Lake Michigan Invite @Carthage College

A week ago, the coaches and I discussed loading up our line-up in order to see what we could do point-wise. For the previous three meets, we had given a lot of people opportunities while limiting events for our top competitors. Looking at the results from last year at Carthage, we built what we thought was a competitive line-up. Wisconsin runs a slightly different order of events than Illinois, flipping the 3200 to the end and the 1600 to the start. This schedule difference allowed us to maximize the points we could earn from our Distance Crew, and the ability to use three "wild cards" allowed us to stack some sprinters and throwers, too. We were excited to see what our team could do on a great track and against strong competition. Then on Friday night, Coach Anderson kept sending me updates about the boys' performances at Carthage. It was so exciting to hear about the guys stepping up! Through their collective efforts, they placed 3rd out of 21 teams. All evening, I kept thinking that we could do the same--come in the top three teams.

On the bus the next day, I was excited that we had teammates like Anesa, Aniya, Melanie, and Ashley who wanted to be there to support their teammates. I was equally excited to see what our bees could do! The coaches and I challenged the women to out-do the guys:  "Let's get better than 3rd place!"  Everyone seemed on board with that goal, and I could feel the unity as our group took the team lap. For the first time, we were together for the whole lap, looking powerful! I anxiously awaited the start of the meet, and our first performers set the stage for the day.

Huge Performances of the Day: 

• Our 4X800 earned us our first points with a 4th place finish. Riley had a ridiculously awesome lead leg, running an LPR of 2:22 and giving Lauren a great cushion. Lauren had her best 800 of her life, looking focused and earning an LPR of 2:30!  Whew! Sofia stepped up to take Audrey's spot today--a huge task!  She ran a strong leg--not far off her PR from last year, and gave Brionne the baton in a good spot. Bri-Bri continues to improve as an 800 runner, finishing in 2:48 and securing a 4th place finish and our first five points!  I was hoping we would take at least 5th, so this 4th place finish was a great start to the day!
• Audrey went into the mile knowing that she had the top time, but she did not let that pressure get to her. She took off hard and led the race from gun to finish. Not only did she earn 10 big points for us with that win, but she also ran an incredible time. Last year at the same meet, she ran a crazy 5:15--she is 5 seconds ahead of schedule!  She also came within tenths of a second of her lifetime best of 5:10.12, which she ran at Conference last year...IN MAY. And she did this BY HERSELF--without anyone to challenge her. Awesome performance, Audge!
• I'm going to include our 4X200 here because as Mr. Hamilton pointed out on our drive home, this relay's performance was CLUTCH for the team score. Jade was our first leg, and in typical Jade fashion, she got out hard and established the lead for us by the time she handed off to Niyanna. On the backstretch, Lakes Central challenged Niyanna, but she found another gear, holding off the charging challenger.  Coming off the final curve, the Lakes Central runner clipped Niyanna's heel, which made Niyanna lose her footing and the baton as she fell to the ground. This is the first of many important moments in this race. I have seen this happen a hundred times in a race--a girl falls and loses the baton and simply gives up. Niyanna is not built like that, though. She quickly rolled to her feet, grabbing the baton and sprinting to Kennilyn. At this moment, Kennilyn could have simply called it in.  After all, we were well behind the competitors, and it looked impossible to catch anyone. But Kennilyn ran her butt off, giving Taylor the baton a bit closer to the others. And Taylor?  She got fiery and ran with such grit, finishing hard through the finish line. In the moment, it looked like we had lost the opportunity to score in this event. But when the results went up, we ended up in 6th despite the fall!  If Niyanna stays down...if Kennilyn gives up...if Taylor just coasts?  We don't earn three points and we don't take 2nd as a team. THIS IS WHY YOU NEVER EVER GIVE UP! 
• Riley was up next in the 400. Despite tired legs, she got out HARD, pulling on the extreme speed of Martins from Shorewood, her teammate and the Lakes Central racer. This was a speedy heat, and Riley's racing experience, patience, and toughness showed through. She wisely let the speedy peeps pull her through a fast 200 (the leader ran a 27!), and then she made moves on the second lap to secure 8 points in second place, and an impressive indoor time of 60.45!  Last year, she ran 63 at the same meet, so she is well ahead of schedule. Proud of you, Ri!  
• Jade made it to the finals in the 55, and then blew away the competition in the final meters of the race. She just keeps getting speedier each week. Today, she got .16 faster from the prelims to the finals! Her raw speed and competitiveness has been an awesome addition to the team, helping to elevate our other sprinters and strengthen our relays. Today, she earned us 10 more points with this win, helping our team's score grow. Awesome work, Jade!
• Right after I watched Jade's win, I looked over at Coach Strickland, and he was holding up two fingers and was sporting a huge smile!  Ne'Zyah had placed 2nd in the shot, earning us 8 points and achieving her best throw of the season--only 1.25 inches from her lifetime best that she threw at Conference last May!  More importantly, she did it on a full throw, and according to Coach Strickland, she worked through some mental blocks to make it happen!  It's exciting to see Ne'Zyah improve and start to trust her full throw potential!  Congrats on a great effort, Ne'Zyah!
• The 800 was next, and Audrey was bouncing back from an commanding performance in the mile. I worried that she would not have the pop in her legs necessary to run a great 800, but I was worrying for no reason. At the gun, Audrey took off, and she never looked back. She ran a ridiculous 2:22--a new LPR--and won the race by six seconds. She gave us ANOTHER 10 points for the team score, and she showed her fitness! Awesome work, Audrey!
• The 200 was smokin' fast today, with everyone in the top 9 running lifetime PRs. Both Jade and Taylor scored points for us here, which was clutch!  Jade had an amazing race, letting the speedy girls from Homestead and Menomonee Falls pull her along to a new PR of 26.63, her first time under 27!  Jade is definitely going to shine when she gets outside and can maximize her speed on a longer straightaway. She placed third in a VERY competitive field and earned us 6 points. Taylor was not far behind, placing 8th and earning us another point. This is an important moment for us, as we only beat the 3rd place team by ONE. If Taylor was not focused in her heat and didn't run through the line, she would not have picked up that critical point! Taylor also ran an indoor PR, and nearly matched her outdoor PR from Sectionals in May last year. She is WAY ahead of schedule this year! These two keep making each other stronger, and earned us a combined 7 in the event. Awesome work, seniors!
• I was hoping that by having Lauren attack the 3200, we would be able to pick up a few more points from the distance crew, and she did not disappoint! Despite having an uncooperative stomach and tired legs from an awesome performance in the 4X800, she ran a great race! She started out smart, letting the field beat each other up a bit before asserting herself in the second pack. She ran a very even race, responding to challenges and keeping herself in scoring contention. She finished in 5th and earned us 4 more team points!  More importantly, she showed that her fitness is way ahead of last year. She missed her lifetime PR by only a second! Her racing IQ is so much stronger than last year, and it was exciting to see her race today!
• Finally, our 4X400 took the track to try to seal our team place. Our crew ran strong, with Sofia stepping up again to complete our relay so that Lauren could earn us points in the 3200.  We finished in 4th to earn 5 more points and get us to a team total of 70. We were holding our breath as the other heats raced, hoping that no one would step up and nab us from a different heat, but our team's effort was strong enough so that we could keep our spot. 

