Region Champ

*Day 191*

I was thinking the other day while it was raining that they probably had to postpone the region track meets. Yeah, after all these years, May still doesn't go by without me thinking about region track, or State. Then, of course, I start thinking back to when I ran at Region and State.


This is my letter from High School with the medals I won on it. (I never actually wore it around like this. I sewed all the medals on after I took the letter off my jacket.) Only one of those region medals is a first place medal (except for relays). And it was from the race I never should have won. It was my first year of track. I had done well, but I was still figuring things out. Lynnette Peterson ran for our rival Bingham. Lynette was not only the defending state champ in the 1600 (Mile), She was the state record holder. She ran under a five minute mile. I never got a chance to run against her during the season, so region was the first time I was I on the track at the same time as her.


I'm in the black in lane one, right next to Lynette Peterson. Everyone knew she was going to win. She never lost. I was the closest competition, and she wasn't going to loose to a slow sophomore. Besides my best time was at least 40 seconds slower than hers. I knew I had no chance. I was trying to take 2nd. Here's the unbelievable part. I won. Lynette Peterson knew she just had to win. She was actually injured but they wanted a team win. So they knew that she could go out and win 10 points for first place pretty easily. So, she didn't have to run her fastest, just fast enough to win. Well, when I ran, I had this habit that annoyed my coach. I had a good kick. I would run good, but the last lap I would pick it up, and the last 200 meters I would go. I usually passed people at this time and pulled off a pretty good time. It drove my coach nuts. He would tell me to just run faster all the way so he knew I was going to win instead of having a heart attack watching a close race. I tried but never got good at that. Anyway.... I ran the same way I always did. I was in second place. Lynette Peterson was winning, of course. But, I felt like I had second place wrapped up. So, my last lap, I started picking up the pace. Then I rounded a corner and saw Lynette Peterson. And she didn't look that far ahead. I was kicking it in, and I was actually getting closer to her. Then she looked like she was slowing down. My kick was really coming along. Then I thought, "I can catch her." So, I gave it everything I had. And I passed her. Right at the finish line. Coming down the last stretch she knew she had it won, so she started slowing down as she came into the finish line. I was speeding up. She had actually slowed to a walk her last few steps. That's when I passed her. By the time she realized that I was there, it was too late for her to race me. And that, my friends, is why you NEVER stop before the finish line. Because you loose to someone you should never have lost to.

Here we are coming down the final stretch. I'm in the black.


Here I am passing Lynette Peterson at the finish line to win.

*Sidenote* Coach Guarino was famous for writing funny or crazy announcements. The next day on the morning announcements they were telling results from the track meet. Then I hear, "And beating the previously unbeatable Lynette Peterson, was Kristy Breinholt." I was glad that either no one in my class knew who I was or they weren't listening.