Muir, Clarke Receive 2020 UCCS Thomas F. McLaughlin Award

4/20/2020 12:00:00 PM

By: Sarah Meier, Associate Athletic Director

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs senior student-athletes Aleesa Muir (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Matt Clarke (Sacramento, Calif.) are this year's 2019-20 Thomas F. McLaughlin Award winners, announced today by Executive Director of Athletics Nathan Gibson.

"The Thomas F. McLaughlin award is presented annually to the top student athletes who have excelled in their sport, achieved in the classroom, showed great leadership and served their campus and community," said Gibson. "These individuals represent the very best that Mountain Lion student-athletes have to offer. This year, I am extremely proud to recognize Aleesa Muir of the UCCS Women's Soccer program and Matthew Clarke of the UCCS Baseball program as the 2019-2020 Thomas F. McLaughlin Award recipients!"

One of the most decorated student-athletes in program history, Aleesa Muir became just the second Mountain Lion to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors for the women's soccer program. She has been selected as an All-American by the D2CCA and the United Soccer Coaches organizations and has been named a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American twice. Voted to the All-RMAC Team all three years, Muir has received United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-South Central Region honors four times, as well as the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region First Team (twice) and the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team. Chosen as the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week three times, Muir has earned RMAC All-Academic honors in 2018 and 2019.

In 64 career games in a Mountain Lion uniform, Muir has started all but two games, accumulating 20 points behind seven goals and six assists, including two game-winning goals. Muir has anchored a back line that has amassed an impressive 29 shutouts in the past three years.

"I could not be more grateful to have been a part of the athletic program at UCCS," said Muir. "This program, especially my team, have challenged me to strive to be my greatest self. They have helped me through defeat and have celebrated with me in triumph. I am forever thankful for all of those who have helped shape me over the past few years into who I am today. I have learned a lot about what it takes to be a good teammate, leader, and friend, failing many times along the way. I hope to continue to grow in this next phase of my life, and to take all of the lessons learned over my collegiate career and apply them in new ways as I pursue becoming a physician."

A second baseman, Matt Clarke has racked up numerous awards in his two years with the program. Selected to the ABCA/Rawlings and the D2CCCA All-America teams in 2019, Clarke earned NCBWA, D2CCA and ABCA/Rawlings All-South Central First Team accolades in 2019. An All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference First Team honoree last season, Clarke was named to the NCBWA Preseason All-America Third Team and All-South Central Region First Team. This past week, he was voted to the RMAC All-Academic First Team.

A Business Management - Finance major, Clarke will be graduating this spring with a 3.673 GPA. He has accepted the prestigious El Pomar Fellowship and will begin the program after graduation. He started and competed in 66 games for the Mountain Lions, recording a .348 batting average and a solid .973 fielding percentage. He accounted for 94 hits, 44 RBI, 25 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. Last season, he set a new program record for most doubles hit in a season (20).

"UCCS and UCCS baseball have been a dream come true for me," said Clarke. "I've only been at the university for two years, but the impact this school has had on me is monumental. I've made countless friends and memories here that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. While my senior year did not go as planned, due to the current events happening in the world right now, I feel as though my coaches, along with others at the university, have prepared me immensely and I am excited and confident to take what I've learned here and put it to use in my future endeavors."

Muir and Clarke will be presented the McLaughlin Award at a campus ceremony this fall.

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