Yes, those performances were clutch in terms of team points, but there were plenty of other exciting efforts today to discuss...performances that make the coaches REALLY excited about the future of the team:

• In the shot, there was a ton of growth. Both Ximena and Audreynah earned new LPRs--Ximena is knocking on 26's door, and Audreynah busted through!  These two are making each other better each week, and Coach Strickland is really excited to see them start to throw outdoors!
• In the high jump, Niyanna and Mary both made progress, clearing 4'1" after having NO practice in this event other than meets. Now that our new pit is outside and the sun is starting to make more frequent appearances, Coach White KNOWS that they are going to make big gains!
• In the triple, Katelin is nearly matching her performances from the end of last season, so she is WAY ahead of schedule! Sofia got herself into the sand multiple times and is gaining confidence in the event!
• In the long, Mary got herself into the sand, too, making great progress! 
• In distance, there was a lot to be excited about! Brionne showed such strength, running FASTER in her open 800 than in the relay, despite never having run an open 8 before. She did an outstanding job of racing smart, hunting down sleepy people in the final 200 and kicking with Riley-like fierceness! Rachel ran an awesome 3200, setting a new lifetime PR by 24 seconds!  She did it by racing hard with the people around her and not being afraid to take some risks early in the race. Proud of you, Rose! Estrella also set a new LPR in the mile, and she is hungry for more! Nice second half, senior!
• Our gutsy hurdlers, who have not had much practice, both stepped up today!  Rachel looked better coming out of the blocks and set a PR, while Tati looked aggressive and set a SPR! 
• Speaking of short races, Auriel had a great race today in th 55, looking strong out of the blocks and finishing strong.  She shows a lot of promise, and Coach Cuttill cannot wait to see her race outdoors--great job, Auriel!
• Finally, Abygail continues to impress in the 400. She dropped TWO seconds today and had a great finish. Nice work, freshie! :)

Overall, I am really proud of the way this team STEPPED UP today. It's easy to let nerves or expectations get in the way of what you are capable of, but each of you set that aside and just let yourself perform up to your abilities. I love watching it! Congrats on a great team effort!  Also, shout out to all of the guys who came to support our team. It means a lot for our whole track family to support one another. It was also great to see alums Illyana and Natalie. Our alums are always offering support--don't ever forget that ZB Nation loves you and wants to see you shine!

This week, our focus is going to be some hard work and some team building! With the warmer weather, please pack BOTH outdoor and indoor gear for each day this week. BEE PREPARED!  Also, don't forget that the deadline to order gear is THURSDAY, 3/23. Don't wait until it's too late!  Click here to order!