Track Meet Time!

I LOVE the Hershey Track Meet!

Running track was one of my favorite sports in high school! I love that in track...it is all about you.  With a few exceptions, you mainly just have to worry about yourself and doing your best. 

You can practice alone and you whether you win or not, is totally based on you.

 

I also love the things I see at this event each year. I won't lie...more than a once, okay fine, more than a dozen times in the past 3 years, I have been moved to tears at this event. Watching all these kids, so different and so competitive rise to cheer on a down syndrome child and help them cross the finish line, or watching a young man that many have labeled a "bully", on his knees - trying to catch his breath after an incredible race, turn (still on his knees) and clap and cheer on the very heavy kid that is struggling to put one foot in front of the other down the final 100m straightaway.  I'm telling you, there are so many incredible moments....I could just sit and soak them in forever!

 

Kaitlin has been in the track meet for the past 2 years and this year, all 3 of them were in it!

Cole and I brought our trusty chair and umbrella and settled in for a fun day of all day track and field...accompanied by Alli and Oakley!

They were careful to space themselves out so that they wouldn't have to race against each other in the preliminary heats! Can you tell which two are mine? Brandon is in the navy Under Armor shirt towards the front of the line. Brock is in the red shorts near the back.

 Kaitlin ran the 100m and did the softball throw and the long jump.

Brandon and Brock both ran the 50m, 100m and did the softball throw. Brock really wanted to do the 800m and I feel bad because I think I discouraged him (on accident)! I just told him that the 800m was the WORST race ever in the history of track! Haha! (Our sprinter coach always made us run the 800m at least once in our season as a filler event! Barf! Every time! Haha!

 

Seriously though, I feel bad I said it! I will encourage him to do it next year!;)

How cute is he?! (Mine is the one focusing on the finish line while everyone else is busy paying attention to who knows what!)

Brandon, on the far right, getting ready to start!

He won his heat, even with his hat and sunglasses on! Haha ! Love this kid!

Brock getting ready to start his race! So serious and focused!

He won his heat, too!

We didn't get any pictures of  the boys running the 100m heats, but Brock won his heat and Brandon took 2nd in his heat!

Cute Kaitlin, right there in the middle in her teal shirt! She was so excited for her last Hershey track meet! Apparently she kind of hand picked her heat, and while she won the heat by a long way....apparently her first place time was a little slower than a second place time in another heat, so she didn't get to advance to the finals.  We were all so broken hearted.  As soon as she won, we were sure she was in the finals.  It was a good lesson to learn about trying your hardest against the best...but still a hard lesson to learn at your last track meet. She ran awesome though. She has one of the most beautiful running strides I have ever seen!

 Getting ready for the softball throw.

 

 

 Getting ready for the long jump.

 

 The Finals

Kaitlin had a rough track meet.  After finding out that she wasn't one of the fastest times despite winning her heat, she was so discouraged.  However, that disappointment was slightly abated when she heard that she had thrown one of the best softball throws of the day and therefore would be moving on to District in the softball throw. Sadly, the next day she learned that her throw was actually the third best of the day and therefore, she didn't advance to the district in that either! Like I said, bummer of a meet for that poor girl!

 

The boys both made it to the finals in their 50m and Brock also made it in his 100m.

Unfortunately that meant they were going to have to go head to head. (The worst situation for a mother of twin boys!)  They handled it like champs though and decided that if they were going to have to race each other, they were going to do it side by side. (Insert small lump in my throat here. I sure do love these two!)

 How funny is it that Dylan and Ian, the other set of twins on their baseball team, were also in this 50m finals race?!  Brock took 2nd and advanced to District! Brandon took 3rd!

 

Brandon is going on to District in the softball throw though!

 

Pretty cool since their age bracket division is 9-10 year olds and at the time of the meet, they weren't even 9!  It was also fun to hear the names called out for the finals of each race.  Chase, Easton, Brandon, Brock, Dylan, Ian - All 6 of our Braves team players that we in this track meet were in the finals and 4 of them are going on to District! Pretty awesome!

 

The coolest part of the track meet for me?!

Watching them come home, cuddle on the chair, still all sweaty and stinky from running and helping load up all the equipment after the races,  and watch the clips of the races and hearing them compliment each other and be very humble about the whole thing. 

No bragging. No rubbing it in each other's faces. Just being best friends.

 

 

I am so grateful for my great kids....each of them did so awesome at this meet and I couldn't have been any prouder.