Jessica breaks school's 1600 meter record

Tonight was one of the most exciting evenings of my life.  SERIOUSLY.  Jessica has been challenged by her track coaches … and preparing all week to break the NOHS school record for the 1600 Meter (1 mile) at the Oldham County Championship meet.  She has brought her time down from over 6 min, to 5:50, to 5:39.  She needs to take 9 second off her time to break the current record, which hasn't been broken in six years of 5:30.45.  

She is motivated by this because an agreement with her coaches… if she breaks the 1600 meter record, she will get to run in the 800 meter open.  She has the fastest split time in the 4 x 800 meter of all her team mates - 2:27, which is two seconds faster than the school record.  She really wants to break that record.

Well, the call for the mile came.

Runners take your mark.

The gun goes off.

Betsy is positioned inside the track to take pictures.

Betsy is screaming "Jessica you can do it"

Jessica is in second place in the first lap, keeping great time.

Jessica moves into first place (not good for her because she doesn't know the pace)

Betsy is screaming "Jessica you are Strong, you can do it"

Jessica stays in first place for laps 2 and 3.

Betsy moves to the finish line to take pictures.

Betsy is going crazy - she's going to do it!!!

Jessica is making great time but tiring on the last stretch of the last lap.

Mark is on the phone with Betsy, Betsy is giving step by step announcements.

At the very last second, the OC girl passes Jessica to win the race.  Jessica takes 2nd place, which she wasn't even running to win the race - she was just running to make her time.

Did she do it?  Her coaches think she missed it by .2 of a second.  She is devastated.  I mean she is so disappointed that she missed it by just that little bit - but Betsy thinks it had to be very close.

The announcer comes on over the speaker announcing the order, and that the winner had a time of 5.26.  Hearing this, Betsy knew Jessica had to have beaten the record.  Betsy goes up to the booth with the posted times.  What will it say.  The time to beat is 5:30.45.

Jessica's time is:  5:30.40  SHE DID IT!!!  

Tears come to Betsy's eyes, she so excited for Jessica.  She calls Mark, whom is right next to Jessica while she is stretching and cooling down - still so disappointed.  "She did it - Tell Jessica she did it!!!"  Betsy is sprinting to see Jessica.  Oh my gosh!  What an incredible moment.  Jessica didn't believe it at first - slowly it sinks in and we hug and jump, she picks me up.  It's starting to sink in.  We just keep repeating it - she did it, she did it.  She broke the longest standing record on the NOHS Track and Field board.

Either way I am so proud of her, but having accomplished her goal I am so happy for her.