Yesi Esquivel
4th “A” Day
April 14, 2010
Not a Good Finish
The day was perfect for the track meet. Barbara felt butterflies in her stomach throughout the whole day. Every class period seemed to drag on longer than usual. Her events were going to be the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and the 100 meter hurdles. In every track meet Barbara had placed. She did the best in the event of the 100 meter hurdles. Since middle school her coaches had always told her she was a great hurdler and sprinter. Barbara was prepared to prove to all of her coaches and her fans she was very good!
Barbara felt the pressure of this track meet on her shoulders. It was the first home meet of the season and all of her family was going to come see her! Not only her parents but her cousins, aunts and uncles, her mom didn’t take it easy on inviting people to watch her compete in the track meet. Barbara was a very confident girl, she knew today was her day to shine.
Finally the final bell of the day rang. Time to go to the locker room and change! Barbara tried not to rush to the locker room, but soon she noticed she was pushing all the people in her way “out” of her way. She finally made it to the locker room and changed. The uniform fit comfortable around her body, and she suddenly felt extremely prepared to go run!
The first event of the day was what she loved the most. The 100 meter hurdles. Barbara was in the first heat of runners. She could feel the heat of the sun beat down on her back and legs. None of the girls from her team were would be running with her in this heat. She looked all around to try to find her lovely family. She found them right in the center of the stands all ready to scream their guts out to cheer her on. Even though the 100 meter hurdles was the best event for her and the one she always almost got first, for the first time she was super nervous. She jumped up and down to get her muscles ready to go, but during the jumping she felt her legs very heavy. She tried very hard not to let that get to her head. Suddenly the whistle blew and she got down ready to go.
Barbara’s fingers were right behind the line and her feet on the starter blocks. She felt a drop of sweat slowly dripping from her forehead. She couldn’t totally tell if was from the hot sun constantly on her skin or if it was the nerves that were killing her. Finally the gun went off. Her breathing was the only sound she could distinguish. Barbara was breathing hard, very hard. She didn’t feel like a feather like other times, but instead felt like a brick trying to escape a wall. From the corner of her eye she could see all of the other runners behind her. She was in first place once again. She noticed there were only two hurdles left. Her speed was constant so she knew she would be in first place as long as she didn’t let anything distract her. Oops! She hit the second to last hurdle. She then heard the gasps of the audience watching her. Hitting a hurdle was always a bad thing. Not only did it slow you down, but it also made you lose your steps. It was the last hurdle. Instead of just doing three steps in between the hurdles she took four. Barbara focused too much on trying to take first place that her foot got trapped behind the last hurdle. BAM! Her knees burned! Falling on the track always was the worst feeling, but Barbara felt even worse! Not only did she loose the chance of placing first again, but she failed herself and her family! For the next track meet she would try not to trip over a hurdle!
