SENIOR Clarke Morain is talented in several sports, including being a starter for the WHHS boys’ varsity basketball team. But there’s more to Morain that many may not know, such as his talents in dirt bike racing at only 18. He has taken his talents as far as winning Nationals in his age group.

Morian began dirt bike racing when he was just five years old. His father, the original dirt bike racer in the family, started him out in it and he has been doing it ever since. 

“It’s definitely a bonding thing and something that will carry over when I have kids,” Morain said. “It will be a connection all our lives.”

While being a starting basketball player for WHHS and a National winning dirt bike racer, Morian does well balancing his school work, sports and dirt bike racing.

“I like to get home, do my homework immediately, and then I can do everything else I want,” Morian said.

He has won many different awards in racing, including winning the highest amateur award you can receive. 

“The best I’ve done is winning the Nikitin Horizon Award, which is the most prestigious amateur award you can win in the world. So that was definitely a big accomplishment for me,” Morian said. 

In hopes of continuing his dirt biking career, Morian received his AFT Pro Singles license on Jan. 7 of this year. As he sports the number 133, he expresses hoping that he can continue dirt bike racing the rest of his life.  

“It honestly just depends if I can make enough money at it or not, but it’s definitely something I want to do my whole life. When I get older, I still wanna be able to do it,” Morian said.

He has attended many different races as just an amateur, including Escape the Burg, Ohio Valley Classic, and the Amateur Nationals. 

The preps for these races include building stamina, working out and practicing riding through motocross tracks. 

As a multi-sport athlete, Morian makes sure to stay calm in every sport that he goes into. Trying to keep a constant mindset throughout each sport.

“I tend to get anxious about stuff,” Morian said. “But I just have to stay calm and think my race or game through and just visualize everything I want to do.”