Chapter 81

We met at the new track and field complex at 7:30 on Thursday morning, April 23^rd for our trip to Austin. The preliminary heats started at noon today, with the qualifying heats starting at noon on Friday. As a team, we were hyped about our chances of sweeping the relays and the two sprint races I was entered in. We had a good chance of bringing home the Overall Team Trophy, with our guys really coming on at the end of the season in the field events.

Coach Dunavant and Coach Lacefield kept telling us, ‘concentrate on doing what you do best, and give it your all during these next three days’

We had worked hard all season, looking forward to ending our season on a high note, by winning this meet as a team. Our coaches had set winning this meet as our goal, at the first of the season. Today, before the official start of the State Finals Meet, they were telling us that we were the best and today was our chance to prove to Texas that were the best!

Personally, I was hyped for this meet like none of the other meets so far this year. We had swept all our conference meets and we had swept our District Meet. Today, was like we were here to show our school and our fans, just how hard we had trained and just how determined we were to be the best. I had yet to be challenged in the 100 Meter Dash, and the 200 Meter Dash. Our 4X100 Meter Relay Team was the best in Texas this year. To me, this wasn’t good enough - I wanted the National High School Records in all three of these events and I felt like two of them were mine to be had ... the 4X100 relay, I knew in my heart ... we could take that record!

The preliminary heats had started, and after each of them, the winners were listed in the qualifying heats. After Friday’s heats, the contestants for Saturday’s Finals were set.

Our 4X100 and 4X200 relay teams now have the best times going into the finals. Our 4X800 Meter Relay team was second in the time trials. Jerry Cobb has the second best time in the 110 High Hurdles, and we were hoping he could take the State Finals. He was less than half a second off the fastest time in the trials.

I stood beside Cobb as we watched the 4X800 relay. Our team was holding onto second and when Rashad took the baton for the anchor leg, he was chasing down the lead runner. At the finish line, he crossed the line less than a half second behind the winner, for second place.

“Dalton, are you cool and loose?” Cobb asked me.

“I’m ready, Cobb. I know in my heart I can run, and I know I have the fastest time going into each of my individual events. I feel like the pressure is on me to break records today, and I’m ready.”

“You make me feel good, when you talk with confidence like that. Now, I’m ready for my race too.”

“You have it inside you, Cobb. You can take the 110 meter hurdles. You were only a fraction of a second off the leader in the trials, and he’s bumping the state record! You can do it by coming off the blocks faster and cleaner than the others, and taking the lead to start the race ... I know you can!”

He was up next - and this was it. I slapped his hand as he held it out before grabbing his blocks and heading to the starting line. I watched as he set his blocks, then loosened up before his race. He never looked around, he kept his eyes down the track toward the hurdles the whole time.

The clock was ticking down the seconds when the starter took his position. “Ready - Set!” he shouted into the microphone, and they were off at the gunshot.

Cobb came off his blocks like a Cheetah, as he sprang out into the lead. When he cleared his first hurdle, the runner in second place was just starting his leap. By the halfway mark, Cobb had extended his lead. As he raced down the stretch for the finish line, I looked up at the scoreboard timer. He was headed for the record with just a few strides left. When he hit the line, the timer went blank for a second. When the times began flashing, Jerry Cobb was announced the winner - setting a new High School State Record in the 110 High Hurdles with a time of 13.3 seconds. He had shaved three hundredths of a second off the old record.

The record attendance crowd, roared to life and we could hear the chants, ‘Mavericks - Mavericks - Mavericks‘ above the roar of the crowd.

I was up next for my 100 Meter Dash. I grabbed my blocks and headed for the starting line as the attendants cleared the hurdles from the track. I was loose as I did my warmup routine. For the first time this track season, I thought of my dad. I never knew him, but I had played football last season as if he was in the stands watching me. When the official walked over to take his position, I looked up at the clear sky, and whispered, ‘This one’s for you Dad’

The pistol was fired and I felt like I had exploded off my blocks. I could see the finish line coming at me like never before and leaned forward to break the beam with my chest. I knew I had won, but the entire crowd was on their feet and cheering. I turned to see my time - I had just broken the ten second mark in the 100 Meter Dash with a time of 9.89 seconds. This was a new National High School Record!

I didn’t have long to celebrate, our 4X200 Meter Relay team was taking the field and I caught Ben just before he ran for the track.

“Knock it out of the park, Bolden!” I shouted above the noise.

“Thanks, Champ!” he replied as we slapped hands.

While they were taking their places around the track, I ran over to get a drink. Coach Dunavant and Coach Lacefield were waiting for me.

“We knew you could do it, Dalton! What you just did, showed the world that Coach Miller was correct in his predictions for you last December!” Coach Dunavant told me as he grabbed me.

