Reply #16: Dropped baton in state finals 1600 meters [View All]

[fishnfla]

OMG, my very last race of my 4 year varsity career was our 1600 meter relay at state. It was our best chance ever to place at state. We had 3 seniors who had been running together for 3 years, and a really talented sophomore KR at third leg. I was second leg. We had second place, and a great shot a 1st, when the hand off between KR and the last leg was fumbled. Sometimes,when I cant sleep late at night I can still hear that baton hitting the asphalt.....
We were of course disappointed and KR was nearly crying on the quiet bus ride home. I was team captain and the coach gave me this look like: do something. So I got up and said something to the effect like, hey it was always our goal just to make it to state, we are lucky to have had the chance and we should be proud. I said to KR, we're all fixin' to graduate, but your career is just started, do us a favor take this lesson and learn from it. He went on to have a great athletic career, got a college scholarship and was a great hockey player and popular coach until he died young.

Man, that was a long time ago