First, my humbles of apologies to this site's loyal readers, who have now viewed the blog over 20,000 times as of Tuesday. In light of forgetting to post the Hopkinton meet results, please accept this ridiculously lengthy, over-the-top recap of today's Div. 3 State Relays meet.
Enjoy.
Up first was the Girls 4x100. While going in, we certainly knew they had more than enough talent to break 54 seconds, Fate always lingered with the inevitable fear of All It Takes. As in, All It Takes is one bad handoff and the team could be DQ'd, and miss entirely, or lose enough time that 54 seconds became a formidable barrier, rather than a mere hurdle.
Morgann McKunes led off, having only recently returned to racing, and a strong first leg (13-high, from a non-running start) and solid handoff to Nicole Kerrigan gave Holliston good position. Nikki flew down the back straightaway, and found Virginia Hanstad waiting on the turn. Another clean handoff kept the girls in a very large pack of 2nd-6th place behind the leader. Virginia tore around the turn, and Fate quickly posed her with the problem of the Early Missed Pass. Having just barely missed on the first attempt, Virginia instantly forced the baton forward into Kylie's hands, an absolutely savvy veteran move from someone who's still relatively new to the 4x1. It's harder than it sounds, especially considering how fast the person she's handing off to is.
Speaking of which, for the second straight year, Kylie Lorenzen absolutely stormed down the final straightaway. It was a virtual tie for 2nd-6th, but up against anchor legs from other teams that probably have run under 13 seconds, Kylie pulled away by over 10 meters, splitting what was believed to be anywhere from 11.6 to 12.2 seconds for the final leg.
For a relay to qualify for states requires quality depth. But for the same relay to qualify without the use of not just any leg, but its normal anchor? That requires extraordinary depth, as well as the ability of those assigned to the task to step up and accept the challenge.
With Sydney Snow a last-minute switch into the 4x400, whose glory was soon to come in its own right, the quartet of Katie Salley, Maggie Naughton, Chelsea Dubin, and Madison Ward were left to attempt a sub-10:48 and possible top-10 finish without their usual 2:29 ace.
Fate can also play tricks on the mind, and tried one when Katie lined up, realizing that there were only nine teams in the heat, but more to the point, she was in a barrel that had more runners (5) than the inside start (4). Potential last-minute distractions were disregarded like a common housefly, as once the gun was fired, she took off and quickly grabbed the lead. Her first 400 made short work of two-thirds of the field, as a lead pack of three was soon established. She made the first baton pass at 2:36, in seconds place, to Maggie Naughton.
Fate decided to go after Maggie Naughton weeks before the race, as she was one of many juniors posed with the question: Scavenger Hunt or Relays? While the rest of her class was driving about town picking up various items, one thing Maggie got that they most certainly did not was a sub-2:40 800, also known as a PR to our Devoted Trackie. She maintained our spot in the top-three pack, which had separated considerably from the chasers, and handed off to Chelsea Dubin.
Chelsea Dubin was presented with another one of Fate's cruel ironies. The "PR or Team?" Dilemma. Starting out running stride for stride in 2nd/3rd place just behind the leader, Chelsea's opponent shot out the first 200 at an absolutely blistering pace. While under normal circumstances, she probably wouldn't go out quite that fast the first 200 if she were running for time, Chelsea clearly realized that the alternative would've meant letting herself get "gapped" and potentially losing critical places. She gamely shadowed her Eager Beaver foe, and came through in 2:43, within striking distance for anchor Madison Ward to finish off the task.
Madison had run exactly one 800 in her entire life prior to today, and with "Sub 10:40" still looming as merely a Possibility, and not a Lock, her work was cut out for her. She made up part of the gap early, and with her trademark long-strided kick, finished in 2:38.6, also a PR, as the team took eighth in 10:37, easily qualifying for states.
Fate has lost to Kylie Lorenzen before. Freshmen weren't supposed to be named League MVP's, or break three school records, but that didn't stop her last year. With her versatile skill set, Fate's only option of late has been the Overlap. Meaning, she'll wind up doing one event at the same time another one is about to occur.
And of course, in a meet that took 7 hours, our long jump relays' flight would not only be checked in, but actually jumping during the exact heat that our 4x400 relay was running.
