The only place Nick Riggles can compete against Franklin hurdlers of the past is in the track program’s record book.
So far, the senior is holding his own.
Riggles doesn’t hold the record in either the 110- or 300-meter event, but with his final season winding down he has Johntel Smith and Sam Barnett in his sights.
“I probably started tracking what (previous) Franklin hurdlers had done when I was a sophomore,” Riggles said. “I liked knowing what I was going against and what I needed to do. Just anything I could get my hands on to try to figure out what it took to get better.”
A hurdler since sixth grade, Riggles is interested in all facets of hurdling. This includes acceleration out of the blocks, the technique required when approaching each hurdle and the endurance required to be a factor the final 20-30 meters of a race.
Smith, a 2009 graduate, owns the 110 hurdles standard with a time of 14.8 seconds. He shares the 300 record with Barnett, currently a freshman at Marian University, at 39.15.
Franklin coach Mike Hall, who coached Smith and Barnett, appreciates Riggles’ thirst to improve while respecting the past.
“Nick really has the desire to learn about hurdling,” Hall said. “Sometimes you get kids who see something they can excel at and maximize their ability. He wants to know about the hurdlers we’ve had in the past and what kind of drills they did.”
Riggles’ personal bests of 15.42 and 40.93 came at the Johnson County meet on April 17. He won the 110s, finished a close second in the 300s and was third in the long jump. He capped the evening as part of Franklin’s 4×400 relay and afterward was named the athlete of the meet.
The senior hopes to get the opportunity to continue his hurdling in college. Riggles has yet to be offered by any programs, though Marian, Ohio Northern, Trine, Manchester and Hanover have expressed interest.
“I definitely want to keep running if I can,” Riggles said.
Riggles feels he has more success in the shorter hurdles race, but said it’s the other standard at Franklin that might actually be more within his reach.
As the competition intensifies and weather conditions improve, Hall expects the senior to possibly inch closer to both records.
The Grizzly Cubs take part in the Mid-State Conference meet at Decatur Central on May 1 and host the sectional meet on May 17.
Last season, Riggles placed fourth at sectional in both hurdles events and ninth at the Warren Central Regional in the 300s.
Hall expects more from his top hurdler later this spring, and so does Riggles.
“Nick knows exactly what the records are,” Hall said. “We face really good competition down the road, and that’s when I expect him to be at his best.”
