S7s- May 15: Hexed?

1) Yesterday was the Regional Track meet at AC Reynolds. We had one qualifier, Odyssey Gaines in the 200m Dash. She's our first stat qualifier in three season. She tried to get out of running the 200, but I made her run. She was in the slow heat and won. Better yet, her time was good enough to be second overall. I told her after her run that I was proud of her effort and she gave herself a good chance to qualify (finish in the top 4). After the fast heat, I told her she'd be close. I was surprised she was second, I would have been thrilled with third or fourth. 

We had some bad luck yesterday. Our 4x200 ran phenomenal. They went 1:49 and was the third team to cross the finish line. Then someone said there was a zone violation. Being the referee, I hustled to see what it was. It was lane 6, our lane. Heartbreaking. It would have been disappointing if we finished 6th and got DQed, but it was devastating because they went from being state qualifiers to being disqualified. As their coach, what can you say? Most of them were running again in the 4x100, so I told them to rally and be ready for their next event.

In the 4x100, we were running well and in the mix and the second handoff got dropped. I didn't even see it happen. It looked good and when I was looking for the third exchange, there was no North Henderson. Their spacing was good, they just dropped the baton. The thing is, these were what I consider my two most reliable athletes in terms of handoffs. If I had to pick two to do an exchange, it would be these two.

I'm proud of my kids. We were 5th in the 4x400 and 6th in the 300 hurdles. Some good efforts in the field events. Despite not qualifying our relays, I'm proud of their effort. There's a reason this happened. We were hit twice with really unfortunate luck in two of our best events-- the events we had the best chance to qualify in. I don't know why things work the way they do, but I'm confident we're all better people after this. Even if we're not happy people at the moment.

2) The 4x100 gave me flashbacks to last year's state championship tournament. Mitchel Langford loses an improbable match in the finals. I truly believe that if Mitchel and Mainz wrestled 100 times, Mitch would win 98 or 99 times. Mainz wrestled a good match and earned that victory but I don't doubt that Mitchel was the better wrestler. The same way that Dan Gable was better than Larry Owings. If my two girls do 100 handoffs, 95% of them are great.

I had a friend tell me that you've got to strive for 100%. 1% is bad. If 1% of parachutes failed, that would be terrible. In Mitchel's case and in the 4x100, we fell victim to that 1%.

3) North Henderson will be host for next year's track regionals. Why do I do this to myself?

4) Went out to dinner with the coaches after the meet. Had my bike. Headed over to Bent Creek to get a ride in. Towards the end, I lose a pedal. It comes off the spindle but is still clipped into my shoes. This is my fifth pair of Crank Brothers pedals and the newest. The first to fail. I slowly and awkwardly pedaled back to the car, just about a mile. It was hard with only one good pedal and trying to keep the other foot on the spindle. I was convinced someone had a voodoo doll of me or put some sort of curse on me.

I took a picture and posted it to Instagram. Also tagged Crank Brothers. They messaged me back and it looks like they're going to replace the pedal. That's good customer service!

As if I hadn't been victim of enough bad luck today, I'm on a solo night ride in the woods and this happens. The gods must be spiting me because earlier in the ride I had a hard fall-- going uphill. #howdoesthisevenhappen #mustnotbelivingright #mtbike #stillbetterthannoride

A photo posted by @heanguy on May 14, 2016 at 7:00pm PDT

 5) Spent the evening at the Grove Park for the WNC Sports Banquet presented by the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club. North Henderson was well represented, especially wrestling! Josh Blatt was a finalist for the 3A/4A Male Athlete in an Olympic Sport (Connor Fenn of Asheville School won), the team was a finalist for 3A/4A Male Team- Olympic Sport (won by Enka Wrestling) and Pete Willingham won a $1000 scholarship. Caroline Marsh, a volleyball player, was a finalist for 3A/4A Female Athlete- Major Sport.

