400 Meters of Determination

On Wednesday, April 15th, Jackie Follety ran in a 4x400 relay. She was accompanied by three of her teammates from the girls track team at New Milford High School. This relay took place at a track meet held at New Milford High School.

In the 4x400 relay, four people run 400 meters each, or one lap around the track. For many mid-distance runners, this relay seems like a piece of cake. However, for a sprinter, running 400 meters can be a difficult task. Jackie usually runs the 100-meter dash, which is her specialty.

Before the race, Jackie was quite nervous. “I’m particularly nervous about this relay because my stamina simply won’t allow me to sprint 400 meters. I’m going to have to pace myself and hope that the girl that I run against does the same. The last 200 meters are going to be hard for me, but I’m going to put my best effort in for my team.”

The event was going to begin in a matter of minutes, so the relay team got together to go over a few things. The other girls seemed just as nervous as Jackie, since none of them specialized in mid-distance. Two of the girls were sprinters and one was a hurdler. They quickly practiced handoffs and decided the order in which they would run.

One of the distance runners would start the race for New Milford. The girls lined up to start, and the gun went off. As the two teams ran their first leg of the race, the coach for New Milford stepped on the track to give Jackie a few words of advice. From the expression on her face, you could tell that she was still nervous.

The distance runner in the first leg of the race had gotten a good lead, and her handoff was smooth. Jackie started running, cutting into the first lane of the track. She was running at a good pace, but she began to look tired as she reached the 200 meter mark. As she approached the 100 meter mark, her facial expression made it seem as if she was about to burst into tears.

Teammates and fellow students as well as parents all cheered her name in good faith. She didn’t look back to see where the other girl was, but everyone who was watching knew that she had a good lead on her. In this race, the last 100 meters were meant to be a sprint. She would take a few fast paced strides and slow down, and this pattern continued until the handoff. She was at the end of her stamina, and it was apparent that she couldn’t go for much longer.

Approaching the girl who would run the third leg, Jackie reached out her arm to finally get rid of the baton, and it was received by her teammate. As soon as the baton left Jackie's hand, she collapsed on the grass beside the track. A few of her teammates checked to make sure she was okay, and everything was fine. She had run 400 meters in 70 seconds, which wasn’t bad. She was proud of herself and her teammates for putting forth their best effort.

The third and fourth leg of the race went by, and the girls placed first in their heat. Although there were only 2 teams in the relay, the girls had every reason to be proud of themselves. None of them were conditioned to run this race, and they had all done their part very well.

After running this relay, Jackie has decided to expand her horizons when it comes to trying new events. “Although I was really dreading this relay, I’m happy that I tried it. It was a great experience, and my teammates were there to encourage me all the way. I wouldn’t want to miss out on anything that I might enjoy, so I hope to try some more new events this year in track. Even if the 4x400 meter relay may not be my best event, I’m always up for a challenge.”