2009 State Track Meet......

this is just one side of the stadium on Friday

(which is the Prelim day for the runners....

that means that not alot of people come on Friday)

the tents are some of the team tents....

The weather was warm (90ish but not humid at all), there was an ever so slight breeze.

We (hubby, Little G, W's girlfriend Megan and I) got there around 1 to get adjusted to the place. It's sort of like a 3 ring circus, it takes some adjusting.

then W jumped at 3.

I knew I'd be nervous but also knew I couldn't pace (my usual) so I just sat as close as I could (on the front row just across the track from the pit) with my note pad and camera in hand. Just before W started jumping several of his friends came to sit with me! He had his own little cheering section. They also kept me distracted ... they'd never watched Triple jumping before and had alot of questions!

He was ranked 7th so he was in the 2nd heat, but things went quickly ...

it's state and they're organized!

the the Prelims ....

He jumped a 41'7 1/2" ~ 41'0 1/2" (those made me nervous, they were not going to be long enough to get him to the finals)

then much to my delight

(and his of course)

a personal record of 43"01/4"

He made it to the finals!

In the finals he was sitting 6th (out of 8)!

his first jump ..another personal record ... 43'10"

(WOW! If I can't pace, I certainly can't be jumping around ....sitting and screaming was all I could do), He was looking ever so cool on the other side....while his cheering section went wild!

Ok it was just me ... remember they don't know anything about triple jumping... they didn't know what that meant!

(I Know this looks like 43'1"

but the man messed up the entire board thing from the beginning and

had to yell across the track that this really was a 43'10")

He then jumped a 43'9 1/2" for his second finals jump

He flubbed his 3rd jump and didn't even care!

I was busy calculating the numbers of everyone to finally come up with ......

wait.....

Remember his plan???

He'd just keep getting 4th place all the way through to state.

If he just got to state he'd be happy......well, he took 4th in state also!

Yep ~~ He is 4th in the state.

(let me know if you'd like to see the podium picture ... it just has too much information for me to post it here)

Remember I'd said that W was in the most difficult region in the state? The 4 qualifiers from our region placed first, second, fourth and fifth! these are kids that I've watched jump practically every week this spring, I cheered for all of them (much to W's friend's amazement sometimes) but that's pretty awesome!

WE have been ever so anxiously watching the computer today at what team points were adding up to.....

**explanation for those that don't know alot about track.... each person competes individually, but depending on the end result the individual earns points for the team. ie: first place earns 10 points/2nd place earns 8 points and so forth... So W earned 4 points for the team.

W's track team has only lost one track meet this entire year

(and that one they came in 2nd to a big city school)

They ended with 66 points with the 2nd place at 40.

He'll stand on the podium again only this time in first place and with all of this buddies aka team mates!

OK I'm not going to let this go with posting his longest jump....