Sydney Snow started the 4x400 with a vengeance, running 63.7 in her first race in two weeks. Handing off to fellow Freshman Phenom Eve Bagley, the hurdler extraordinaire clocked a 68 before handing off to Nikki Kerrigan. Having already run the 4x100, and still a bit under the weather, Nikki nevertheless ran a 66 before handing off to Kylie, having maintained the lead. Much like the 4x100, this anchor was plummeting to depths in the ocean that other boats simply could not reach. Kylie torched a 60.3, gapping the gasping chase pack by over 30 meters, as the girls not only won their heat, but displaced all but three teams in the seeded section, taking fourth in 4:18.
While all this was going on, Morgann McKunes and Madison Ward had started the Long Jump Relay. Fate was the most upfront with its attack on these two, using an ally known as Ten Mile An Hour Headwind to attempt to dissuade our young jumpers. Undaunted, the two broke 14' on their first attempt, then each went 14'high (I had 14'8,14'7) despite jumping into the constant wind. After their second attempts, Kylie jogged over, having finished the 4x400 literally three minutes earlier. After one run-through to check her mark, she popped 15'1 on her first attempt, then soared into the sky on her second one with a 16'4. As they were the second flight of five, it wasn't until the end of the meet, when the boys 4x400 was running, that we learned they had also taken fourth place.
Just before this, a caravan of talented junior boys had made their way down Route 495, and arrived at Pembroke with visions of States looming before them. The Boys 4x800 team was in the fast heat, up against schools like Hingham (Indoor All-Americans), Pembroke (15 sub 5-minute milers), Bishop Feehan, etc. Ryan Leonard led off with a 2:12, keeping the team in range as the top three superteams pulled away. Ethan Harris, who wasn't even on the team until two days ago when he popped a 2:08.9 at Hopkinton and announced to the league that he was Someone To Reckon With now, nearly PR'd with a 2:09.5, weaving his way in a pack that was still congested at that point. Jack Boyd took the baton, and having run just one 800 ever prior to today, hung close and split 2:09 before passing the stick to anchor Ryan Moser. Sub-8:40 was looming, much like the girls sub-10:40, as more of an obstacle than originally thought, with the heat rising and Pembroke High's sun-scorched track absorbing the rays. Moser gained ground on the other anchors, and came through the final tape in 2:05, as the boys placed eighth in 8:37, qualifying for states.
The 4x400 team had found Fate dealing them two of its previously used weapons. The Unavailable Usual Runner (indoor mainstay Logan Cotto, gearing up for Monday), as well as the Double (Jack Boyd, gamely volunteering to run just 40 minutes after his 800). Undeterred, Liam Doyle led off with a 55-high, before passing off to Jack, who gritted and beared down and came out with a 55-mid split. Cole Osten took over, and despite being in a bit of No Man's Land, pulled through a 56-high before handing off to Ryan Snow. Ryan wasn't just in a bit of No Man's Land, he was in the center of it, but still pushed through for a quality time, running 56-mid as the boys ran 3:43, just missing states.
Athletes often dream about Destiny. They envision the perfect race, with perfect conditions, opponents who go out at paces conducive to their own goals, and perfect feelings, mentally and physically, before the race starts. In reality, none of this ever occurs. Anchors get switched, winds go against you, jumps occur right after a race, state relay attempts happen when you've already raced hard earlier in the day, and opponents do unusual things that you are forced to respond to.
But that's the thing about Fate. Instead of the day you feel your best, or when your opponent is weakened, or the winds are in your favor, sometimes its the day you feel like garbage when you wake up, or a day when you've had to double back (Jack had the fastest 4x4 split, for instance), when you wind up running your best.
Because in reality, none of the things you envision when you dream about perfect races, or perfect jumps, are within your control. You can't control the weather, your opponents, your body's temporary illnesses, or the time that Fate turns to you and says, "Today is the day."
The one thing all of these athletes had control over was their choices prior to the meet. The juniors, as Maggie pointed out, chose to be with their teammates rather than go on the Scavenger Hunt. Morgann and Madison chose not to be bothered by headwinds, Sydney chose not to be apprehensive about her first race in a while, Jack chose not to let his 800 affect his 400, Kylie chose not to let her 400 affect her long jump.
Destiny is Your Choice.
