Sectionals Reflection

Though humiliated, I considered it to be better than running laps with the sprinters, so I continued to show up to practice and began to make timely progress. By the time of the first meet, I qualified to compete. That day, my performance was nothing short of embarrassing. Miraculously, I began to become competitive with the other jumpers at my school and in the district. My morale skyrocketed and reached its peak right before the district

A significant challenge that I thought I wouldn't have accomplished was during our biggest track-and-field meet against all of the big schools around. It was the Shawnee invitational and one of our girls on the track team ended up messing up her ankle in her first relay race, which meant she couldn't run the 800m dash or the 1800m dash. I was the only one on the team who didn’t have four events because I ran the 4x2 and the 4x1 which was the main events at the invitational. So the coach asks me to fill in for her, my first thought was ‘oh Nooooooo, i can’t”. Not only did I just finish one on my relays and had to rest up for my next one, but also I was not ready to run only distant runs that day. I had only practiced for my events prior to the

In all my life, I’ve never had a commitment that required so much of me as track and field, both physically and mentally. Towards the end of my high school career, track and field for me meant having to push through a difficult physical condition known as tarsal coalition, a condition that causes inflammation in my feet. With help from my coaches, I had to learn to endure past physical limitation and strengthen my faith in my abilities. By doing so, I became more confident in myself and I was able to help lead other team members to do the same. Not only did track and field teach me to lead, but it also taught me how to be a part of a team. I learned the value of teamwork through building relay race teams. In all relay races, I was either the

My freshman year, I qualified for state in the shuttle hurdle relay. The girls on my relay team were a huge help to me, by guiding me along with new experiences. We ended up making it to finals and placing seventh in the state. My teammates pushed me in practice, and I wouldn’t have made it as far as I did without them by my side. I was always told that my hard work will pay off, and it for sure did. Going to state track taught me that anything is possible if you work for it. As I grow older, I’m sure to be a great role model for the underclassmen by giving them the motivation that they can do anything if they set their mind to it. I didn’t only help myself by doing this, but I helped the entire team. Throughout every sport, I try to be a positive influence towards my team because we need one another to improve and make a great impression by representing Forest City High

It was my first race headed to Greater Lowell Tech.The first thing that happens when i walk into Greater Lowell’s track were 50 to 100 people in different schools including greater lowell there were schools like Mystic Valley, Northeast. My heart was pounding heavily like it can’t stop. luckily i was taking deep breaths to calm myself because the quad race haven’t started yet. So then our coach was discussing about Greater Lowell’s Course but there were a lot people i was shocked to watch. then show us the course when should we take advantage to pass people. Then the starter guy will say all boys will meet in the starting line so i walk there seeing 50 to 100 people in the starting line i already feel my legs shaking and aching a lot, mouth dry too need water etc. I look at the other teams they looked determined

In sixth grade I quit the school band in the middle of my third year to join Running Club. The goal of Running Club was to run a 5k after weeks of practice and I accepted the challenge. Throughout the duration of training, I would find the long runs consistently demanding and a test to my motivation to persevere in the club. One of the coaches, Miss. Ames, was my teacher from the previous year and she ran with me during practice. She constantly encouraged me to push myself a little more every run and to keep practicing. I was frustrated with my performance, but Miss. Ames continued to encourage me. Nevertheless, preparing for that 5k was an eye-opening and an overall amazing experience.

At one of the practices we had to run the mile. I wasn't too excited, but I was hoping I would do better than I did last time. That mile was the best I've ever done, 7:03 minutes. Did I get the best time out of my whole team? No. But this was still a huge accomplishment for me. I realized that hard work does pay off. As I walked off that field after practice, my coach came up to me and said, "Real good job today. You were one of the few to give it their all. Continue with the hard work." Those words meant so much to me. It may not seem a lot for you, but I've realized that to do good in life you have to be willing and able to put in all your best

Last year I started a new sport, cross country. I only did it because my lacrosse coach said that it might help me get better for lacrosse. So I went to the first late summer practice last year to see what this was like, so then we did warm-ups and a lap around the track. Then it was the first time I met coach Chase, My first impression of him was going to be very strict, But soon realized that this was false because of one of the first things he said. He said “I know there are a lot of nerves here right now, but cross country isn’t about winning every race, that comes later” then continued with “Cross country is about showing what you can do to yourself.” This struck me very hard because I was not that fast and was near the back. Through that fall the team did very well, I also made some progress myself. After the season was over I made a decision.

