Last Regular Track Meet of 2024 Season

 Melayna ran in her last regular track meet of the season this past Tuesday night, as the NLC Conference Championship is next Tuesday.  I think this may have been the first and only track meet where the weather was absolutely gorgeous -- and not a drop of rain in sight!  

Melayna would once again run the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles, and the JV heat of the 4x400 relay.

She went out strong in the 100 hurdles and was fighting hard for position, but unfortunately, her heel caught the top of the fifth hurdle and she wasn't able to keep her balance and fell.  Thankfully, she wasn't hurt from the fall - just frustrated with herself that a good start ended that way.  But as the saying goes, "It's not IF a hurdler falls, it's WHEN".

Melayna is in towards the middle lanes - just look for the bright yellow shoes.

(And then the person that just falls in the middle of the race)

 

I thought that maybe she would be discouraged from falling and that she wouldn't run the 300 race as well, but she came back and took out any frustrations that she may have had on that race.  I didn't get a video of that one because the battery on my phone was dying, but she finished 3rd overall and finally broke under 50 seconds, which has been a huge goal of hers all season long.  She finished with a new PR of 49.64!!  (That led to some exciting celebration from both Melayna and "Coach Howett" later that night when the results were published!!)

And then Melayna ran another great leg in the 4x400.  She received the baton a little behind the leading team, but quickly ran and overtook that leader and handed off to the third leg in a solid first place.  They would win the JV race and Melayna finished with a brand new PR in the 400 with a time of 1:05.

Congratulations Laynie on a great meet!

+++

Since it was the last regular meet of the season, the coaches and timers agreed to allow for a couple of non-scoring "fun" events.  There was a relay consisting of a whole hodge-podge of runners.  One lane had a team of throwers.  A couple of lanes had pole vaulters that ran with their poles.  One lane had a parents / child combination and then Noel took part of the coaches' relay.  He is in the second lane in this video and will receive the baton for the second leg - running down the backstretch.  (I apologize in advance for the obnoxious cheering in the background.)  But great job to the "old folks" for bringing that one home again for the second year in a row!

Favorite comments of the night were from parents who were overheard saying "Man, Mr Howett can really run fast!"  LOL