GILROY- Like many track and field fans, I left San Jose a little early Friday afternoon. I hoped to avoid a bit of the holiday traffic on my way to Gilroy High School to watch the 2008 CCS Track and Field championships. The air in south San Jose was thick with smoke that had drifted over the hill from the fires burning in Santa Cruz during the week. The haze from the wildfires added a surreal feeling to the drive and gave the unmistakable sense that something really special was about to occur. At the time, I thought I was heading to Gilroy to see our kids compete in a track meet, but several hours later it became clear that I had experienced a vivid unfolding of God's perfect plan along with a truly inspiring display of the indomitable spirit of man (or in this case woman) kind.

Our girls track and field team entered the meet as strong favorites to bring home our first ever team CCS championship in track and field. We had been in this spot before though and our chief rival was a very familiar foe, the Mount Pleasant Cardinals. The Cardinals were three time defending CCS team champions (six titles in the last eight years) and were led by Vashti Thomas who may turn out to be among the greatest female athletes San Jose has ever produced.

Valley Christian had finished second to Mount Pleasant each of the past three years including the heartbreak of 2005. A season where we had perhaps our best team ever only to lose the team title when star distance runner Evelyn Wing collapsed during the mile due to a weakened state caused by illness. Our team had also suffered through heartbreak in 2003 when senior Amanda Thornberry led another team we thought could win a title. Sadly, Amanda injured her foot while leading a national level field of milers at the CCS championship meet.

I also reflected on the heartbreak of the 2007 cross country season when our girls were declared team champions (our first ever team cross country title). They had posed for championship pictures, called their friends, done newspaper interviews before hearing the shocking announcement from a CCS official that a recount of the points had given the title to another team. Several of the girls on that team would be competing again on this night.

Track coaches plan for just about anything that could happen in a meet and dope out the races from every conceivable angle. Our coaches knew it would take something very strange to keep us from winning the elusive title this year and were confident that would not happen.

After all, this type of misfortune would not strike again…would it?

The first event on the track was the 4x100 relay. A bad hand off had doomed our chances of winning the event at the WCAL meet two weeks earlier, but on this night everything worked smoothly. Our team was flawless and cruised to a second place finish earning eight valuable points toward the team title. More importantly, we finished one spot ahead of Mount Pleasant to start off the evening ahead of our rivals. The night was off to an excellent start and thankfully, this year we did not have any milers running as that race had seemingly doomed us in previous years!

We enjoyed a couple of races and the field events and waited patiently for the start of the 100m hurdles. Senior Dahlys Marshall (3.31 grade point average) was recently named VCHS athlete of the year and has signed a full ride scholarship to the University of Arizona. She has posted the second fastest time ever recorded in the history of the CCS in this event. Obviously, we figured to earn important points in the race. Unfortunately for our team, Vashti Thomas is the girl with the fastest time in the history of the CCS and lined up next to Dahlys. During this race, Vashti took home her 12th career individual CCS title and Dahlys was second best yet again.

On one hand, I was happy for Dahlys. The hurdles can be a treacherous race (in the boys race one of the athletes hit the hurdle and fell flat on his face, unable to finish) and she had run another smooth race to earn the team eight more valuable points. On the other hand, I felt a twinge of sadness for her as she was down to only one more chance to win her first individual CCS title despite being one of the great runners in CCS history. Dahlys seemed to be overshadowed a lot during her tremendous high school career. First by her state champion teammate Khrystal Carter, then by state champion Jeneba Tarmoh and now by state champion Vashti Thomas who was on her way to winning an incredible four individual events at the CCS meet. While I was happy to see Dahlys continue to run well, part of me longed to see her enjoy one shining moment all to herself.

The 400m race was next and it was another huge race for our team. Senior Kristen Houp (3.98 grade point average) is heading to Columbia University to compete in the Ivy League next year and won the 400m as a sophomore. She was an odds on favorite again during this race, but the real question was how junior Cherrelle McMillian (4.09 grade point average) would place. Cherrelle qualified with the second fastest time during the prelims and had an opportunity to place in the top three which would put us in position for the team title and earn her a trip to the state meet.

Kristen ran a dominating race and earned her second CCS individual title for herself and ten points for the team. Cherrelle also seemed to be running a great race and found herself near the leaders as they rounded the final turn and headed for home. Shockingly, with the finish line in plain site, Cherrelle's hamstring gave out and she was forced to pull up before she could even finish the race. Her dream of heading to the state meet was over and valuable points were lost. Also important, Cherrelle is a vital member of our 4x400 relay team and now she was lost for the final event of the night.

It couldn't be misfortune striking again…could it?

Vashti Thomas earned another title in the 100m and we had a chance to relax for a bit as two other races were contested without Valley Christian or Mount Pleasant runners. The tension rose again for what we figured would be the most important race of the night, the 200m.  In this race, we had two runners and Mt. Pleasant had one. The key to the whole race in terms of the team title was to have both of our runners finish ahead of their runner. Dahlys breezed to a decisive win in the race, but all Valley Christian eyes were on Kristen Houp who came from behind to nip the Mount Pleasant runner at the finish line with a critical third place finish. I was overjoyed for Kristen and so proud of her determination in securing the important points for the team when suddenly I realized that in my zeal to watch the battle for points I (along with most Valley Christian supporters) had forgotten to enjoy watching Dahlys run to her first ever CCS title. 

It seems that even when winning an individual CCS title, Dahlys had found a way to be overshadowed.

The points in the 200m were huge and put us in great position. Mount Pleasant had 51 points and did not have any more athletes competing. We had 42 points but still had the CCS Division IV individual cross country champion Jennifer Bergman (3.24 grade point average) to run in the 3200m race and the top seeded team (though weakened by Cherrelle's injury) in the 4x400 relay. No one wanted to say it, but at last the team title seemed to be a certainty.

The two mile race is a grind and this year it proved to be even more competitive than usual. Jennifer figured to be in the top four which would earn at least four big points towards the team title. During this race, the big goal was a top three finish which would propel Jennifer into the state meet. As the girls starting running, I was surprised to learn that our back up 4x400 runner Emily Blaha (4.43 grade point average and the VCHS freshmen athlete of the year) had been injured a week earlier and was not able to run. The plan was to either insert sophomore sprint hurdler Hannah Goranson (4.24 grade point average) into the lineup or have Jennifer follow up her two mile with a leg of the relay if she felt up to it.

Jennifer was strong throughout the race and led most of the eight laps. On the bell lap, she was among four runners who separated themselves from the pack. All four were tightly bunched with 200 meters to go when Jennifer was cut off and dropped to fourth. As you can imagine, in a race as long as the 3200m, the mental side is almost as important as the physical side. Once Jennifer dropped to fourth, it seemed inconceivable that she could rally for the elusive state berth. However, in an inspiring display of mental toughness, she righted herself and blew past the third place runner down the stretch to earn the final berth in the state meet and all but wrap up the CCS title for the team!

As we hugged, cheered and high fived each other, out of the corner of my eye I noticed one young man running across the track with a yellow flag in his hand. The yellow flag indicates that the turn judge has either ruled interference or that one of the runners had stepped out of the track. I was not overly concerned because, after all, Jennifer had been cut off. It seemed likely that one of the other runners would be disqualified for interference.

In addition, after coming this far and overcoming so much adversity, misfortune should not be striking again…should it?

After about five minutes, the track announcer asked for the Valley Christian coach to report to the white scorer's tent. Five minutes later, the unthinkable happened as we learned that Jennifer's brilliant, courageous run had been for naught and she was being disqualified for apparently stepping inside the white line on the track after being cut off. We were shocked, saddened, angry, heart broken, and completely helpless. Coach Marshall pleaded the case for her heart broken athlete but there was nothing anyone could do…it all seemed so wrong and so unfair.

Misfortune had cost us yet another CCS title….or had it?

In the midst of the despair and confusion, I somehow I heard the familiar voice of the track announcer. He reported the team score was still Mount Pleasant 51 and Valley Christian 42. If Valley Christian won the final race, the Warriors would earn ten points and the team title. Anything other than first place would give Mount Pleasant their fourth straight CCS championship. I suddenly realized that the girls were lining up for the final race of the day amidst all the drama. Jennifer of course could not run as she was exhausted from the two mile run, the rally down the stretch, the disappointment of missing the state berth and the emotion of the disqualification ruling. It would be up to sophomore Hannah Goranson to run the extra leg.

This would be the first time she had ever run 400m in her high school career. 

It's often hard for a track neophyte like me to know exactly how the team is doing during the first leg of the mile relay due to a big stagger at the start of the race. Sophomore Jenna Davis (4.33 grade point average) had been a standout during the year as a member of both relay teams and seems poised to emerge in the coming years as a force in the CCS track and field scene. As the gun sounded, she took off on the first lap carrying the team's hopes for the championship with her. Jenna ran a solid first leg and appeared to have the team near the front of the pack as she made her way down the home stretch to complete her leg. As she completed her 400m, she passed the baton to Hannah Goranson and the sophomore took it the next leg.

As you would expect from someone in her position, Hannah took off fast. After the first 100m of the second lap, runners are allowed to run in any lane and as Hannah came off the top turn and made her way from lane four to lane one it became obvious that we were in first place. However, it also became obvious that her pace would be impossible to keep up for an entire 400m. In her excitement to help the team and with her sprinting/hurdling background, Hannah had gone out very fast. As she cruised by a small but vocal group of Valley Christian supporters and parents, I kept whispering, "Slow down Hannah…take your time…pace yourself." There was simply no way she could do that though. The stakes were too high, the team needed her too much and she is too strong a competitor.

If you have ever seen a runner "hit the wall" you know it's a tremendously heartbreaking and painful experience. Somehow you can feel the runner's exhaustion and visually it almost seems like they are running in reverse even though they are giving it everything they have. On this cold and smoky night, Hannah hit the wall near the top of the stretch. The team's lead vanished as she was passed by one, two three, four, five six, seven runners down the homestretch to drop the Warriors all the way to last place. Despite not being able to breathe for the last part of the race, Hannah somehow found the strength to make it back to the handoff zone and complete a truly courageous leg. We were all so proud of Hannah. It was a remarkably determined effort against tremendous odds. However, I was saddened as Dahlys Marshall began her final CCS run well behind the field in last place.  

Predictably, Dahlys took off on her trek like she was shot out of a cannon. As she made her way around the first turn, I reflected on all the weight she was carrying on her strong shoulders during this 400m leg. The individual runner up finishes against some of the best athletes in the history of the section, the three straight team second place finishes, the goal to bring her mom (Head Coach Tammie Marshall) a CCS team title in her first year as head coach, the desire to bring home a title for her dad and personal coach Greg Marshall, the legacy of Khrystal Carter, the hopes of her brother Cameron who was a CCS favorite himself before a leg injury ended his season and who had missed the state meet a year ago due to a judges error, the hopes of injured teammates Cherrelle McMillian, Daniel Johnson and Emily Blaha, the state meet hopes of still heart broken Jennifer Bergman and all the years of misfortune that had befallen our team at this meet.

As Dahlys began reeling runners in from behind, I allowed myself a brief moment of excitement as I caught myself wondering…could we really still do it? I just could not imagine how Dahlys could keep running at this pace though, especially with all this weight on her shoulders.