Coach Lacefield grabbed me next, “Outlaw, you ran away from every high school runner in the world with that record. You’re only .31 of a second off Usain Bolt’s Olympic record of 9.58 seconds!”

“Thanks, Coach. I feel even better about my other events, now that I have that one behind me.”

“Here comes our third win, and our third straight record in a row!” Coach Dunavant shouted as Ben raced down the stretch and leaned forward to break the beam at the finish line.

I looked up at the timer and they had won with a time of 1:21.55 - shaving 1.76 seconds off the old High School Record in the 4X200 Meter Relay.

The runners were already taking the track for the 1600 Meter Run. We had two seniors entered in this race. The coaches were hoping for least a second and third place finish.

Time was drawing near for our 4X100 Meter Relay and as the 1600 meter race started, we began stretching, doing knee bends and touching our toes, to loosen our thigh and calf muscles.

I didn’t see who had won the 1600 meter, but I heard the announcer tell that ‘The Masonville Mavericks’, had placed second and third. This was going to really help with our goal to take the Overall Team Trophy.

The officials were keeping the events moving along at a very fast pace today. There were many more to come and all this time, there were some of the field events taking place also.

Jimi, Martine and Bo were gathered with me as we stood ready to take the track for our 4X100 Meter Relay.

“Let’s do it, Guys!” I told them when the officials gave the signal for us to take our places.

Martine told me, “We’ll do our part, Outlaw. You bring the home Gold on that anchor leg.”

The US High School Record still stands at 39.76 seconds. We’ve been within .01 of a second of the record for over two months now and we were ready to break that record today!

When the shot was fired, I was looking back to see Jimi come off his blocks. He was in the lead headed into the turn, then I lost him. I saw Martine take the baton and I knew it was only seconds until Bo would be yelling for me to GO. I was looking back to see the exchange between Martine and Bo, then Bo was coming at me hard. I started jogging in place - ready to take off when he yelled.

Just as he entered the exchange zone, he yelled, ‘GO-GO-GO’, and I was off, with my right arm extended behind me, ready for the baton.

I felt the baton hit my fingertips, then slap the palm of my upturned hand with a solid lick. I was off and running as I gripped the baton in my fist. We were in the lead at the exchange, but I wanted more.

Coming around the last turn, I was kicking with all I had inside me. As I crossed the finish line, I heard the roar of the crowd.

I turned to look up at the scoreboard. Not only had we broken the US High School Record, we had tied the USA Track and Field Record at 37.38 seconds! We were .34 hundredths of a second off the World Record set by Jamaica, with Usain Bolt running anchor!

We were excited and there was no stopping us now. We were on our way to sweeping the Texas State High School Track and Field Finals.

There were three more events before my final event, the 200 Meter Dash. Alton Davis was taking the track for the 400 Meter Dash and I yelled at him, “GO ALTON!”

He looked back and waved, just before taking his lane. Though we’re on the same track team, we hardly ever talk like the other members of the varsity football team who are on the track team. I’m not sure why, and sometimes I feel that it’s my fault. Maybe after today, it will be different ... that is if we can pull this off and take home the Overall Team Trophy.

During the conference season, Alton had won the 400 Meter in three meets, and placed second in the others. Today, when it really mattered to the team, Alton came through with a solid win, taking the Gold for another merit toward our Overall Trophy.

It wasn’t long until I was up again. This time, it was my 200 Meter Dash which was coming up. I headed for the starting line with my blocks. The timer was counting down as I did my pre-race warmups. I was running in lane one, and Tray Griffin was running in lane two. We never spoke, but we did nod and exchange smiles.

I was standing in front of my blocks when the official took his place, then with everyone was in position, he spoke into the microphone... “Ready - Set...” the runner in lane three jumped and two more runners jumped when he jumped early.

We had to reset and get ready for the starter. I was nervous and I was ready to get a clean start... ‘Here we go, Dad - this one I really want’ I thought as the starter yelled, “Ready, Set ... and the pistol was fired!”

There were no false starts as I came off my blocks clean. I knew within three full strides that I had this race. One half lap around the track in lane one was over by the time I had really stretched out and kicked with all I had. I felt like I had a run a fast time, and when I crossed the finish line to look back, I had left Tray and the others far behind.

I looked up at the scoreboard to see the timer flashing on and off with the time for lane one. I had not only broken the National High School Record of 20.13 seconds ... the scoreboard flashed that I had tied Tyson Gay’s USA Track and Field Record of 19.32 seconds. Then - Usain Bolt’s World Record flashed underneath that, at 19.30 seconds!

I felt like my knees were going to buckle when I saw that!

“OUTLAW!” Someone yelled from behind me and I turned to see Tray Griffin.

“MAN! You just keep on getting better! I came in second and I was still over two seconds behind you! That was some race ... but then, the rest of us knew our race was going to be for second place. I feel like I won, and I came in a distant second!”