They helped us earn our very first TEAM title. An unbelievable team that took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the hurdles IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEET! Sorry Coach Gorman, we swept your participant that day in the finals. A picture tells 1000 words.
The funny thing is that I was TOLD by a grandparent that we could not win without her grandaughter ( who had missed several practices without excuses at the end of the season). WRONG!
Our plan was to build a house that day. For those of you that have been to our pre-championship meetings, you will understand that we "create" that daybefore and then "implement" the next.
So after some great performances, we decided to go on to the States and win that relay again, we were the #1 seed, and I knew there was no way anyone could beat us.
In a way, we ended up beating ourselves.
You are supposed to check in prior to the race. We FAILED to do that. WHAT? WHY?
It's a long story, but I am going to tell it anyway. Our Western Mass Champion Long Jumper was jumping in the State finals and was unable to make the call. Our Western Mass. Champion High Jumper was also our school record holder in the 600 dash. There was an error at the table and she was called down to the arena to secure the correct medal (better place!) in the 600.
So where were the other two? watching their team Captain in the finals of the jumps and missed the call.
We were OUT of the 4 x 200. Too late to be added. Now Coach Budd was EXTREMELY ANGRY!
(not that I get angry often, but the stakes were incredibly high, you see).
I went up to the table in the gym to see what I could do, and I was offered the opportunity to have these four run in the 4 x 400 relay, but it meant I had to bounce the four I had previously registered.
OH WELL!
I think these four were probably upset AND scared, but their "punishment" was that they were going to run. They were four of the best athletes we had ever worked with.
CANDACE "CANDO" KASPER
KAYLA "KILLER" RYBACKI
MAYA "FLOJO" RHINEHART
ALI "BOOMAYAY" McMAHON
They were running that day, regardless. My daughter was there and told me, that was the right thing to do. So they ran...possibly in fear, but WHATEVER! Time to make the donuts!
They took 8 seconds off the school record that day and qualified for the All-States!
In the 4 x 200, they would have made it, but could have been dominated by Boston area teams, instead they went there (ALL-STATES) in the 4 x 400 and then took another 4 seconds off their new school record, thus earning a spot at NEW ENGLANDS! Channel 22 came down and named them athletes of the Week.
Well earned, much deserved, and completely unexpected...by the way they brought the time down another two seconds. Still the fastest 4 x 400 Indoors OR Outdoors ever at our school!
Lost again to Sprint City (Hingham), in two weeks they took 14 seconds off the school record, BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY - I wasn't mad no more...
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