Tuesday evening will see Brossart High School host the Class 1A Regional Track Meet at the MAC. It will likely draw the largest crowd to attend an event at our venue this calendar year, and that includes those played here on Friday nights..
My first time attending, I had no expectations, and made a leisurely drive over to the MAC and was met with a scene of cars occupying each inch of available space. Well, I soldiered on in hopes of finding something closer to the entrance, or heading back home, when miraculously, a spot opened up in the lot nearest the entrance and my witnessing a Regional Track meet was secured.
I’d really come to watch Mick Clines run a “once around the oval” race and was not disappointed. It turned out to be perhaps the greatest race and individual effort that I’ve ever witnessed, be it human or equine. Mick broke mid-pack and moved into second place midway down the backside, with the leader seemingly drawing off to an insurmountable lead. Mick began his drive to overtake the leader going into the far turn and by the time the two hit the stretch, Mick had cut the margin in half, but my decades of watching horse races, I knew that he wasn’t going to get him. I watched Mick pour forth a supreme effort running in a straight up and down manner with his chest protruding. pounding away in quest of the leader, who was still running strongly. It was a long gap back to third. In the final “sixteenth of a mile” and the finish line in sight, Mick continued to gain on the front runner, but physics still said that he would run out of ground – But he didn’t. In the final strides Mick willed himself even and in the final stride, hit the tape “in the shadow of the wire”. Seated leisurely in the press box enjoying my Subway carryout while taking it all in, I found myself standing, amazed at the performance that I had just witnessed.
Somebody, someday will probably top the time of the race , whatever it was, they always do, but never, ever, will anyone duplicate the effort put forth that night by Mick Clines at the MAC. I’m proud to see that Mick is running for Xavier in college.
Track and Field is a “Friends and Family” Sport. Much like a three ring circus, It is conducted with different parcels of athletes competing in various corners of the venue. At the end of the day, they tally up all of these individual scores and declare a winner. Often it is us.
I’m thinking correctly that Tuesday will be the third renewal conducted at the MAC. Stop by, take it in, and pay attention to the individual efforts put forth by these athletes attempting to earn for themselves and their school, a spot in next week’s State Track Meet. This is our Track Team’s Big Show. Best of luck to our Guys and Gals!!!
Both our Mustangs and Lady ‘Stangs Capture Class 1A, Region 4 Champions on Tuesdeay Night 5/23 at the MAC
