NAIA Outdoor Track Nationals

Warning ~ Long picture post ~ I want to remember every little detail....

We are in Indiana for the NAIA outdoor track nationals. It is cold and wet and occasionally rains a little bit. But the excitement in the air is keeping us warm!The host school - Indiana Wesleyan, is a beautiful campus and all of the buildings are beautiful brick ones. The athletic fields are amazing and everything is very well organized.The school even has little shuttles to cart us around from the parking lots, to the fields and back to the cafeteria. The woman in green is my new friend, Betsie. I met her at our hotel. She needed a ride to the event so she came with us and now we call each other "a new friend". If I ever get to Colorado, she has even offered to show us around :)It feels as if we are here for a really big event. Actually, we are here for a really big event - it takes alot for an athlete to make it to the final national event!This is a view in the student center. It is like a mini mall in here. Guess when you go to school where it snows you need somewhere warm to hang out.It remained cold and wet throughout the events today. But we cheered and had fun even if our bums were freezing on the metal bleachers.

Biola's first runners were in the steeplechase. This is Nychelle:

This is Kelsey - she qualified to go on to the finals in 2 days

Mom and Dad even came to watch the races :)

My mom and I

Carter running the steeplchase.

Coach Zimmerman and our friends the Gasner's with their daughter Kelsey. We are sort of the crazy parents that follow the team around.

Erika and her 4X800 team getting ready to run.

The lead runner Brooke

Brooke hands the baton off to Jane

Jane hands off to Carissa

And Carissa hands off to Erika.

She ran a good anchor leg of the race. She posted a really good time.

But sadly, the team's time wasn't enough to get them in to the finals :(

The last race of the night was sweet Sarah's 10K run. This race is brutal - something like 24-25 times around the track. It was late. Well after 9pm and very cold by now. Yet, Sarah somehow ran the fastest time she has ever run. She came in 8th place which she was very happy with.

We didn't stick around to watch the men's 10K ~ it was just to cold and they were running it in 2 heats so we watched it via a 'live stream' back at the hotel. That was fun and we were much warmer :)

I'm leaving you with a picture of my other daughter, Michelle. The unofficial 'official' photographer for the team. She and her dad even had press passes so they could get down on the field. Lucky people!

Back tomorrow for more track fun.

Debbie