Wall of Fame

This coming Sunday Penny and I are going to a reception @ Hoover High School (my alma mater) for those who's mug will be placed on the wall of fame at the school.  The wall of fame is for those who won individual, or were on a relay who won, state titles in their event.  I was fortunate to have some really good coaching and teammates during my years @ Hoover.   I have many fond memories of that time.  What is interesting about the whole ordeal is this:  Although I was an individual runner up on more than one occasion, I only have one state championship medal, and that was in the 4x800  meter relay during the indoor track state championship my senior year.  The way it went down was epic.  Going into the meet we had a really strong team, and the times we'd run were bettered only by our bitter rival The Mountain Brook Spartans.  We knew that it'd be a close race and that we'd have to run our guts out to win.  I was our anchor, and their anchor was an 800m specialist who was quite a bit faster than me in this particular event (and he knew it).  The night before we'd competed in the 2 mile, a race in which I'd come in 2nd (a bridesmaid once again).  During that race there was a lot of jostling for position, elbows being thrown, and I broke the race open just past the mile mark, much to the demise of the guy who'd be "their" anchor.  In that race he finished 3rd behind me.  My race tactics inhibited him from an easy "sit and kick" strategy that would have won him the race easily.  He was not happy with me.  So, we lined up for the 4x800 and I must say, the adrenaline was flowing, there was a buzz in the air for this much anticipated match up.  From the gun we were neck and neck, neither team giving the other more than a few meter lead.  I received the baton just in front of "their" anchor man.  To set this up completely, I must tell you that my dad is a certified track and field official (an official official) and he would frequently be asked to officiate various meets.  So, during this meet, he was a turn judge.  Duties of a turn judge include disqualifying anyone who ran out of their lane or threw too many elbows, etc.  On the first turn I felt my opposition pull up beside me and I also happened to catch him, out of the corner of my eye, staring at me, then I heard him shouting obscenities.  It shocked me at first and all I could do was look @ him and smile.  He tucked behind me on the next curve and sat until the final straightaway when he sprinted past me for the victory.  I wasn't too crushed, I kinda knew he was better @ this particular event anyway, and I had gotten the better of him the night before.  As I cooled down I saw a congregation of coaches in the infield huddled around my dad and I couldn't figure out what was going on.  A few minutes later I learned that this guys coach had approached my dad, along with a few other officials, and insisted that his team be disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Turns out, they had seen the whole ordeal with him "taunting" and yelling obscenities my way.  My dad didn't want to make the ruling b/c he didn't want it to look like favoritism, so he implored the coach to let it go, but he, along with a few other coaches insisted, and we/I got my only state championship medal, and secured my mug on the Hoover Wall of Fame.  I don't at all feel guilty about being there either!