July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Just 1 more hurdle
Rays of Insight
Brandon Reynard deserved to run in the state finals. Of that, there can be no doubt.
The Jay County High School senior was at his absolute best Thursday, crossing the finish line first in the 300-meter hurdles at the Indianapolis North Central regional by a wide margin.
His time was the second fastest in the eight regionals contested around the state Thursday. It broke the JCHS record set by Nick Hoffman, a state medalist in 2002, by more than a tenth of a second.
However, a hurdle judge ruled Reynard's trail leg came around a hurdle rather than over it, and he was disqualified.
Because I was standing in Brandon's lane near the finish line - on the opposite side of the track from where the call was made - I cannot comment on the accuracy of the decision. But history makes me doubt it.
Brandon ran at the same regional meet last season, finishing in third place. He advanced to the state finals, where he brought home the fifth-place medal.
He has dominated the sectional meet each of the last two seasons. And his form has never been questioned.
••••••••••
Thursday was supposed to be Brandon Reynard's night, and for good reason.
It was supposed to be his night for all of the work it took for him to get to the point of being a school record holder and contender for the state title. After all, Brandon did not even take up the hurdles until his sophomore season.
It should have been his night for the way he unselfishly did everything he could to lead his team to its first sectional title a week earlier. He ran seven races - three preliminaries and four finals - at the Muncie Central meet, winning three events and finishing second in the fourth by just two hundredths of a second.
All by himself he outscored seven of the other 11 sectional teams. He gave his all for Jay County High School, and it was time for the spotlight to shine firmly on him.
••••••••••
As Brandon crossed the finish line Thursday, a smile came streaking across his face.
I was standing in his lane, about 20 meters beyond the finish line, taking photos. He jogged to me, and we locked right hands and pulled each other into a brief embrace.
Now, I know I was just lucky enough to be the first familiar face Brandon saw after the biggest victory of his career. But I also immediately knew that was a moment I would always cherish and never forget.
••••••••••
Brandon deserves a lot of credit for the way he handled himself after learning of the disqualification.
It would have been easy to turn to anger and lash out at those officiating the meet. It even would have been understandable. But he didn't.
Brandon seemed generally cool and calm about the situation. Perhaps he knew that regardless of the decision, no one could take away the race he had just run.
••••••••••
Hopefully, Brandon, in time, you will be able to look back and enjoy the good things about the evening.
Think about the first few strides you took out of the block, running smooth and easy. Recall pulling to the lead on the back curve.
Relish the break onto the home stretch, when you had a commanding lead and realized the regional title was within your grasp.
Remember gliding smoothly over the last three hurdles as no one was even able to post a challenge.
And treasure crossing that finish line - first by a significant margin - your years of effort coming to fruition in one perfect race.
Think back to the moment when you looked up into the stands and saw your family, friends, teammates and coaches cheering you on.
Those are the moments that matter.
Most of all, Brandon, please don't look at what happened as a roadblock.
View it rather as just another hurdle; one more hurdle you'll clear smoothly on the way to greater accomplishments both athletically at the collegiate level and in life in general.
••••••••••
No one knows what would have happened a week from today at the state finals.
No one will ever know if you would have won the state championship. But you certainly had a chance.
Or maybe you would have finished fifth, like last season. Or maybe you would have been somewhere in between.
It's a shame that we will never find out.
But remember one thing, Brandon.
Even though the official record will list someone else as the regional champion, and even though you won't get to run at the state meet in your senior season, we will always remember history differently.
You are, and always will be, a state champion in our hearts.[[In-content Ad]]
The Jay County High School senior was at his absolute best Thursday, crossing the finish line first in the 300-meter hurdles at the Indianapolis North Central regional by a wide margin.
His time was the second fastest in the eight regionals contested around the state Thursday. It broke the JCHS record set by Nick Hoffman, a state medalist in 2002, by more than a tenth of a second.
However, a hurdle judge ruled Reynard's trail leg came around a hurdle rather than over it, and he was disqualified.
Because I was standing in Brandon's lane near the finish line - on the opposite side of the track from where the call was made - I cannot comment on the accuracy of the decision. But history makes me doubt it.
Brandon ran at the same regional meet last season, finishing in third place. He advanced to the state finals, where he brought home the fifth-place medal.
He has dominated the sectional meet each of the last two seasons. And his form has never been questioned.
••••••••••
Thursday was supposed to be Brandon Reynard's night, and for good reason.
It was supposed to be his night for all of the work it took for him to get to the point of being a school record holder and contender for the state title. After all, Brandon did not even take up the hurdles until his sophomore season.
It should have been his night for the way he unselfishly did everything he could to lead his team to its first sectional title a week earlier. He ran seven races - three preliminaries and four finals - at the Muncie Central meet, winning three events and finishing second in the fourth by just two hundredths of a second.
All by himself he outscored seven of the other 11 sectional teams. He gave his all for Jay County High School, and it was time for the spotlight to shine firmly on him.
••••••••••
As Brandon crossed the finish line Thursday, a smile came streaking across his face.
I was standing in his lane, about 20 meters beyond the finish line, taking photos. He jogged to me, and we locked right hands and pulled each other into a brief embrace.
Now, I know I was just lucky enough to be the first familiar face Brandon saw after the biggest victory of his career. But I also immediately knew that was a moment I would always cherish and never forget.
••••••••••
Brandon deserves a lot of credit for the way he handled himself after learning of the disqualification.
It would have been easy to turn to anger and lash out at those officiating the meet. It even would have been understandable. But he didn't.
Brandon seemed generally cool and calm about the situation. Perhaps he knew that regardless of the decision, no one could take away the race he had just run.
••••••••••
Hopefully, Brandon, in time, you will be able to look back and enjoy the good things about the evening.
Think about the first few strides you took out of the block, running smooth and easy. Recall pulling to the lead on the back curve.
Relish the break onto the home stretch, when you had a commanding lead and realized the regional title was within your grasp.
Remember gliding smoothly over the last three hurdles as no one was even able to post a challenge.
And treasure crossing that finish line - first by a significant margin - your years of effort coming to fruition in one perfect race.
Think back to the moment when you looked up into the stands and saw your family, friends, teammates and coaches cheering you on.
Those are the moments that matter.
Most of all, Brandon, please don't look at what happened as a roadblock.
View it rather as just another hurdle; one more hurdle you'll clear smoothly on the way to greater accomplishments both athletically at the collegiate level and in life in general.
••••••••••
No one knows what would have happened a week from today at the state finals.
No one will ever know if you would have won the state championship. But you certainly had a chance.
Or maybe you would have finished fifth, like last season. Or maybe you would have been somewhere in between.
It's a shame that we will never find out.
But remember one thing, Brandon.
Even though the official record will list someone else as the regional champion, and even though you won't get to run at the state meet in your senior season, we will always remember history differently.
You are, and always will be, a state champion in our hearts.[[In-content Ad]]
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