If you, or one of your kids, has ever attended lacrosse camp, you’ve probably run into Clark Mercer, an annual coach for 30 years at All American Camp, 22 years at Cardigan Mountain, 8 years at West Point, 16 years at Maryland and 15 years at Syracuse Lacrosse Camp.

For a quarter of a century, Clark has been refereeing college and high school soccer and for twenty years he’s referred girls high school basketball games.

This year, the trophy for the winner of the F-M – ES-M high school game bears the names of Tom Hall, Walt Munze, and Clark Mercer. The winning team has bragging rights as the Champions of the Town of Manlius.

Clark played his college lacrosse at Syracuse and was an All-American 1959, the same year he played in the North-South Game. For seventeen years he was a member of the Syracuse Lacrosse Club and was a physical education instructor at East Syracuse-Minoa High School for 35 years where he started the lacrosse program in 1961. As a head coach, his lifetime record was 100-40-1.

Since 1960, he’s served on the Board of Officials and has worked the State Tournament and Championship game many times. He’s officiated hundreds of college games, World Games as well as games at Lake Placid, Vail, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, California and Hawaii. He has served on the Section III Officiating Committee and the NYHSLOA since 1992.

Clark lives in Fayetteville with his wife of 43 years, Nancy Sims Mercer. They have five children and six grandchildren.

The Upstate Lacrosse Hall of Fame is proud to induct Clark Mercer tonight.