Superior results are what we’re all about at Strategic Marketing Resources so when we see not one, two or even three, but FOUR athletes from the Sarasota Bradenton area going to the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo Japan we cannot help but be excited for them. These exceptional athletes include Clark Dean who rowed for one of our favorite clients, Sarasota Crew; Jake Ilardi from Venice competing in skateboarding, Mary Tucker of Sarasota in rifle shooting, and Emma Weyant from Bradenton in swimming.
More about our Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice Olympians:
Clark Dean is a Pineview High School graduate and current Harvard University student. He will be rowing in the men’s four. Clark finished fifth in the four at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. He also won gold in the single sculls at the 2018 World Rowing Junior Championships. He also placed sixth in the four with coxswain at the 2017 World Rowing Junior Championship and placed third in the quadruple sculls at the 2016 World Rowing Junior Championships. Prior to these wins, he won the under 17 single sculls and under 17 quadruple sculls at the 2015 Canadian Henley.
Mary Tucker graduated from Sarasota Military Academy and currently attends University of Kentucky for Equine Science. Beyond this year’s Olympic games her career highlights include the 2019 Rio World Cup where she placed eighth in the 10-meter air rifle and the 2019 National Championships where she placed third in 10-meter air rifle and fourth in the 50-meter rifle three position.
Jake Ilardi is currently ranked second in the U.S. and sixth in the world for street skateboarding. He resides in Osprey, Florida and trains often at Sarasota’s Payne Skate Park. In a recent ABC7 story Jake shared that he has raised $19,000 for a quarter-pipe to be installed, so he can train for the upcoming Olympic games. He said it’s not just for him though, but also the next generation of upcoming skaters.
Emma Weyant didn’t just manage to make the Olympic swimming team during trials she also clocked in this year’s fastest time in the world for the 400-individual medley. The Sarasota Sharks swimmer stunned judges at the Olympic trials when by negatively splitting her last 100 meter freestyle and beating out three former Olympians. (For non-swimmers, that means she swam her last laps FASTER than her first few laps which is unheard of at this level of competition). She will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall.
We hope you will join us in cheering on these local athletes and celebrating another monumental moment in the greater Sarasota area’s history. Best of luck to Clark Dean, Jake Illardi, Mary Tucker and Emma Weyant as you represent the best in American athletics. The Strategic Marketing Resources team will be cheering you on!