They Made Each Other Better

The challenge for Brandon Watson, Hugh Williams, Cam Holdych, and Will Neuner was to finish at least one spot ahead of the Blue Devils, whose seed time placed them two lanes away in the fast section of that event, the 4x400 relay.

 

Expectations were sky-high, of course. The energy emanating from the large assemblage that lined the track at the Bolling Fieldhouse at St. Christopher’s to support the Cougars was palpable. The mission that lay before them was more understood than spoken: This is the last race of the season. It’s the last indoor competition for the three seniors. Run with heart. Compete with excellence. Leave everything on the track. Sprint – and the 400 is, without question, a sprint – through the finish.

 

“We knew the points, obviously,” Neuner said afterwards, “but we weren’t really thinking about the other team. It’s easy to look over at them on the line and get intimidated, but when I looked at my guys in front of me as the anchor, their eyes were straight forward. There was no looking around. We were locked in.”

 

Watson, the lone junior, led off in 54. His strong relay leg set the tone. Williams followed with a 53.5 and gained separation that the Cougars never relinquished.  Holdych put the race away with a 51 split. Neuner, unchallenged by the opposition but pushing himself to the max, ran 52.5.  The Cougars won the state title in 3:31.28, Collegiate’s fastest indoor 4x4 time since Milestat.com began keeping records in the late ‘90’s. Though prior results are sketchy, it’s likely Collegiate’s fastest indoor time ever.

 

FUMA placed third in 3:38.67.

 

“From the starting gun when I saw Brandon get off, I had no doubt,” Neuner said. “It’s just one of those things. I have so much faith in the other guys on our team. I trust them with everything. I know they’re going to do their best. When they give it (the baton) to me at the end, I know they have the same trust in me.”

 

Woodberry Forest dominated the meet with 185 points. The Cougars’ 57 placed them ahead of FUMA (52.5), St. Christopher’s (37.5), and Benedictine (37) in the 21-team field.

 

Collegiate’s 4x800 relay team of Brent Hailes, Williams, Jonathan Yackel, and Neuner won the state championship in 8:20.90 in the first running-event final of the day. Among other top finishers, Neuner placed second in the 500 (personal best1:07.97), Jones Brackett third in the shot put (45-3), Ian Quindoza sixth in the 1600 (personal best 4:34.67), Ned Bradshaw fourth in the pole vault (personal best 13-0), and Krystian Williams fourth in the long jump (22-9.25).

 

Injuries and illness among potential point-scorers left the Cougars shorthanded in some events and affected overall results. They never flinched, though, and approached the day with a take-care-of-business, do-our-best, make-no-excuses, let-the-points-fall-where-they-may mindset.

 

“That’s been taught to me in this sport and soccer in the fall,” Neuner said. “You work with what you have. If things don’t go your way, if someone goes down, it’s next guy up. We make it work.”

 

Collegiate’s girls team amassed 90 points to place second behind St. Catherine’s (138) and ahead of Paul VI (66), Norfolk Academy (38.5), and Bishop O’Connell (38) in the 23-team field.

 

“Honestly, it was amazing to see the effort every single girl put into the track program this season,” said Lauren Lucy, a senior captain and University of Miami recruit who won the pole vault (10-0), placed in the triple jump (sixth, 32-1) and long jump (seventh, 15-11.75), and ran a leg of the 4x200 relay (fourth, 1:54.31). “People realized that the effort you put into practice every day really shows in your performances in each meet. It was exciting to see it all come together.”

 

Gabi Deglau won the shot put (personal best 37-10.25, more than 3.5 feet farther than her nearest competitor). Eliza Stone placed second in the high jump (5-0). M.K. Myers placed second in the 3200 (personal best 11:46.79) and fifth in the 1000 (3:14.37) and anchored the third-place 4x800 relay team (10:21.24). Giles Ferrell finished third in the 3200 (12:04.68) and fifth in the 1600 (5:34.97).

 

“People learned over the course of the season that they could trust in themselves: in their legs and also their minds,” said senior captain Catherine Horner, who placed fifth in the 500 (1:22.94) and anchored the sixth-place 4x400 (4:28.45). “They knew they could utilize their minds and their competitive spirit to create something great.”

 

Then there was the intangible: the passionate, high-decibel support from behind the ropes from teammates, classmates, parents, and spectators who remained until the very end.

 

“The sound is like a float,” Horner continued. “It’s like a platform. It’s like a cloud. You can glide on it. You can catapult off of it. Sometimes, it’s just the sheer force of noise: nothing specific they’re saying, just the loud volume ringing in my ears, carrying me through. It’s knowing people are cheering for you to succeed. They’re yelling their hearts out when their throats will be raw the next day. That’s teamwork. You have your spirit squad. You have your athlete. Both play a vital role.”

 

Peaking in championship meets is the goal. Mission accomplished.

 

“These kids enjoy getting together, pushing one another, and competing,” said Matthew Richardson, program leader and distance coach. “They pushed each other to make this season important, make these races important, make their teammates important, and make each other better. Today, every single kid competed in a way that showed excellence in the track program. That’s special. The program’s in a great place.”

  ~Weldon Bradshaw

Please click here for complete meet results.