MIDWEST CITY — No matter how talented you are, track scholarships can be hard to come by. Just ask The Oklahoman's boys track athlete of the year, Alex Madkins of Midwest City.
A talented jumper and hurdler, Madkins will attend Oklahoma on an academic scholarship. The future Sooner still plans to participate in track at OU.
"I took the academic (scholarship) because it was more money,” said Madkins, who won the Class 6A long jump and high jump titles.
Madkins didn't decide to go to OU until after his senior year at Midwest City. He participated in the Great Southwest track meet in Albuquerque, N.M., in early June, finishing third in the long jump and sixth in the high jump.
Wichita State, Houston and Oral Roberts were interested in having Madkins join their track programs, but the Midwest City standout wanted to stay close to home.
"I (picked) OU because the other visits seemed too far away,” Madkins said. "I love my family and I wanted to stay close to them.”
The Sooners' coaching staff plans to take advantage of Madkins' versatility by having him participate in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and possibly the decathlon. He did the high jump, long jump, 110 and 300-meter hurdles in high school.
Madkins joins four other Oklahomans including former Mustang standout Kevin Schwab on the OU men's track roster.
