SEC SPRING ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

2011: Indoor: At the season-opening Arkansas Invitational, Sparks had a season-best clearance of 14-7.25 and finished in sixth place. He equaled the mark the following weekend at the Arkansas-Texas Dual, good for seventh place. Outdoor: Sparks began his outdoor campaign with a clearance of 14-11 at the Texas Triangular. He posted his first 15-foot mark (15-1) of the season at the Razorback Spring Invitational. He closed out the year with a season-best 15-3.5 clearance at the Arkansas Twilight. Sparks was also recognized for his work in the classroom with a selection to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll.

2010: Indoor: Sparks' lone appearance of the indoor season came at the Arkansas-Texas dual meet where he finished seventh in the pole vault with a clearance of 14-1.25. Outdoor: He made his outdoor debut with a 10th-place finish (14-7.25) at the Razorback Spring Invitational. Leading up to the conference meet, he was eighth at the McDonnell Invitational, fourth at the Arkansas-Texas dual and third at the Missouri Southern Invitational. At the SEC Championships, Sparks equaled his season-best clearance of 15-11 to secure a fifth-place finish.

AT OKLAHOMA: Sparks attended the University of Oklahoma for two years. He competed during the 2008 indoor season, redshirted the 2008 outdoor season and did not compete at all in 2009 because OU dropped their pole vaulting program. He holds an overall career-best jump of 16-0.75. During the 2008 indoor season, he posted a season-best jump at home at the J.D. Martin Invitational with a height of 15-3.

AT JENKS HS: Sparks finished second in pole vault at the 2007 Oklahoma 6A state finals. He was the state champion in pole vault at the 2005 New Mexico 3A state meet. He also placed in three different events at the 2004 New Mexico 3A State Championships: third in the pole vault, fourth in the 110-meter hurdles and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles. He also won the pole vault title at the 2007 Kansas Relays and finished third in the pole vault at the 2007 Great Southwest meet.

PERSONAL: Born July 26, 1988, he is the son of Sheldon and Christy Sparks. His father, Sheldon, played football at the University of Tulsa. He is enrolled in the Sam M. Walton College of Business and also holds an Associate's degree in education from Tulsa Community College.