Makiah Parker, a senior at Wiesbaden High School, takes the lead in the 4x100 meter relay’s last leg during the Ansbach Invitational track meet at Ansbach Middle High School, Germany, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
ANSBACH, Germany – Makiah Parker began studying film on her favorite track athletes, trying to find an edge, when she was just in elementary school in Texas.
Parker, now 18 and a senior at Wiesbaden in Germany, would develop techniques and race strategies such as when to turn on the jets, according to her father, Michael Parker, who doubles as Wiesbaden’s sprinting coach.
Makiah Parker certainly had the afterburners on at Saturday’s Ansbach Invitational, the first official meet for DODEA schools in Europe this year. Not only did she win the 100 meters in a time of 11.98 seconds – nearly a full second over the second-place finisher – but she made up what seemed to be an insurmountable deficit in the 4x100 meter relay’s last leg to win that race by a nose.
Parker left a crowd of more than 100 stunned. Murmurs of her feat could be heard well into the next event.
“It’s a proud moment for the overall team,” Parker said after the race. “My teammates did their jobs; my job was to bring it home, whatever it takes.”
Wiesbaden was one of 13 schools to compete in the invitational’s 12 track and five field events for girls and boys on what would turn out to be a bright, sunny day at Ansbach Middle High School.
Stuttgart sophomore Alex Guthrie won the 100 meters for the boys; Kaiserslautern sophomore Lellah Guhn and Alconbury senior Julian Brazoban won the 100-meter hurdles; SHAPE sophomore Tudor Varvari and Kaiserslautern freshman Ophelia Bryant won the 400 meters; Wiesbaden junior Luke Jones and Stuttgart junior Sophie Templeton won the 1,600 meters, and Stuttgart senior Jack Gruver and Ansbach sophomore Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo won the discus, to name a few.
Daniel D’Alessandro, a freshman, tosses the discus during the Ansbach Invitational track meet at Ansbach Middle High School, Germany, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Cade Blackwell, a junior at Lakenheath, competes in the 110 meter hurdles during the Ansbach Invitational track meet at Ansbach Middle High School, Germany, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Zion Thompson, a junior at Wiesbaden, won both the boys long and triple jump competitions during the Ansbach Invitational track meet at Ansbach Middle High School, Germany, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Tyrell Downs, right, a junior at Ramstein, embraces Luke Jones, center, and Nick Hernandez, both juniors at Wiesbaden, after competing in the mile during the Ansbach Invitational track meet at Ansbach Middle High School, Germany, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Jones won the event with a time of 4:31.17. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Dane Westberry, a freshman at Stuttgart, flips upside down while participating in the high jump during the Ansbach Invitational track meet at Ansbach Middle High School, Germany, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Parker was born in Killeen. Her father noticed her blasting past the boys on the soccer field and suggested she try track.
“I cried,” she recalled, smiling as she reminisced about that first practice. “But I came back each day.”
Parker eventually fell in love with the sport because of the supportive nature of the competition and the feeling she got working towards a goal and finally finding success. She grew up idolizing Florence Griffith Joyner, Noah Lyles and most of all, the U.S.’s Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track athlete in Olympic history.
Parker started out running longer distance races but turned to sprinting once she hit maturity. She cranked up the focus four years ago when she moved to Wiesbaden, halfway through her freshmen year.
“She sacrifices the screen time and the hanging out for getting better as a student-athlete,” Michael Parker said. “She has a lot of good leadership qualities where she can help the males and the females.”
After winning the relay, her second of three wins (she also won the 200), Parker’s opponents and teammates alike sang her praises.
“It was honestly pretty amazing just to watch it happen in real-time,” said Isabella Greenidge, a member of Ramstein’s relay team.
“She’s probably my biggest inspiration because she’s so fast,” Claire Forsblade, also of Ramstein, added.
At one point, Parker sprinted across the infield grass to cheer on teammate and fellow senior Roberto Rios-Cora as he ran the boys’ 4x100 meter relay.
“She’s a great teammate,” he said afterwards. “She’s always there giving me reassurance. It’s great to be around her.”
Parker will attend Division I California State University-Bakersfield, in the fall on a full scholarship.
