She arrived in Austin with her team. Truth be told, the team was a lock for third. Always the bridesmaid, but not the maid of honor bridesmaid. That would be the team that is second. It was her second time to swim at a conference meet for her team. The first year under the old coach was difficult. This year had been different from the beginning. She felt excited and valued and fast.
Eager to begin...the 200 medley realy kicked off the meet the first night. She didn't get to swim her beloved 50 back because the team needed her to swim fly. But OK. She did it with excitment and they finished 4th. Her head, thinking....good swim...but my 50 back is a lot faster.
Day 2 and the first full day of swimming had swim girl swimming the 50 free three times. Right off the blocks in her preliminary swim she broke the 22 second barrier. Apparently it's a club. A fast club.
Her Aubrey was there to see his little Texas Gold girl swim and make her first Big XII final in an individual swim. That night she repeated her appearance in the 22 club with first a relay swim and then her final. 7th in the Big XII 50 free.
Day 3 was Friday. The day for her favorite back and that day it would come after a realy 100 fly and an individual 100 fly....last event would be 100 back.
She had a great split for the relay and the team finished 3rd.
Her 100 fly prelim time good enough to return in the B final. Her personal best and overall a 9th place finish as she swam to a win in the consolation final.
She waited for it all day. The 100 back. These new coaches had tweaked her performance, introduced the nose clip and had deemed her under water kick the best on the team. Now would be her time to shine. In the preliminary heats she was out fast....swimming next to her Canandian team mate both girls came in side by side with near identical times swim girl first then team mate. In the final that night... the girls would be swimming side by side again...and this time her team mate out-touched both with near identical times. What kind of heart and desire it must have taken to swim like that after swimming two 100 flys earlier that night. She knew she had a better time in her but it wasn't to come that night. She finished 6th in the Big XII 100 back and it was a best time.
Every swim a best time...but still not quite fast enough to get to the NCAA meet. A meet that is deemed faster than the Olympics by most coaches. Day 3 ended with coach asking "200 back tomorrow?" She had already completed the most individual swims allowed (3). But you can swim more and it will be called Exhibition and marked with an X.
Day 4 She stepped up again. Bodies tapered for racing happen only a few times a year...so a tapered, rested swimmer can race to a personal best and that is just what happened.
200 Back...not the favorite..but a personal best by 2 seconds and a time that would have been good enough for a repeat trip to the final that night if it hadn't been a required Exhibition swim.
Her final realy swim of the meet had her again swimming fly. It was the 400 medley relay and the time just might be good enough to make NCAA's. Time will tell.
Then came the word....coach wants her to stay around Sunday for the Time Trial/last chance meet. Last years coach had asked the same. It didn't turn out well.
A short breakdown...a few tears.... and visit from Stevie....and parents still not knowing what was going on....the family (mom and dad) drove back to the swim center for Day 5.
Day 5 Inside the swim center it was quiet and dark. A few coaches and maybe 30 swimmers. The remainder either waiting at the hotels or like her team...already on their way to the airport for the flight to St. Louis.
The coach had his 4 girls around him talking and there was laughing. Good to see a smile on everyone's face. First up was IM then 50 free. The freestyler Lisa swam to a personal best. Then the 100 breast. Already best times for Amanda ...and again...another best time.
Then, she swam. On a day after 4 full days of swimming and 13 races and best times she found something left. It shouldn't have happened. Last chance meets are notoriously unsuccessful.
In the quiet swim center, in the dim light, the start horn sounded. Cas was out fast and in the lead. Her underwater kick was phenominal. She made the first turn and was still in the lead. Swimming beside her a girl from Kansas. Down to the second turn she is in the lead and on the other side the A&M girl is dropping back. At the third turn....the place she starts to fade...there are only two girls left racing toward a time trial win...but it isn't a win they want....the fastest times will get them both a ticket to the BIG MEET. And then it's over. She looked up and saw her time...another best time and it was over.
Crawling out of the pool, walking past the announcer...she saw her coach and broke down in tears. She had done something that shouldn't have happened. There was no good reason that time should have been. It was heart...and angels. And simply the most genuine effort of athletic skill she had ever given.
13 or 14 swims...about as many best times and now she was going to the NCAA's with a new personal best time.
The coach deemed it the most successful last chance meet he had seen. Her momma cried and her daddy smiled big...then took more pictures.
Mattie and Stevie gave up their schedule and parents so we could be there for college girl's swimming. They were not too happy...but things are getting back to normal and flashing angry eyes have softened and wagging tails are returning.
No comments:
Post a Comment