Track Sectionals 2026

 Melayna would compete in the track sectionals on Tuesday night.  

We were all pretty nervous about this meet because there are so many good hurdlers in our sectional and although Melayna is certainly one of the top runners, she would have to run the best races of her season in order to finish in the top three and to be guaranteed advancing to regionals next week.

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At the end of last week, the forecast was showing that it was going to storm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  None of us were looking forward to yet another rainy meet but what could we do as we certainly cannot control the weather?  After looking at the impending weather forecast one more time, I prayed that God would hold the rain off just long enough for the meet to finish and then I threw an extra umbrella into the back of the car.  As the day went on however, the forecast kept changing and by the time we walked out the door at 5:30 (with extra umbrellas in the car), the forecast showed that the rain was going north and we should be able to run the entire meet in dry conditions.  God was answering our prayers -- and not only did He hold off the rain, but He also showed us great favor by cooling the weather down from the high 80's to the high 60's just before the meet started, making almost perfect conditions for some really quick times.

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When we got to the track, Melayna and Baylee were going through their warm-ups and were getting ready for the 100 preliminary races which would start right at 6:00.  I know that Laynie saw me standing at the fence as she was warming up, but I didn't want to break her concentration, so I didn't try to talk to her. I just watched her for a few minutes and then I headed up to the stands to find a seat and to wait for the meet to start.

Just as the 4x800 relay was getting ready to go, I received a text from Melayna.  She said that she was feeling a little more anxious about the meet than normal and could I come down and pray with her? Well, just the night before, Melayna had commented that she had felt so calm and excited the week before but she thought that it was because Annie had come onto the field and prayed with her before the race.  Melayna was sad that Annie wasn't able to come to the meet because she wouldn't be there to pray.  When I heard her say that, I told her that Noel or I would love to come down and pray with her before her race if she thought that it would help her so just to let us know.  At the time, she just nodded but didn't say anything more about it, so when I got that text from Laynie on Tuesday night, I was a little surprised, but I got up right away and headed down to the track.  She saw me almost right away and came right over.

We spent a couple of minutes praying for peace and a calmness of heart (and maybe that she would stay up through the entire race) and then I gave her a quick hug and headed back up to sit.  

I don't know if praying made her calm...but I was certainly still nervous.  LOL

And then it was 6:00 and time for the preliminary races to begin.  Melayna would be running in the first heat in lane #4.    The top two finishers would automatically advance to the finals and then they would take the next five fastest times.  Due to her seed time, if Melayna could run a clean race and not fall, she should be able to advance.

Whew!  I could breathe a sigh of relief because she stayed up...and she was going through with a preliminary time of 17.11.  As she began to congratulate the other competitors, I could tell that she was really relieved as well.

We would watch the preliminaries of the 100 and 200 and then there would be a 25 minute break before the finals began and Melayna would run again.  I was talking with my parents during the break but then I got another text from Melayna asking if I could come back down and pray with her again before the finals.  I found her sitting with her teammate who had also advanced to the finals, and then she came over and told me that she didn't know what was wrong with her but that she just felt really tired and "out of it".  We spent a couple of minutes just praying that God would give her strength and speed and that she would stay up and stay safe.  And then as I was walking away, I came back to give her a hug and I just looked her in the eye and said, "Laynie, tell yourself that you aren't tired.  Tell yourself that you are going to go out and crush this race. Tell yourself that you can do ALL things through God's strength.  And if you don't believe it, then say it over and over again until you are convinced".  She smiled and as I was walking away, I heard her talking to herself and saying "you are not tired" over and over again.  

By the time that I got back to the bleachers, she was already heading to her lane to set up her blocks and to get ready to go.  Finals would start in just a couple of minutes.

And now it's time to go.  Top three in this race would advance to regionals.

Oh my goodness!   She was SO close...hanging right in there until about the fourth hurdle when she stumbled just a little coming off the hurdle and she said it threw her for a bit.  She did gather herself and start to come back but she was too far behind to finish in the top three.  (Her teammate Baylee would advance to regionals by finishing in 3rd place)  

Melayna would finish in 5th place with a new SB time of 16.87 -- which is also her 2nd fastest time ever.  Actually, she wasn't expecting to advance to regionals in the 100 race, so we were all really happy that she finished as well as she did.  And with that race finished, we could all collectively breathe a sigh of relief and sit back and relax for a little.

First she had to celebrate with a couple of friends...

...and then she got to celebrate with Noel.

I LOVE these pictures because you can see their pure joy.  It has been such a sweet four years watching these two experience track together as father / daughter and coach / runner.  

A few minutes later, Melayna would have to forget about the 100's and her finish in that race and head over to the start of the 300's.  That would be the race where she had the best chance of advancing and we were all really hoping that she would run a good race.  

Once again she would text and once again, I would head down to the field to pray with her.

And then she was off.  She is running in lane #6... the fourth runner from the top.  (You might want to mute the video if you watch this one.  We were yelling just a little too much because sometimes the excitement is just too much and you can't keep it in) LOL

3rd place     Regionals Bound!!     47.75 (New SB...2nd fastest ever!)

Unfortunately, our celebration didn't last long as we noticed Baylee's mom was running down the bleachers and yelling that Baylee needed to get up and finish the race.  With about two hurdles left, Baylee's leg had simply given out and she had fallen to the ground and hit her face on the metal support of the hurdle.  Blood was running down her face and everyone in the stands got pretty quiet as we were wondering if she was okay.  Noel and Melayna both went running to her and then Noel called for the trainer.  

You can see that Melayna is running to her friend...

It took a couple of minutes to get her up and steady on her feet but then she was able to walk off the track on her own two feet.  Thankfully after a couple of stitches in the ER later that night, she would be fine.

Melayna's teammates and other coaches were still ready to congratulate her when she was finally able to come over to them.

We would be able to stay and watch the rest of the meet and then after it was over, Melayna would come over to tell us hello and to give hugs to her grandparents.  She was looking much happier now that the meet was over and the Lady Tigers had another sectional championship in the bag.

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