Rippon undaunted in quest to join elite hurdlers
- Marvin Goodwin, The Oakland Press
- Aug 20, 2015
- 4 min read
Niklas Rippon skims over a hurdle during a warmup session. Marvin Goodwin - The Oakland Press/main-photo end ArticlePicture1.pbo
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By Marvin Goodwin, The Oakland Pressend small ArticleByline1.pbo
Posted: 08/19/15, 9:01 PM EDT | Updated: 2 hrs ago
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Coach Shelby Johnson (left) and Niklas Rippon talk things over before a workout. Marvin Goodwin - The Oakland Press #secondary-media end articleextrapictureitem7.pbo End Article7.pbo start articleparagraph1.pbo
As a high school track and field athlete, Niklas Rippon was associated with the Lake Orion Dragons. As a collegian, he wore the emblem of the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies.
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Now, two years after college, Rippon, who competes in the 110-meter high hurdles, is a lone ranger of sorts with no American affiliations, no teammates and little funding in a sport with low visibility.
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To be sure, he’s practically on his own when it comes to traveling, equipment, training and sponsorships.
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Yet, he’s driven by the will to compete and the will to get better despite the massive costs and sacrifices.
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“It’s my passion,” said Rippon. “It’s gotten me through some things. I just want to do it until I get the most out of it.”
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Rippon, who was born in Germany and has dual citizenship, recently returned from the German National Championships in Nuremberg, where he reached the finals of the 110 hurdles and placed seventh in 14.11 seconds.
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“That was a career best,” he said. “I wanted it to be a little quicker, but a PR is good.”
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That’s the kind of progress Rippon has enjoyed ever since he connected with Shelby Johnson, the current track coach at Avondale HIgh and a former NCAA All-American hurdler while at Michigan.
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As a volunteer coach with Oakland, which practiced at Avondale’s track before gaining its own facility, Rippon encountered Johnson and the two became partners.
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“I knew of him (Johnson) in high school and I hadn’t seen him in a long time, “ said Rippon, who consistently was a finalist in Horizon League indoor and outdoor championships, but never won. His best time as a collegian was 14.71 for the high hurdles.
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Rippon is No. 2 all-time in the 110 hurdles at Oakland (14.71), has the OU indoor record in the 60 meter hurdles (8.24).
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At 6-feet-7, Rippon is tall in an event where height is a distinct disadvantage. “I’ve never been eye-to-eye with a guy,” he said.
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Rippon is slower than most to uncurl his long body out of the starting blocks, and his longer legs make it more difficult for measured strides between hurdles. But in a brief period under Johnson, the results have been dramatic. More than a half-second has been knocked off Rippon’s previous best time in less than a year.
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“It’s just a hurdling philosophy we’re in line with,” Johnson said. “Hurdlers have various sizes … variables of what they bring to the table. (But) what I enjoy is the impact he makes in competing goes beyond what I can offer.”
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Specifically, inspiring others who see him and his performances, Johnson added.
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Rippon was always a gangly kid and wasn’t quite up to hurdling in middle school despite his height. “The first day was the scariest day of my life,” said Rippon, who finally mastered the race, then advanced to Lake Orion High under the tutelage of coach Mike Hatch, who has produced a number of all-state hurdlers.
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“Coach Hatch has had a legacy of hurdlers,” Johnson said.
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Rippon hopes to continue that legacy at the next level, but it’s a challenging road. He works fulltime at Detroit Diesel as an assistant program manager. He drives from Lake Orion to Detroit daily for work, and sometimes to Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti for training during the indoor track season, logging up to 200 miles behind the wheel per day.
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Plus the U.S. produces the best hurdlers in the world, which forces Rippon to Canada and Germany for races. He’s latched on to Vfl Sindelfingen, a sports club in southern Germany, when he competes overseas.
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“I’ve flown probably eight times this year,” said Rippon, who despite the disadvantages is keeping the faith. He has a web site and a GoFundMe account to help with expenses.
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Rippon may need to shave more than a half-second off his high hurdles time to become a national class athlete.
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But in an event where even tenths of a second can be insurmountable, he remains undaunted.
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“We’re going to work on his sprinting (next),” Johnson said. “He’s an underdog, but I like working with underdogs.”
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For more on Rippon, visit his web site at http://nrippon.wix.com/niklasrippon.
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