Phoenix Final Wrap….Finally

Windy Phoenix

I know I am very late with all of this but sometimes track can’t come first.(Darn) I have been to Las Vegas and back for business and helped Lauren create a beautiful Mission Project since Monday.So here I am the final quick wrap on The 45th Annual Phoenix Invitational.

Friday Night

Our hotel the Four Points Sheraton was packed with excited athletes,mostly from Las Vegas, Nevada and couple from Arizona, Washington and As far as I could see just a couple fronCalifornia. The kids were racing any were they could find an open space. Lauren was happy to just stride in the long up stairs hallways alone. She said it was fun.. OKAYEE

You could feel the excitment in the air and see the hopefullness on the kids faces. By bed time we were all ready for sleep. Lauren got in the bed first on time and after preparing for the next day uniforms and a wake up call, the lights went out and so did we.

Saturday

One of my favorite times of a track meet is the initial entering the stadium and just looking at all the people that have some the same desires and passions as me. Track and Field.To see my kid do her best.What ever that is that day. It takes a few moments to set up under the canopy and all I could think about was it’s so cold here.. “It’s Arizona and suppose to be 80 degrees today”. Another windy day, almost all day increasing as the day progressed and for me sitting alot trying to stay warm. the temp was about in the high 60′s but the wind made it feel much colder. I am very cold sensitive anyway so 60 might as well be 40 to me. With the ice chest and all the “stuff” Henry carried up to the top of the “Track World” I was ready for a exciting fun filled day of youth track.

A funny thing happened on the way to the race

While Lauren was warming up for her first race the 200 m she didn’t yet have her uniform on because the team received new ones and she hadn’t received hers yet. When she went to staging she still didn’t have it on so she had to run in her black shorts and red QF t-shirt that she wears during the developmental meets.

No big deal except after the race people kept coming up to me asking where Lauren. LOL They were looking for a uniformed athlete. It funny the things we pay attention too, yes uniforms are important for identification and so is a hair style and even socks…Track Girls have lots to prepare for to get on the track .

So many little things occurred I had not planned on.I am becoming a pro at rolling with the punches. Some of my detours in the road to a perfect track day were the eating utensils, sunscreen and my camera DARN I really needed the camera. I borfowed my dad’s and some how it all worked out for the rest of the day with out the other items. My face was just red and a little painful thay evening.I learned my lesson keep sunscreen in my purse.

Parent Observations

No meet is perfect but the National meets come pretty close often. I am not priviledged to all the in’s and outs of running the meet but I do hear lots of comments on how the meet is being run.Some resonable some not so. Here is one very reasonable conversation piece I heard all weekend. The Bathrooms…Or Lack Of. Within an hour of the meet starting the women’s bathroom line under the stadium (the only real bathroom around the stadium) was already very crowded and the faces were not happy ones. If I was asked (which I was not) I would suggest that those portable bathrooms (no out houses) equipted with running water and bathroom stalls be brought to the meet.I have seen them at Jazz festivals and carnivals and they are great.

During the course of the day the lines never went down so I just asked Henry to take me to a restaurant down the street. Not the quickest solution, but it worked better than the out house or the long lines to the dirty bathroom. LA Jets have a great bathroom program at their meet, if Phoenix can’t get any volunteers hire…please hire help for the day and extra $150 would mean alot to the few thousand women in the stands.

Sundays Finals The Competition

With so many RACES so many Results So Many outstanding performances I could not do all the athletes justice except to say Job well done to every athlete and we all look forward to an exciting season ahead.

My favs of the day

Sub-bantam Boys 100,200m

Jamar Simpson Moreno Valley 14.01 200m 29.75 New meet records Wow that is really fast……

Bantam Girls 100m

My little Lauren 13.50 and the second place finisher Sarahvaughn King 13.63 200m 28.06 and 28.99 repectfully Watch for this match up again and again this season, Sarahvaugh is a great competitor and promises to bring the best out of Lauren and the other bantam girls all the way to the finals at the JO’s this year.

Bantam Boys 100m 200m 400m

Jalen Rasheed Nailor So Cal Cougars continues to make the crowd say WOWWWW as he runs down the track poised and relaxed to 3 first place finishes

Bamtam boy 800m

Isaiah Richardson So Cal Cougars breaks the meet record in a time of 2:28:09

Jaylin White Mercury San Diego 2nd place finish 2:29.27 and also broke the association record 3rd place finisher Warren Jackson Speed City,Carson 2:29.31 also an association record .This race was one of the most exciting of the day and had people on their feet.

Bantam Girls 800m, 1500m