8 Spain Park athletes sign national letters of intent

Before an audience of family, friends and coaches, eight Spain Park High School senior athletes signed national letters of intent on Wednesday, April 27, solidifying their college commitments during a ceremony held in the school’s competition gymnasium.

The standout contingent will continue their respective athletic careers at seven different colleges across a range of six sports.

Highlighting the celebratory festivities was the long-awaited announcement made by Jags track and field star Daniel Nixon.  After a tedious recruiting process, the two-time Class 7A state 800-meter champion and reigning indoor All-American finalized his decision to run collegiately for Mississippi State University.

“The process was pretty long, but I just trusted God to make the right decision,” Nixon said. “I just feel great to be a Mississippi State Bulldog.”

Actively recruited by a number of schools, including Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee and Kentucky, Nixon said the consistent effort made throughout the recruiting process by Mississippi State head coach Steve Dudley set the university apart.

“They’re all great programs, but I just felt like Mississippi State and coach Dudley were on a different level for me,” Nixon said. “He was always so personable, and as a head coach, I feel like that’s important.”

In Starkville, Nixon will join a program with a rich history of producing national-caliber mid-distance runners. Notably, he’ll have the opportunity to train alongside Brandon McBride, the Bulldogs’ two-time NCAA 800-meter champion.

Currently, Nixon holds a personal-best time of 1 minute, 52.20 seconds in the 800. He has also run 49.35 seconds in the 400 meters and 4:22.34 in the 1,600 meters.

“He set a standard for excellence,” Spain Park head track and field coach Michael Zelwak said. “He’s been a real good asset to us, and we’ve been blessed to have him.”

The seven other signees include:

Bailey Condone: Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens, Tennessee), women’s cross-country and track and field

Bailey Defalco: Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Alabama), men’s basketball

Elizabeth Philpot: Birmingham Southern College, women’s basketball

Bryan Sanderson: Marion Military Institute (Marion, Alabama), baseball

Meghan Shea: University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Alabama), women’s lacrosse

Parker Sturm: Birmingham Southern College, men’s soccer

Reed Thomas: Centre College (Danville, Kentucky), baseball