be a really special season.”