It was another exciting Class B Meet. The weather cooperated for the first time in weeks. The result was some pretty impressive performances. Not that the meet went according to plan!

The first sign that it wouldn't be a normal day was when I was asked to be on the games committee. Sure, I thought. Why not? Before long I was helping to rule on an incident that never should have happened. A half-hour later I was filing my own protest in the same event! Go figure.

At the same time it looked like the wheels would be completely falling off the NA bandwagon. What seemed like a sure twenty points on paper vanished as TyLynn struggled with back problems whose origin began in her final TJ at the State Coaches Invitational two weeks ago. She was forced to skip her three jumps in the finals, settling for sixth and hurdles became a big question mark.

How she ever went on to win hurdle finals I'll never know!

Then as Leah and Tinuke finished a solid 1-2 in the 200M trials it became obvious that something was wrong with Leah's hamstring. We (Leah and I) decided to test it in the long jump. If it wouldn't hold up on the runway her day was done. If I was a betting man I would have bet the farm that she was done (farms aren't worth what they used to be).

I got to see some priceless facial expressions as one by one I met with athletes back at the tent to let them know how the dominoes would fall if both Ty and Leah were out of the relays.

Imagine telling an athlete who only made the trip as an alternate that she was either going to anchor a 4X1 that was trying to win the event or that she was going to run the 4X400 in the seeded heat. Why Nicole didn't pass out is still a mystery to me.

Then there were the 4X4 or 4X8 scenerios - which to scrap in favor of the other.

I'll never be able to tell the entire Leah story. As they say, "What happens in the tent stays in the tent." But as I tried to get permission to scratch her from the 200M semis while maintaining the right to run the 4X100, she made the finals of the long jump. The referee just looked at me and asked, "If she can long jump why can't she run the 200 meter?" It seemed a little unkind to say that neither Leah or I consider her 15'5 qualifier as "long" jumping.

Needless to say that after almost DQ'ing at the start of the 200M semis she gave her "honest effort". She rounded the corner and no one else wanted to run fast so she ended up placing second and making finals. Not our plan! But as she said later "That is the weirdest meet I've ever been in!"

The bottom line. She eventually placed third in the 200M (I held my breath for exactly 26.14 seconds) and had a lifetime PR in the event. Although she was forced to run conservatively at anchor of the 4X1 the team set a meet and school record. I'll say it again. Go figure!

PR's came from all five distance runners (Kras, Jenna, Jaye, Shannon and Stephanie McNamara who will now be dubbed SMack. Jav was outstanding with Jess and Wally making finals. Tiff got her 5th in disc. Adrienne, Brit, Amanda, and the 4X4 and 4X8 also PR'd. A great day I'd have to say.

Congratulations to Frank Mooney who will be having the Seekonk Track named after him on Father's Day, appropriate because he is the undisputed father of Seekonk track and field.

Next stop. The frosh/soph meet on Monday and the Rocket Relays on Tuesday.

One week from Monday NA will host the South section of the Heptathalon. It will be a great two-day meet!