The Potters Roll Through Sectionals With Honors!

Today's post is written in three distinct parts: The Legislative Branch, The Judi.....oops, my bad. I accidentally got the three parts mixed up with the three branches of government. The three parts are: Sectionals, Honor Roll, and the 4:30 at 4:30!

1. Sectionals

As the great philosopher Play Doh once said, "Give me liberty, or give me a 4 x 800 in under 8:45!" Well, the Potters had no liberty to hand out at the Sectional Meet in Bloomington last Friday night, so they had no choice but to oblige to Play Doh's second request. Austin, Dale, Dan, and Smittey each catapulted around the track twice for a final time of 8:44! Although there was some natural disappointment expressed from not running a PR, several factors should be taken into account. 1) The weather was very hot, 2) that time was 45 seconds faster than any 4 x 800 we ran last year, and 3) The Executive Branch.

In the 3200, Joe and Nick were determined to hack into their PRs as well. Although they didn't quiet reach their time goals, both runners turned in impressive times. Joe's 10:44 was a 45 second improvement from his time at Sectionals a year ago (11:30). Piper turned in an 11:04 running mostly by himself the whole race.

Dan bounced back from the 4 x 800 by running the open 800. He was out for the top spot in his heat, but when a Danville kid shot off the line like a rocket, Dan wisely decided not to chase him. Strategically, Dan slowly reeled him in during the third 200 and managed to kick his way to a 3rd place finish with a 2:12.

The Potters are sending a sprinter to the state meet this weekend. DJ Zahn qualified by time with a 50.5 clocking in the 400 meter dash.

In the 1600, Danny and Austin did exactly what they were supposed to; they each ran four laps. Austin played aggressively and took the lead from the gun. Danny slowly worked his way up the field in the middle laps and put himself in position for the lead with about 500 meters to go. Danny won the heat in 4:49ish and Austin was in the Top 5 with a 4:54.

After the meet, Steve, Nathan, and Dave went to Subway. Steve got the Sweet Onion Chicken Teryaki on Flatbread, Nathan got the Spicy Italian, and Dave got the Cold Cut Combo on Italian Herbs & Cheese Bread, and he got it toasted and it was delicious.

2. Honor Roll

Sunday morning found good news printed in the Journal Star. Morton was being represented in the Honor Roll Meet: the 4 x 800 squad, Joe Zeller in the 3200, and DJ and Scott in the 400!

The weather can best be described in the following adjective: bad. It was raining hard enough to melt a camel when the Potters showed up at Peoria Stadium. However, after a long period of waiting, the meet finally got underway.

In the 4 x 800 relay, Austin, Dale, Smitty, and Dan ran a great race. The field separated from them in the middle of the race, but they hung in there and showed the sturdy kind of determination that gives the nickname "Potters" its true meaning. Their time of 8:45 (ish) brought them in at 6th place in the Journal Star area! With all 4 members returning next year, we could be seeing some pretty exciting races next Spring.

Joe's 3200 was a treat to watch. Joe went out in control and let the other adrenaline-infused youths separate from him early. During the second mile, Joe began to go to work. He picked off a couple of stragglers in great tactical style to finish with a time in the 10:40s. Only a sophomore, we hope we will be watching Joe in Peoria this same time next year.

3. The 4:30 at 4:30

As most of you remember from last year, Steve organized a time trial after the season to give some people a chance to PR in races they didn't get to run in a whole lot. Thus, this year is no different. However, this year is different. This year, the time trail has a name: The 4:30 at 4:30.

This Thursday, at 4:30, any anxious Potters wishing to take a hack at the 5-minute Mile barrier are welcome to come out and give it a shot. Steve (and other current member of the 4-minute Club) will be helping provide pacing, and there may be appearances from some esteemed Morton alumni. The kicker is this: if anybody runs a 4:30 mile, Steve will buy them dinner. Thus, the event is entitled The 4:30 at 4:30. So, be all warmed up and ready to go at 4:30 (that means starting your warm up sometime before then) for this historic event.




Along the same lines, be prepared for the 2nd Annual Blitzkrieg Preseason Invite this summer. More details to follow.