Clara Bowl
Wow does 5 a.m. come early! Colton's first meet was held on the gorgeous campus of Berry College in Rome, Ga. Elite runners from 37 schools all over the Southeast converged to participate in the Clara Bowl. It was an incredibly gorgeous morning. At the start of the race the air was still cool and the sun hadn't quite burned off all the early morning fog, creating an almost dreamlike state to watch the race. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of it all...the hundreds of runners, coaches, parents and friends...it was absolutely amazing. I've been very happy and proud of how well Colton has performed this early in the season and, for him to be the only freshman from his high school, and probably one of maybe a few running this morning...well, you know tears were welling up at every opportunity.

He did exceptionally well this morning. I missed him during the first lap because I didn't expect him to be as close to the front as he was, but I caught him the other three times I was able to see him. He did a great job of pacing himself and timed his move just right. I don't know how he placed overall, but he finished third for his team and his time was somewhere around 19:22 (for 3.1 miles).
The guys warm up...Can you pick out Dude? Yep, the hair gives it away every time!

Pre-race good luck call from Bubba.

The girls raced before the boys and they all did really well. They came over to the start to wish the guys good luck.

Pre-race huddle and prayer.



Taking their places at the start. Cameron (in the red hat) was the star runner for Woodland Middle last year. The guy came in first almost every race and didn't even break a sweat. He twisted his ankle during the qualifier but came to support the team anyway...the only runner that did. He should be good to go by the next race in two weeks.

On your mark...

I tried to get a shot of all the teams...but there were so many guys (between 250-300) it just wasn't possible.

Nathan (maroon) is the team's lead runner.


You can barely make out Dude on the left...he's just behind Nathan at this point.


The triumphant. After the race Nathan asked Cole if he'd taken steriods...he couldn't believe how well he ran!

Post race huddle. Both coaches shook my hand and congratulated me on how well Colton did. They expect great things from him and are extremely impressed with how well he's running. Surprisingly, I was able to fit my swollen head into the car to drive home!




What runner doesn't enjoy a post-race chicken biscuit?

His "I have no choice but to stand here and have my picture taken with my mom" pose.