Usually when runners are catching people from behind in a race like this there are loud cheers given the excitement of watching it happen. During this race though, there did not seem to be any sound. I think the only "noise" I could hear was the sound of jaws dropping as Dahlys continued her amazing journey past determined and talented runners from other teams. You could just feel that you were experiencing something transforming in the moments of watching her run…. moments where you could feel God's presence in a powerful way.

As Dahlys made her way around the final turn, she continued to reel in more runners from behind and suddenly it did not feel like she was carrying so much weight on her shoulders-it actually felt like weight was flying off her shoulders in front of our eyes.

On the eve of her graduation from high school, Dahlys Marshall was being used by God in a powerful and very special way. She had stepped out of the shadows of other great runners and into the spotlight. As if carried by angels, Dahlys completed her leg of the race in an incredible fifty four seconds and had moved her team all the way into first place. God had chosen her and this time to send a powerful message to all who had witnessed her run.

And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose Romans 8:28

After the race was over Dahlys told a newspaper reporter "I did not want to let the girls down so I ran as fast as I could. " From my perspective though, it was not just for the girls but for so much more....for the former Warrior teammates who had come up just short, fans in attendance, her brothers, cousins, friends, grandma, but most specially her mom and dad. Dahlys had prepared herself for the opportunity and never gave up even when battling tremendous odds. On this night, her perseverance had been rewarded with the opportunity to give her a family and teammates a once in a lifetime gift  

Though Dahlys completed the lap in first place, there was still the small detail of the last leg of the race. Things looked good as the handoff was completed to 400m champ Kristen Houp but with all the heartbreak and misfortune of the evening and past years, I think we were all still holding our breath a little bit.

Kristen took off pretty well but as she neared the 200m mark where we were sitting, the other runners began to close on her. My mind began to fill with doubt again. Kristen was battling a nagging foot injury and exhaustion from the emotion of the night, the earlier relay and her individual performances in the 200m and 400m. As the runners made their way past us on the backstretch the lead was virtually gone. This time I find myself "coaching" Kristen- wanting her to complete the race my way "Come on Kristen…don't do this to me…just take off and run away from them."

One of the things I have learned about Kristen Houp over the past four years is that she has no desire to do things someone else's way…at least not simply because "they said so". Instead, Kristen is always strong, thoughtful, intent on doing things God's way and fulfilling God's special purpose for her life. On this night Kristen took her time before thoughtfully delivering a strong and powerful run down the homestretch to complete an incredible triumph. Our girls had won the 4x400 relay and toppled the three time defending champion giant by a score of 52-51.

In the aftermath of the incredible experience, emotions on the track were all over the place as the team climbed to the top of the platform to receive medals for winning the race and accept the team championship trophy. Tears of joy were flowing but there were also tears of sadness as teammates and coaches were struggling with how unfair Jennifer's disqualification seemed. It seemed appropriate that, with high school graduation looming, we were filled with a tremendous sense of joy and such a tremendous sense of sadness…at the same time.

I finally found Tammie Marshall near the awards platform. I had hoped to have some powerful and insightful words for her. I felt so incredibly happy for her and proud of her for the way she had managed the challenges of the night (and the past two years) with such class and dignity. Honestly though, I don't know if I even got any words out.

Instead, we just stood on the 50 yard line and hugged each other and cried. While few words were spoken, I am positive that we both were feeling the same thing. A true sense of love and admiration for the girls we had just watched compete and deep sense of gratitude for God's faithfulness.

I have said before that a group of students competing on behalf of our school represent "all that is best about Valley Christian." Certainly, this evening was no exception as this talented, dedicated and hard working group of scholar-athletes accomplished something never before seen at our school.

In this case though, more than representing the best of what Valley Christian has to offer, they represent the best the human race has to offer. They are individually and collectively destined for great things. As it turns out, misfortune had not struck, opportunity had knocked. On this night, a group of kids and their coaches had answered the call for greatness. They had come together and proved without a question that they had what it took to be called champions.

To see the VIDEO of the race click here
(Hank Lawson - Lynbrooksports.com )