I should be sleeping right now, or at least watching TV. instead, I’m at a track and field meet. 

Actually, it’s better that I’m at a track and field meet today. It’s too beautiful of a day to stay inside and waste it. We haven’t had many days like this in May in this part of Kansas. Too many times it’s been overcast, or worse, we’ve been under the gun for possible severe weather.

Today’s track meet is a big one. It’s a Class 2A regional at Smith Center. This is the meet where state championship dreams will live or die. For most, they will die. The top four in each of 36 total events (18 boys, 18 girls) will go on to the state meet next Friday and Saturday at Wichita. 

There are 16 schools in the meet. Six are from the Mid-Continent League, which held its meet a week ago today at Plainville. Sacred Heart had to come all the way from Salina, but considering some schools are traveling twice that far (Salina is 130 miles from Smith Center via US 81 and US 36), the Knights won’t complain. Republic County traveled 61 miles from Belleville, even though tthere’s a regional only 31 miles away in Washington. 

The meet was originally scheduled for Friday, but the forecast tomorrow calls for a good probability of rain. Therefore, Smith Center had the foresight to get in touch with the coaches and ask them if they had a problem moving the meet up one day. Nobody had a problem, and with the weather today, why would anyone have a problem? 

We’re 12 minutes from starting the seven field events. Time to get moving.