FARGO, N.D. >> Jasmin Clarke has done some heady stuff during her Kelseyville High School wrestling career, including a banner 2017-18 season when she won the North Coast Section championship at 189 pounds and went on to place fourth in the state, becoming her school’s first state medalist in the process.
In fact, a year ago at this time Clarke won the cadet freestyle 200-pound title at the Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota, which is where the incoming senior was competing this week. On Tuesday, facing Emily Mendillo in a 180-pound consolation match, Clarke had a 3-0 lead late in the second round when she took a spill off the elevated wrestling surface, tumbling to the floor below along with Mendillo.
“I don’t remember honestly,” Clarke told the Record-Bee when asked if she hit her head on the floor, her opponent or something else.
A video of the fall shows the right side of Clarke’s head coming down hard just off the mat. While she bounced up to her feet, the match had to be halted. Clarke was diagnosed with a concussion and had to pull out of the tournament.
“I think they said it was a grade two (concussion),” Clarke said. “I’ll be OK but I’m still super sensitive to sound and noise.”
Clarke said it’s only the second time she’s wrestled on the elevated platform at Fargo. Clarke was fending off a takedown bid by Mendillo and giving ground when both wrestlers fell off the mat, which drops onto a hard surface about 4 feet below.
Prior to her match with Mendillo, Clarke dropped a 4-3 decision to Faith Tuttle of Minnesota.
Clarke was one of three Lake County girls to bring home medals from the CIF State Championships in February, joining Upper Lake’s Adriana Lopez and Christina Wilson. Clarke and Lopez return for their senior seasons in 2018-19.