State track and field delayed

Posted on 14. May, 2010 by Brian Knox in Uncategorized

By Richard Greene
Instead of competing for a state medal Friday afternoon, Alvord sophomore Jordan Ward settled for dreaming about one.
Rain and thunderstorms arrived at Mike Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin, the venue for the University Interscholastic League’s state track and field championships, Friday morning and halted competition.
The meet was stopped after just five of the day’s field events. No firm time has been set for competition to start again due to lightning in the area. With each lightning strike, the start time gets pushed back 30 minutes.
Ward was supposed to compete at noon in the Class 2A long jump. At that time, she was back at her hotel room, napping according to Alvord girls track coach Rhonda Enis.

Photos by Joe And Cody Duty

“My assistant stayed there to keep us updated so Jordan could come back to the hotel and get off her feet,” Enis said. “When it starts back, it’ll still be an hour and half before she jumps. She’s in there taking a nap right now.”
The delay keeps Ward, who will run the 100 and 300 hurdles Saturday, from getting her first event finished.
“She was ready to go this morning,” Enis said. “She’s was a little upset that she’s not got it over with.”
Ward qualified for state in the long jump by taking second at the Class 2A Region II meet in Stephenville May 3. She leaped 17-8.75. The Lady Bulldog is seeded fourth at state.
Enis doesn’t expect the delay to affect Ward once competition starts.
“It’ll make her more nervous but she’ll be OK once she gets warmed up,” the Alvord coach said. “She’ll have to spend more time warming up.”
Before the rain and a possible delay Saturday, Ward was supposed to run in the 100 hurdles at 12:45 p.m. The region champion in the event, she enters the meet with the second-best time, 14.77.
Ward will run in the 300 hurdles at 2:05 p.m. She is seeded sixth in the event with her 46.72 at regionals. Ward brought home a bronze medal in the event as a freshman last year.
Ward was the only Wise County athlete scheduled to compete Friday.