Team members who qualified to perform at the Region-1 Track Meet at Angelo State University on May 1 and 2 were disappointed when the meet was announced as cancelled last week when the swine flu frenzy broke out.  For all extracurricular activities, the dates of events were all rescheduled.  Track was the only exception to this.

“The problem is everything was pushed back except for track,” Boy’s track coach, Tim Kilgore said. “It was cancelled.”

Upon the news that there would be no meet, nine student’s dreams of making it to state disappeared about as fast as they could run.  UIL received enough calls about the unfair circumstances, though, and the meet was put back on.

“UIL had to make the choices they had to make under the circumstances so it’s understandable,” Girl’s track coach, Casey Kendrick said.

Now that the meet has been rescheduled for May 15 and 16, the athletes competing in events are thrown off course a bit now that the meet is a full two weeks after when it was originally scheduled.  Spring football has begun, and some runners now have to go to after school practices which cut off time to work on their track events. The goal of the coaches during this hectic circumstance is to just keep the athletes peaked, and at their top performance. 

“We have to shift gears here,” Coach Kilgore says. “We are making lemonade; we’ve been handed the lemons, so we just have to make the best of it.”

San Angelo will present many new situations to the students competing.  Region 1 has been said to be a very tough one, including talent within every sport in every school.  Although every qualifier dreams of placing in the meet and advancing to state, Legacy track member junior Raymond Mata says he is competing with himself, not other athletes.

“I’m looking to do my best personal record and to go and represent for the Broncos,” Mata said.

The meet is quickly approaching and all members are ready for it, with the mind set that they all deserve the opportunity to run and to prove that they can make it all the way to state.

“When we look at all of the district results, we have a definite possibility of making it all the way to state,” Coach Kendrick said.

Even if the runners dream of a state title, that’s not all this sport provides for them.  The track meets are the athlete’s passion, and they’re looking to leave their own legacy when they graduate.

“We’re just trying to make a good name for ourselves and for our school,” Mata said.