Friday, February 29, 2008

Back to the Future

The 2008 Centennial Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships begin Saturday at Ursinus College' Floy Lewis Bakes Field House. Haverford senior standout Annick Lamar takes you inside as the Fords prepare to defend their women's championship.

by Annick Lamar, Haverford College (pictured left)


As a senior in college I can’t help but be sentimental. Trapped between the overwhelming desire to graduate and crippling waves of nostalgia, every personal account I write from here on in is bound to result in an emotional flood of words. So ask me to write about my track team—my second family—I’ll make a Lifetime Original Movie look like a Senate hearing on CSPAN. I could attempt to give you the cold hard facts of this upcoming Centennial Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, but like CSPAN you’d learn a lot and be very bored. So instead I’m indulging in my own personal Lifetime Original Movie of the Week: Don’t Stop Believing, Part II.

The movie opens with a flashback to Ursinus’ field house two years ago. The scene’s set at the Indoor Conference Championships, a two-day event, and the women’s title is on the line. The 4x400 meter relay is to determine the outcome. The relay runners mill around restlessly and are, at the same time, fatigued from the weekend’s efforts. One young runner, we’ll call her Annique, is being gripped by the shoulders as her captain, Aislinn Sowash, tells her she’s going to have to run faster than she’s ever run before. Annique nods and prepares herself for the lead off leg. Gripping the baton, Annique sprints off the line as the gun sounds. Four minutes and six and a half seconds and one fantastic sports montage later, Haverford’s women have secured a heavily battled-for title.

Editor's Note:
1 Haverford College 'A' 4:06.50
1) Lamar, Annick 2) Sowash, Aislinn 3) Massare, Brittany 4) Lunne, Darian

2 Muhlenberg College 'A' 4:09.65
1) Mount, Karen 2) Lombardi, Jenna 3) Martini, Amanda 4) Seiler, Danielle

3 Dickinson College 'A' 4:11.16
1) Straw, Laura 2) Nichols, Lisa 3) Luthringer, Dani 4) Creme, Katie

FINAL Team Scoring: Haverford 135.5, Muhlenberg 134, Dickinson 129.


The flashback ends and the scene is now Haverford College’s indoor track. A few female runners, jumpers, and throwers mill around stretching and waiting for practice to begin. One can tell they’re preparing for this weekend’s Conference Championships at Ursinus by the serious expressions on their faces. An older version of Annique leans against a wall looking at her teammates. She reflects on their faces and mentally notes they aren’t the same ones from the flashback. Ah, yes, there are a few veteran runners here and there, but many are relatively new. As a younger runner, Annique thought that upon the graduation of the classes of ’06 and ‘07 much would change. She was not wrong, for much has changed. A new group of women have entered Haverford. These women are too young to have participated in the great Victory-of-Oh-6, yet they work toward team victory with the same determination of women who have tasted it before and hunger for it again. They contain an unmatched enthusiasm for the sport and an unrivaled dedication to training. These underclasswomen run and jump and throw as if they’ve been part of Haverford’s team for years and as if they’ve always known the excellence which this team demands from each athlete. The classes of ’06 and ’07 left such big spikes to fill, but fill them ’10 and ’11 have.

Then through a haze a man appears. Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” plays quietly in the background. The women hold their breath. It’s their coach, the illustrious Fran Rizzo, and he says as he approaches “spikes on.” It’s the last work-out before Conference. They are ready. It is time.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

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