Nicevile's Howard, Navarre's Kieffer sign Division I

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

travisd@nwfdailynews.com

The conference room at Niceville High was packed.

Inside the crowded room, Ryan Howard sat behind a table as cameras flashed and friends took part in some good-natured ribbing at his expense.

 Howard played right along, taking whatever verbal jabs his friends offered with a smile.

 Then, once the final picture had been taken, the Niceville senior signed his name to scholarship papers and officially became the newest member of Troy University's track team.

For Howard, Tuesday's signing - and the events that surrounded it - was a day he had long been waiting for.

"It means a lot," said Howard, who placed eighth at the Class 4A state meet in the 800 last week. "I love track. It's something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I love it."

A similar scene unfolded in late April when Navarre standout Courtney Kieffer signed a scholarship with South Alabama to run both track and cross country.

Having never run cross country while at Navarre, Kieffer said the move made perfect sense after talking with Jaguars' head coach Paul Brueske.

"It was kind of scary at first, but then I realized that not doing cross country (at Navarre) didn't hold me back, but if I had done it I would have been twice as good," Kieffer said. "I'm excited about it. I think it will improve my track times."

Navarre track coach Shelley Bradford credited Kieffer's work ethic as playing an integral role in landing an offer from the Jaguars.

Kieffer was a member of the Raiders' 4x800 relay team that advanced to the Class 3A state meet.

"She's very disciplined," Bradford said. "She's very dedicated to the workouts and she comes to practice every day willing to work and with a positive attitude.

"I think those assets are going to help her become a good college runner."

Niceville coach Henry Spillers pointed to Howard's versatility as a runner as his biggest strength.

"(Troy is getting) a runner that can go as low as the 200 meter and, if needed, can go to the 1500," Spillers said. "They're getting someone they can plug in and fill holes with on that team. It's rare to have that blend of talent."