This past track season I had the privilege of participating in the 4×800 meter relay as one of my many events. I have never been a huge fan of track, but this year really changed my mind. The relay team went so much further than I expected, which helped to make it a memorable senior track season.
We started out with a strong season, winning dual meets and even some invitationals. It helped to boost our confidence going into districts. The four of us on the relay team were both excited and terrified going into districts as we had a first place seeding to defend.
Saturday morning came around we boarded the buses for Slippery Rock, where Districts was set to be. Leading up to the race, we were all very nervous but determined to place first or second and seal our spot to the State Meet.
The race started and we had a strong start. As the race continued we steadily pulled away from the competition, ending in first with a staggering 20 second p.r. We celebrated our District 10 title and then prepared to go to the state meet the following week.
The ride down to states was fun with the people on the van, but our nerves were still high as we were seeded 7th and had a chance to make the podium. The day of our race, Saturday, we got up and headed to the track at Shippensburg. The stands filled up quicker than I thought, creating a huge, roaring crowd.
For our race, we were put into the second heat, sealing a spot with the fastest girls in AA. Our first leg of the race took off, with the crowd roaring. We started out in about 12 place, but with our second leg we gained ground and were about 7. I got the baton as the third leg and was able to get us into 5 place, and our anchor was able to finish in 5. We once again celebrated this amazing accomplishment and enjoyed the feeling of completing such a strong track season.
I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to go to states with such a great group of people. It was such a fun experience and well worth all of the hard work and time I’ve put into my many track seasons.
