ROGERS — Daniel Spickes’ senior football season was cut short by injury, but he’s determined to make sure that won’t keep him from finishing strong in track and field.
The defending Class 7A state champion in the pole vault proclaims he’s 100 percent recovered from a broken bone in his leg suffered at Springdale High in November.
He’s already cleared 15 feet, 6 inches in his specialty at a meet in Bentonville early in the outdoor season. Spickes has also excelled in the long jump and triple jump.
“I feel like I’m stronger than I was last year and I think I can throw up a couple big heights before I go to college,” Spickes said.
Rogers Heritage boys track coach Jay Miles said Spickes is ahead of schedule.
“Physically his ankle and leg are all good,” Miles said. “He’s in good shape and worked hard to get there. Mentally, getting back and doing the triple jump a couple of times has convinced him he’s back. He went 40, 41, 42 and 44 in the triple jump. He’s not worried about the injury anymore.
“I was dreaming we’d be here. I was thinking he would be triple jumping by the decathlon. We’re a whole month ahead of schedule.”
Spickes was in a hurry to get back on the track. He even took matters into his own hands.
“I cut my own cast off two weeks early myself,” Spickes said. “I got a pair of scissors. It took me a couple hours, but I got it off. It was stiff, so I just tried to bend it and stretch because I didn’t want to tear anything.”
Even though he was far from 100 percent, Spickes enjoyed a solid performance at the Class 5A-7A state indoor track and field championships in early February. He won the pole vault with a clearance of 15 feet, and took second in the high jump and high jump despite being at “about 75 percent,” Spickes said.
Spickes acknowledged he’d like to break the 7A state record of 16-8 set by Bryant’s Spencer McCorkel in 2006. But he’s still a ways away with a personal best of 16-0 ¼ inch at last year’s decathlon. In addition, that record can only be broken in the state meet or the Meet of Champions.
Miles said he believes Spickes has a shot at the record, but he’ll have some other factors going against him.
“He’ll probably be doing six events,” Miles said. “He’s really pressing, wanting to do as many events as he can. I was really thinking it would take him more time to get back. That’s exciting for the team, but it’s probably going to take away from his performance in the pole vault.
“He’s still capable of flying up there at any moment though.”
Miles said Spickes is really capable of big heights if he only focused on the pole vault and that could be something he decides to do when he runs track at Central Arkansas.
“I really think he’s a 17-foot vaulter,” Miles said. “But he’ll figure that out. Right now he wants to be as busy as he can.”
But Miles pointed out Spickes is also an outstanding all-around high school track athlete and the likely favorite to win the decathlon this year. He finished second to then-Heritage teammate Alex Miles. The two will again be teammates next year at UCA.
“He’s really matured and turning into a fine young man,” Miles said. “I’m really proud of how far he’s come and pleased he’s going to get to go to college and compete.”