6) "Are you interested or committed?" -Jerry Moore, former Appalachian State Football Coach and WNC Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

7) I'm really bummed out about the Spurs losing. I wanted Tim Duncan to win and retire. It will be an interesting off season for this team. Who do they sign? Who retires?

Game On!

Sports! I love them. After the summer valley, sports are going to pick up again. Olympics are next month, college football starts in a few weeks and also the NFL. To get me pumped, here is my rankings of favorite sports venues. These are the places that I would most like to watch athletic competition:

10) McCormick Field- Asheville is a great city and Tourists baseball is lots of fun. If you go on Thursdays, not only do you get a great venue for baseball, but beer is cheap and the people watching is second to none. Only in Asheville, as we like to say.

9) Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field - Yes, I am biased and I know there are a lot of great college football stadiums out there (Neyland, Camp Randall, Autzen, Falcon, Kinnick). I love the Jackets. I also love being with my friends and the GT Superfans make any Saturday on the Flats that much better. And honestly, there are not a whole lot of things that can compare to a Georgia Tech night game in the oldest continually used stadium in Division 1A. If you have seats in the west stands, you've got awesome views of the field and the Atlanta skyline behind.

8) Cameron Indoor Stadium - Not really a stadium, more like a shoebox. But the fans are loud and crazy and Duke definitely has a home court advantage when playing here. Atmosphere like Cameron makes college basketball great.

7) Augusta Natianal Golf Club - The Masters. Perfect in everyway. The Masters is spring incarnate. It's one of the things that let's me know winter is over. It's the only major that is played on the same course every year. You have Amen Corner and the Eisenhower Tree. The Par 3 tournament earlier in the week is fun, the Green Jacket is coveted and the experience of the Masters is like none other.

6) Lambeau Field - NFL Stadiums don't have the tradition and character of college stadiums. Except Lambeau, where the waiting list for season tickets is about 30 years and 70,000 names deep. It is the place to be in the NFL's smallest television market. This is the home of Lombardi, Rockne and Favre. Cheeseheads and fans that brave the frigid Green Bay winters make this an amazing place.

5) Hayward Field - home of Prefontaine and the mecca of US Track and Field. Hayward Field is where Nike was born and Olympic dreams made. It is the inspiration and goal for track and field athletes across the country. It is also located in Eugene, which dubbs itself as Track Town, USA.

4) Wrigley Field - Yankee Stadium was the house the Ruth built. Finway has the Monster. Wrigley itself is kinda dumpy, but there's still way too much to love. Homeruns onto Waveland, the bleachers, 7th Inning Stretch, ivy in the outfield, throwing back the opponent's homeruns. Plus I love that Wrigley is a neighborhood, a place where people live, eat and work. Wrigleyville before, during and after a game is truly a special place to be.

3) Notre Dame Stadium - I went there last year and it was one of the most enjoyable places to watch college football. The greeters around campus saying "welcome to Notre Dame", Touchdown Jesus overlooking the Stadium, the wooden benches inside made it all a neat place. The fans were friendly and knowledgable instead of being drunken colorblind jerks that you run into at many other places. (Note: Picture was taken on opening game last year, GT @ ND)

2) Old Course, St Andrews - Scotland is the birthplace of golf and St Andrews is the venerable sage of golf. Awesome hazards like Hell, Principal's Nose, Coffins and Road Bunker. Then there is the famed Scottish weather, a neat University nearby and the knowledge that golf was being played here for hundreds of years. This is another place that is steeped in history and tradition.

1) L'Alpe d'Huez - Again, the Tour de France is one of my favorite events of the year. I look forward to it as much as I look forward to a big Tech game or the Super Bowl. You have the pretty flowers of Brittany, the scenic views of the Basque Pyrenees, and ceremonial ride down the Champs-Elysee in the last stage. But nothing is as dramatic, testing and exciting to watch as a stage that includes L'Alp d'Huez. This is where legends were made and many hearts broken. Lance owned this climb, the 2004 Individual Time Trial being the most impressive run. Plus, you have the great French villages and the beauty of the Alps around you and, stay a few more weeks, you will get world class skiing.