Both have continued to excel in college. Murphy won the 800 at the Pan American Games last year and advanced to the 800 semifinals of the IAAF World Championships at Beijing last fall. Prakel is part of a famed distance program that has won the last two men’s indoor national titles.
Murphy should easily make it through the first day’s semifinals. On the second day he’ll have 90 minutes to recover between the mile and 800 finals.
Also having qualified for the national championships is Dunbar grad Antonio Blanks (Ohio State). The senior is part of a 4x400 relay that has the nation’s No. 9 best time (3:06.38).
The Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches will hold its indoor boys and girls state track meets on Saturday at Akron. Dunbar is a four-time boys team indoor champion for the combined Divisions II and III.
• Midwest Athletic Conference member Parkway hasn’t had much football and boys basketball success in recent seasons. Last week both programs were rocked again when head coaches Dan Cairns (football) and Rick Hickman (boys basketball) submitted their coaching resignations. And there was more.
Incredibly, athletic director Doug Hughes also resigned, leaving the Panthers without three key athletic positions.
Parkway was 2-8 in football last season and hasn’t had a winning season since its 2007 went 8-2. The Panthers also are 43-84-1 all-time in MAC play. It wasn’t always like that for Parkway football: The Panthers won outright or shared MAC titles in the first three seasons of play from 1973-75.
Parkway’s boys basketball team has lost 37 straight MAC games over the past four-plus seasons and hasn’t won more than five games in any of the last six seasons.
Parkway Local School District Superintendent Greg Puthoff cited a lack of family time, failure to meet high expectations and excessive losing as key reasons for the resignations.
“When you’re a head coach and you’re not winning games, it’s hard on you,” Puthoff said to WCSM-AM (1350). “Somewhat the same thing for Doug. I hate to say it but we just haven’t won a lot of ball games lately. That eats on your athletic director when you’re trying to guide the program.”
All three positions have been posted as open. Hughes will remain as AD through the end of the school year.
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