4A Regional Champions

This past weekend my kids,

NOT these kids

but these kids won the 4A Regional Championship.

The odds were against us since we had one of the youngest and smallest teams, but we were counting on everyone, I mean everyone, to preform at their very best, AND THEY DID IT.

My jumpers out did themselves to say the least. Cole Belcher a sophomore jumped 19' in the long jump, a 2' PR and jumped 5'10 in the high jump to clench a second place metal. Steven Goessig a sophomore jumped 5'10 in the high jump, a 2" PR and leaped 41'4" to grab a place a state. Conely Bendal a junior jumped 41' in the triple jump, a 3' ft PR. I have never been prouder to be a Mustang than I did at the Region Meet. At the end of the first day the running events had ended, but the pole vault was still in full swing. We had two athletes still competing that we were counting on to score points. As people left the stands and most teams headed home our entire squad of blue and white mustangs stayed as the night drew near to cheer on Daris and Kacee. IT WAS WONDERFUL!

THEN on Saturday we had to score 62 points to take home the trophy and our kids did not let one of those points go. Every kid on the team hit a life time best mark to secure our win. In the 1600meter race we knew we could count on Bryan Sharder to take the win, but the kids were so determined to win that they devised their own strategy. Dillon Hatch is one of our long distance kids who can hold his own in any race, but was not planning on running the 1600 meters. As a coaching staff we determined that his best time would problay not score any points so we had him in the 3200. Well come race day the boys had it all figured out. The 1600 meter race began and Bryan came out like a deer, leading the pack. Dillon stayed in the pack but after a lap or so fell back so Bryan, a nationally ranked runner, slowed the pack to let Dillon catch up. As Dillon caught up Bryan pushed the pack faster and before you know it Dillon is right there with Bryan. At 300 meters to go Bryan and Dillon took off. Everyone in the race realized what had happened, but it was to late. Dillon won the race with Bryan his comrade close behind. IT WAS AMAZING!

Then when they announced the boys as Region Champs they took their trophy to the finish line to take a victory lap, but they would not go until the girls team joined them. They said they could not have done it without the girls encouragement. IT WAS HUMBLING!

I had such a great time coaching this year and I think I have a pole vaulter in training, what could be better! Wish us luck at State this week!