Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Maplewood sophomore Micah Sparks runs with the baton during the Rockets 4x800m bronze medal race during the Div. V meet. Sparks also placed in the 800m. 

COLUMBUS — Already knowing what it takes to compete at the OHSAA Jesse Owens Track & Field State Championship, Micah Sparks was ready to compete in multiple events for the Maplewood Rockets. Last June he helped his 4x800m squad earn bronze, while tallying another third place finish in the relay this season and adding a sixth place medal during the Division V boys 800m at 1:56.98.

Maplewood’s 4x800m team ran a time of 8:00.47, with Sparks leading off, followed by junior Ethan Nevinski, junior Brody Orr, and senior Andrew Donaldson.

“(After the 4x800m) I knew I had to change my race strategy a little bit. I knew I had to get out much harder than I did for the 4x800m,” Sparks said. “My goal was to just improve on that and see what I can do from there.

“With the meet being later in the day, it gives you plenty of time to rest and stretch and get your whole day built though before you race. This has been a great year overall since December. It’s been a wonderful new year and I’m excited to see what I can do in the upcoming years. It is monumentally important to have this experience beforehand because you only feel the competition and the hype of the state meet at the state meet, no other race can match this.”

Nevinski gave credit to Sparks as the leadoff man of the relay.

“He’s a great 800m runner, still an underclassmen but proved a lot just in the last year. He put in a good spot, top three when it came to the second half-off, I just tried to maintain and make a move in the last little bit,” Nevinski said. “Every year is different, more divisions this year. Pretty much the same schools though, so I was just able to see how the race goes out and what to expect.”

Orr was the Rockets third leg of the 4x800m relay.

“The game plan going into it was just to try and get the baton up near the front of the pack, stick with everyone and work with the pack and see what we can do toward the end,” Orr said. “The competition helps us compete with other teams and just get the competitive sense to ourselves where we can run and compete and just enjoy the sport.”

Donaldson has been a staple at the state meet during his whole high school career. He tallied two medals last June, while earning podium placement during his freshman and sophomore seasons too. This year’s medal is his fifth, adding to a silver 800m he earned last campaign.

“It was a great field this year. The top three all would have won state last year, but this year is tougher,” Donaldson said. “The bar keeps getting raised as a runner, but splitting up the field into five divisions from three, you got schools like us that don’t have football, so what do we do? We run, that’s why our program is great in cross country and track.

“This feels great. I come from a program and school that’s great with running and it’s an honor to run for this school. I couldn’t ask for a better school to run for. I got a coach that loves his team and his athletes more than anybody and I couldn’t be more proud or honored to have a school like this to run for, I wouldn’t change anything.”

Donaldson also ran in the 800m, placing 13th with a time of 2:00.08. Maplewood’s girls 4x800m squad of Mackenzie Egdar, Reagan Mahan, Torri Shipman and Melody Richards ran at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium as well, taking 10th at 10:03:46.

“I’m unbelievably proud, I love this team to death,” Sparks said. “This is a wonderful team to work with. Super amazing, great guys.”