“Good Job keep going, you can do it, run run faster, you got this!” These were the words coming from the audience as I was finishing my last 100 meters in the cold, pouring, rain during sectionals. I was in second place in my heat and my heart was thumping and I couldn't see through the water stains on my glasses, but I heard someone someone breathing hard and their spikes hitting the track as they ran behind me and I knew I had to push even harder.I remembered the rough trading I had in practice and knew I could do it.

The coach made us run extra harder, which many people did not enjoy. I ran thinking, if I run hard enough, I will run the greatest 2-mile, the distance we have to run in the league finals, I have ever ran. We would run intervals, 1 lap, 2 laps, 3 laps, 4 laps, and vice versa. We would also run up and down stairs and run track laps until we felt like puking. The week passed by fast as we practiced, and the league finals was just up ahead now. The weekend before the meet, wasn’t much, but for most of the weekend, I had butterflies in my stomach multiplying every second the meet got closer. My dad told me not to worry, which I thought was silly, because this was a huge meet. I got a lot of rest sleeping, and finally, the day had come. The day of the cross country league

“Jovanie, I’m going to have to let you go,” my coach said to me in a nonchalant voice. My stomach started twisting in a million knots and I felt my eyes watering, but I was not going to let them fall… yet. “Not here, not now” I reassured myself. I slowly walked off the bus trying to act unbothered, but I was. Everybody that knew me understood what track was to me. However, starting off in a different school as a freshman, where nobody knew me was hard. I had to prove to them that I was a good runner, but I have failed.

I approached that year’s conditioning with a pessimistic attitude and wondered why was I doing this when I’m not going to run in meets. Just like the year before, I assumed that conditioning and practicing would be obsolete. I braced myself for another disappointing year. Every winter day after school, I braced myself against the cold with a hope that this season would be different. I went into the first day of practice feeling in shape and optimistic. But just like freshman year, there was no preparing for the ache and suffering of the first practice. With the season approaching, our coach timed us to determine who would run in meets. Our coach divided us into groups based on how fast she thought we were. When a senior saw that I was in the first, slower group, he said that I belonged in the faster group with them. Hearing that compliment from a senior changed my outlook on the season might go. As the first track meet approached, we split off into groups so we could perfect our technique based on the event we were running. As I was jogging around the track wondering whether this year was going to be the same as last year, our coach summoned me over to perfect baton handoffs for the 4x100 meter relay. As the realization hit me that I was going to compete, I thought, “I’m not going to relinquish this spot because I labored profusely to attain

It’s the day of the Holy Apostles track meet for my 8th grade year and the air was very brisk and breezy. The only running event I had for that day was the 800m race. I started running the 800m in 4th grade. It was my best race and the race I liked the most. I had never won the 800m against these schools before, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to win that day. My rivals in this race were from three other schools St. Leonards, St. Joan of Arc, and MQS . The girl from St. Leonards, Sydney Bartz, was a girl who I have beaten and have raced against since I was in 5th grade. My other two rivals were from St. Joan of Arc and MQS ,Zoey Goodman, who was the girl who I have been up against since 5th grade and I have never beaten her because she has

I am a runner. One who strives for greatness at every moment and doesn’t give in when things get tough. I have aspirations, dreams, and goals which I will stop at nothing to achieve. Unfortunately for me, the life of a runner is filled with challenges and setbacks and only the best will learn to push through the adversity. My defining moment was the summer before my Junior year, 2016. I had set the goal of becoming All-State in Cross Country, meaning placing in the top 25 of all the runners in the state meet. This is, of course, a prestigious title to have, but I had faith in myself. For the first time in my life, I finally understood that preparation is key and if I fail to prepare, I should prepare to fail

It was a nice cool spring day, and we were at Lincoln Trail Motocross track for the Loretta Linn qualifier. I was on an 85cc and I was last practice and it made me sad. I was still glad to be racing though. I waited and waited until finally it was my practice. I went up the practice early so I could be at the front of the pack. They let us go and me along with a bunch of other people. Me and a couple other kids started to pull away from the pack. I ended up making a mistake and going down and fell to the back of the pack. I was so mad because I had to pass all the slower kids and it took meall my remaining practice laps to do that. I pulled off the track and went back to the trailer. When I got there my aunt and uncle were