Clara Mitchell was a late add to The College of Wooster field hockey team. The Fighting Scots were sure fortunate she joined, as Mitchell earned second-team All-America honors from the College Field Hockey Coaches Association as a senior.
"I played junior varsity as a first-year, walking on a couple weeks into the season after talking with a soccer player on my floor," reflected Mitchell on the Hall of Fame inductee questionnaire. "She convinced me to give the team a try and I never looked back."
New head coach Brenda Meese certainly saw something in Mitchell upon accepting the job at her alma mater. Meese moved Mitchell from forward to midfielder and she earned the first of three All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors as a sophomore. Mitchell started all 18 games after only playing in two varsity games as a first-year. Her seven goals were third on the team and she attempted the third-most shots. As a team, Wooster went 13-5 and placed third in the NCAC.
"I saw Clara's potential as a midfielder," confirmed Meese. "Upon moving to midfield, Clara blossomed almost immediately, starting every game over three years and progressively developing into the top midfielder in the NCAC. She had good speed, excellent endurance, solid stick skills, tenacity, and the ability to read the field. She could set up our scorers as well as put the ball in the goal herself."
Mitchell continued to rank as one of Wooster's top playmakers as a junior, earning a promotion to first-team all-conference. She debuted on the CFHCA All-Great Lakes Region team after ranking third on the team in shots (61), fourth in goals (five), and tied for fourth in points (12).
Elevated play in all areas had Wooster on the verge of a bid for the national tournament Mitchell's senior year. Wooster went 13-5-1 and finished as the NCAC runner-up following an 8-3-1 league slate. Mitchell and fellow W Association Hall of Famer Carissa Conner formed a formidable one-two punch, combining for 30 goals on the year, four more than the opposition scored on the Scots all season. Mitchell's 10 goals, five assists, and 25 points were good for an elevation to first-team all-region and a coveted spot on the All-America team.
Mitchell graduated with a psychology degree and was part of a service house program, visiting with seniors in the Wooster community. She pursued an advanced degree in educational psychology from the University of Utah and is a school counselor for Washoe County School District in Nevada.
Mitchell and her husband, Craig Fraser, reside in Reno, Nevada, and have two adult children.
