Ciddio, Grames leave with Spartan medals (PHOTOS)

DES MOINES – Will Grames accomplished more in three years with Grundy Center than a lot of track and field athletes accomplish in four seasons.
  
That doesn't take away the sting of Grames having to say goodbye to his Spartan teammates as he moves out of state this summer.
  
But the track star added three state medals to his name and the Spartan boys finished with four total medals at the Class 1A state track and field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
  
Grames worked his way up the scoreboard in his three events in Des Moines: Sixth in the 400-meter dash in 50.58, fifth in the 100 in 11.50 and fourth in the 200 in 22.71.
  
The Spartan junior finishes his Iowa high school career with five state medals after finishing fourth in last season's 200 and placing eighth in the long jump as a freshman.
  
Grames' father is a pastor and was reassigned to Alabama, facilitating the move out of the Hawkeye State. He leaves in the second week of June.
  
"Everyone on the team has had a pretty big impact on me," Grames said. "I made a lot of friendships and I feel like having a lot of those good relationships can make you a better person. … Moving forward, they'll still be pretty good."
 
Derek Ciddio sent off the Spartans for 2019 with an eighth-place finish in the 1,600 as part of a chase pack that sprinted to the line to jockey for medal position behind state champion Joe Anderson of George-Little Rock. Ciddio ran 4:38.74, blowing past his personal best.
 
"At the last 200, I knew there were guys I could catch and figured now was my chance to catch them and I took it," Ciddio said. "Being at state is easily one of the best experiences of my life. It's fun to represent your home town and go out and do what you do best."
 
Class 1A: Day 1
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Class 1A: Day 2
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Class 1A: Day 3
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