ALL-NWADG BOYS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: T.J. SUGG, SPRINGDALE HAR-BER

All-NWADG Track: Sugg makes transition easily from cross country

T.J. Sugg, Springdale Har-Ber; boys track newcomer of the year.
T.J. Sugg, Springdale Har-Ber; boys track newcomer of the year.

SPRINGDALE -- Taking time off after cross country helped T.J. Sugg prepare for outdoor track and field.

"It was good," said Sugg, who bypassed the indoor track season. "The few weeks I took off helped me to get re-engergized."

Good for Sugg. Bad for his competitors in the outdoor distance races.

Sugg completed a standout first season at Springdale Har-Ber by winning the 800- and 1,600-meter runs at the the Class 7A state meet in Fayetteville. The two wins came on the heel of Sugg's dominant performance in cross country, when he won the 7A state championship in his first year participating in the sport.

For his effort, Sugg is the NWA Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Newcomer of the Year for outdoor track.

"It was fun seeing my cross country friends again for track," said Sugg, who was selected as the All-NWA Media cross country runner of the year. "But I was also able to meet a lot of new people with all the sprinters and jumpers in track."

Sugg transferred to Har-Ber at the beginning of the school year from Grapevine, Texas, where he played football and soccer and ran track. Har-Ber track coach Wayne Hall knew he was getting a standout runner, but Sugg brought much more to the team.

"What I like most about T.J. is that he is very humble athlete," Hall said. "He gave us more depth this season, which allowed me to juggle others in different events. He will do the best he can in whatever event to help the team be successful."

Sugg said he doesn't have many plans before the start of his senior season at Har-Ber. But his opponents can be certain Sugg will again be ready to defend his titles in cross country and outdoor track.

Sports on 06/09/2015

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