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Several track and field athletes demonstrate their great sportsmanship and substance

Two separate events recently demonstrated once again how incredibly impressive our young women in America can be: one an example of pure sportsmanship at its finest, and the other an example of sheer desire, determination and substance.

The first event occurred at the Washington Class 4A Women’s Track and Field State Championship meet in Pasco, and the 3,200-meter race with Nicole Cochran, Bellarmine Prep’s standout middle-distance runner.

Cochran won the event in 10:36, beating Andrea Nelson of Shadle Park by 3 seconds. Thirty minutes later, race officials disqualified Cochran and ruled that the Harvard-bound runner ran 3 consecutive paces within the lane adjacent to hers. Bellarmine Prep coach Matt Ellis appealed the infraction, but his appeal was denied.

The infraction occurred on the first day of the competition and Cochran was visibly upset that she knew she had not committed the infraction. Additionally, Cochran was the defending state champion, having won the 1600 and 3200 titles as a junior.

She never seemed to be herself after the crushing news and the sheer injustice of it all. On the second day of competition, Cochran led the 1600 and was shot on the final lap when Oak Harbor’s Mietra Smollack out-kicked her into the final turn to win in 4:56.44. Cochran finished fourth.

Later in the afternoon, Cochran ran the 800 meters and finished last in 2:24.40. “I just didn’t stay with them, and I gave up after 450 meters,” Cochran said dejectedly.

Despite losing points to Cochran, his teammates were legitimately outraged and rose to the occasion by winning the team title with 76.5 points to second place Gig Harbor’s 65.

“I put a lot of effort into the 3200,” Cochran said, “and then there was the emotional toll, sitting here for a whole hour while they cracked the 3200, which was unfortunate because I know I wasn’t in the wrong and I got penalized for it.”

In a display of pure sportsmanship, as official 3200 race winner Andrea Nelson received her first metal place on the podium, moments later she handed her first place medal to Cochran. Sarah Lord of Redmond followed up by giving Nelson her second place medal, and the other medal winners did the same.

“It gave me goosebumps,” Cochran said. “It shows how much respect long-distance runners have for each other.”

And now for the story behind the story: Ten days after that eventful afternoon, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association reinstated Cochran as the rightful winner, reversing a rule violation charge brought by race officials.

WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese reviewed video of the race which showed that it was Cochran’s teammate who ran out of the lane and that the officials’ report also incorrectly identified the lap in question as Lap 7 when the violation it really happened on the way back. 6. So much for that failed arbitration effort.

The officials were absolutely wrong on race day, but they were also absolutely sure they were right and they were in charge on race day as well. The cat will meow and the dog will have his day (from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Act 5, Scene 1, meaning “anyone’s moment of glory is inevitable), or, as I like to say: “on the right shall it rise.” .

The second event occurred at the Texas 1A Girls Track and Field State Championship in Austin, where Rochelle High School won the team title. So what is so unusual, you ask? Just this: Rochelle qualified exactly one athlete for state competition and won the state title for her team herself.

Meet Bonnie Richardson, a study in desire, determination and substance like no other track and field athlete in Texas high school history.

Richardson, whose middle name might be talent, spent Friday winning the high jump at 5-foot-5, placing second in the long jump at 18-7 and third in discus at 121-0.

On Saturday, Richardson hit the track in the sweltering 90-degree Texas heat and quickly won the 200-meter race in 25.03 and followed up the effort by nearly pulling off a big upset in the 100 before finishing second in 12.19 to the defending champion. Kendra Coleman of Santa Ana.

“Kendra and I have been fighting all year,” Richardson said. “I was surprised to stay with her. I didn’t think it would be so fast.” Yes, Bonnie Richardson, apparently you ARE SO fast.

So did Richardson steal the show in Texas? Nah, she just beat her team to the state title for herself. University Interscholastic League officials could not recall a girl ever winning a state team title on her own.

It happened before in the boys’ state championship when former Balyor Bear and Pittsburgh Steeler Frank Pollard did it for Meridian High School in the 1970s, UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said.

Many outstanding athletes have dominated state competitions, but few make the jump from sprinting to field events with Richardson’s success, Beithaupt said. “The way he did it is really impressive.” That is, of course, what everyone who was there to see it happen thought.

And the kicker? Turns out Rochelle High School doesn’t even have a practice track. When Richardson was asked how she trains, she jokingly replied, “Watch out for potholes,” adding, “We have a track about 10 miles down the road and we usually train there.”

Richardson’s trainer, Jym Dennis, suspected that she might do something special at the state meet, but wisely kept quiet, not wanting to push her award-winning athlete.

Last year, Richardson won the state long jump title, but won no medals in the high jump or discus.

And the additional large fortune for Rochelle High School? Bonnie Richardson is a junior.

Richardson also competes on the Rochelle tennis team and led the Rochelle basketball team to the state semifinals last season.

“I would play football if my parents would let me,” Richardson said, adding, “Not quarterback. Defense.” She sounds like my kind of girl: brave, competitive, and willing to solve all the problems on the battlefield.

Lou Holtz, one of college football’s legendary coaches, was famous for many quotes, including this one: “When all is said and done, more is said than done.” In some ways, I think Lou Holtz would have been a tremendous fan of Bonnie Richardson and her extraordinary effort on that hot Texas afternoon when she single-handedly delivered a state degree to Rochelle High School.

And there you have it: Nicole Cochran, all the girls on the 3,200 meter ceremony podium, Cochran’s teammates and Bonnie Richardson, all ordinary young women who did extraordinary things because they could and wanted to.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley