You may have seen Ricky Thomas II training in Lower Price Hill and never realized it. In frigid early March temperatures, he would climb State Avenue for a half-mile coming up from Gest Street. Once at the top, the route flattens out on his way to the fire station at Queen City and Harrison Avenue. After a mile and half or so, he would make the icy return to Oyler. Once there, Coach Nephew would greet him with a water bottle a few tips on the day’s work.
This is the third year Nephew, a former Greenhills cross country standout has coached Thomas, one of the area’s best sprinters. The workouts become “Rocky”-like when your school has no track. They become more difficult when there’s no one pushing you in practice because you’re the lone Madhatter (Oyler is on Hatmaker Street, thus the name).
“Today on State Avenue, tomorrow at the Taft High School track, another at the Police Academy field just off the 8th Street Viaduct,” Nephew said of Ricky’s training runs. “Oyler has no track, so the ‘team’ trains where it can, when it can.”
Ricky’s motivation is simple.
“I want to win medals,” he said. “I love running track. It’s my favorite sport. I look forward to it every year.”
Thomas II is a four-time league champion, Southwest Ohio Division III 400 meter champion, and has won multiple medals against Division I and II competition at Elder, Reading, Taft, CHCA, Seven Hills,Woodward, Colerain, Mt. Healthy, Oak Hills and Taylor.
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