GENTRY - Kevin Parish kept telling Gentry track coach Daniel Ramsey he was a sprinter, all the way back in junior high. The senior is certainly proving his point this season.
Parish has the area's best time in the 100 meters at 11.11 seconds and knocked off defending Class 7A state champion Chase Lamers of Rogers High in a head-to-head showdown at a meet earlier this season in Springdale.
Ramsey said Parish, who ran the 800 in junior high, bugged him about wanting to sprint.
"I kept asking him, 'Coach, can I run the 100?' or 'Coach, can I do some sprints?'" Parish said with a laugh. "He said, 'we'll try you out, we'll try you out.'
"I always felt like I was faster than most people. I wanted to at least try."
He was right. After an injury-plagued sophomore season, he lowered his 100-meter time to 11.2 during his junior season. But an injury the week of the state meet kept him from performing as well as he'd like.
He finished seventh in the high jump, eighth in the triple jump and didn't even make the finals in the 100.
"It was terrible," Parish said. "I sprained a ligament or a tendon in the top of my foot. I was in a boot and on crutches earlier in the week. I still ran at state, but it wasn't my best at all."
Parish likes the sprints, but it's not like he can concentrate on one or two events. He usually does six, and he's hopeful of continuing his track career on the collegiate level as a multi-event specialist.
Ramsey said one of many keys to Parish's improvement in the 100 has been a better start.
"He quit basketball and bought his own blocks and at least three days a week he was out working on his starts in the winter," Ramsey said. "He's about 6-2, a tall sprinter. Once he gets up and going, he's pretty fast.
"He spends time on the Internet; you can watch videos and learn a lot of technique," Ramsey said.
Parish said his technique has improved a great deal in the past year. He also said more weight training has helped.
Parish has been looking to finish his high school career on a high note with the 4A-1 Conference meet last week, followed by the Class 4A state meet.
Parish has already qualified for the state meet in five events, but Ramsey said they may look at focusing on only two or three.
The sub-par performance at last year's state meet has pushed Parish to be better this season, Parish said. His ultimate goal is to be a state champion.
"I want to be number one," Parish said.
Sports, Pages 10 on 05/01/2013