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2012: Outdoor - Took 10th in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a career-best time of 9:19.79 at the SEC Championships...Won the steeplechase with a time of 9:28.94 at the War Eagle Invite...Finished 10th in the 1500 at the Spec Towns Invite.
2011:Cross Country - Finished 11th at the Georgia Invitational after recording a mark of 25:36.10...Was the fourth Bulldog scorer at the Georgia State Invitational after crossing the finish line in 25:53...Recorded the first top team finish of his career after taking ninth at the Crimson Classic with a time of 25:24.58...Finished 50th at the SEC Championships.
2011: Outdoor - Finished just out of scoring after taking ninth in the steeplechase (9:19.13) at the SEC Championships...Won his second straight race in the steeplechase after registering a 9:27.78 at the War Eagle Invite...Cruised to a victory in the steeplechase (9:26.64) at the Spec Towns Invite...Took third in the steeplechase at the Georgia Intercollegiate Invitational.
2011: Indoor - Finished 11th in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:49.86 at the Big 12 vs. SEC Challenge.
2010: Cross Country - Finished ninth overall and scored for the Bulldogs in his first collegiate meet at the 8K Georgia Cross Country Invitational with a mark of 24:56.23...Was a scorer for the Bulldogs at the UGA-GT Dual Meet after finishing fifth (25:41.46)...Took 82nd (24:58.50) to score for the Bulldogs at the Greater Louisville Classic...Continued a strong first season after scoring and earning All-SEC Freshmen honors at the SEC Championships after finishing 39th (25:38.86)...Finished third for the Bulldogs and 37th overall (31:36.26) at the 10k NCAA South Regionals.
High School: Won both the 2006 and 2007 GHSA AAA state cross country titles...Captured the 3200-meter run championship at the 2007 state track meet...Competed at the 2010 New Balance Nationals in the 5000...Finished 21st at the 2009 Foot Locker South Regionals with at time of 15:12...Took second in both the 1600 (4:19) and 3200 (9:28) at the 2010 state meet...Four-time cross country and track captain and Most Valuable Runner at Columbus...Four-time Region 2AAA cross country champion and four-time region 1600 and 3200 champion...Was the high-point scorer at the 2010 region meet after winning the 1600 and the 3200 and earning runner-up honors in both the 4x400 relay and the pole vault...Helped lead Columbus to a combined four region cross country and track titles (cross country - 2006-07, 2009; track - 2010, which was the first time in 30 years)...Personal-best times of 4:17 (1600). 9:25 (3200) and 15:08 (5k)...Member of Georgia Mathematics League and graduated with a 3.84 GPA...Also played basketball and was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player for his JV team as a freshman and as a sophomore.
Personal: Born June 7, 1991...Son of Steve and Mary Sparks...Father, Steve, played baseball at the University of New Mexico...Uncle, Jay Sparks, played football at UT-Chattanooga...Majoring in Mathematics Education.
