Caught between a Lake Mary Rams football practice and a “big-time” Pop Warner football game—thus relegating the SAC cross country championship to the status of their “between-games show”--meet officials were forced to move the start time of this meet up by half an hour. Not aware of the change, and arriving after a combined JV race had started, I rushed onto the football field, but didn’t see a single runner. What I did see was a blanket of yellow feathers.
“What’s up with that?” I asked a nearby coach.
“I think it was Big Bird,” he answered, without looking my way. (If he had, he might have considered its consequences.)
It took a moment to register, but then I recalled the fallout from a recent presidential debate.
As a matter of record, up until now, I have always tried to remain politically neutral. Knowing full-well how easily a simple comment about a living candidate can lose friends and alienate people, I have heretofore limited my opinions to statements concerning politicians whose names appear in very old history books. But that was before setting eyes on the Lake Mary football field.
No bird, big or small, surrenders that many feathers willingly. So what else could I assume than this involuntary molt was somehow tied to its demise? Further, Orlando was, at that time, bracing itself for a visit by not one, but both major parties…and we’re not talking Disney and Universal.
Alas, like the rest of mankind, my vision is indeed trichromatic. So when I stepped onto the infield of Lake Mary High School, all those yellow feathers somehow tipped my mental scale, and with it my well-intended equilibrium. Suddenly, I also saw the other two “primary” colors, red and blue, and all that they imply: a panorama of political posters, polluting the American landscape with endless propaganda; terrifying ads that appear in newspapers, and on radio, television, and the internet, forewarning us that November 6th could, if the other guys win, be America’s Armageddon; and those pervasive phone calls from that dreaded interloper, “Unknown Caller,” who has ruthlessly transformed this retiree’s mid-afternoon nap into sleep apnea.
The feathers? I have no proof, but the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming. First, you have that well-publicized quote from a certain presidential aspirant; “I’m sorry, Jim (Lehrer), I’m gonna stop the subsidy to PBS (Public Broadcasting System). I like PBS. I love Big Bird….But I’m not gonna keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it.”
Besides exhibiting poor grammar and convoluted thinking, I imagined that this particular candidate had somehow turned our children into insensitive political puppets. Just look at the start of the Varsity Boys race; all those innocent feet trampling over the remains of that icon of early learning. Here is irrefutable photographic evidence of a political statement if I’ve ever seen one. The horror!
But wait, was Big Bird done in by an elephant, or a donkey? Maybe it was just made to look like the bird was “s-mitt-en” by the man who claims to like Big Bird. It is also possible that this was a covert action by a scheming member of the CIA, and you know who he would be working for. Those guys are experts at counter-insurgency, mass manipulation, and confusing the issues. If we were made to think the elephant did it, then we would take sides with donkey. Makes sense. But then again, what about those inscrutable Chinese? Are they sending us a message, like Don Vito Corleone did in The Godfather? (Remember that poor race horse?) They own half of America already, and might be sending us--and the whole Sesame Street gang--a not-so-subtle message.
I guess I’m not good at all this espionage, and should probably stick with what I know. But I will end on this note: all those plucked feathers might have seemed like the end of our favorite giant canary, but if this year’s costume sales are any indication of America’s response to the Big Bird quote, wait until Halloween. It’s our second most celebrated holiday, and just six days before Election Day. I’ll bet the Big B pulls off the second greatest return in history.
Pssst: Jason, was that too political?
Girls JV
Like the JVB runner who preceded her to the finish line in this combined race, JVG winner Johanna Freeman finished almost before the next nearest competitor even entered the track.
“I took the lead, right from the start,” she explained. “I just sprinted out. I was a little confused at first—that no one followed me—so I thought that I had gone out too fast.
“I have shin splints right now, and I wasn’t sure how well I’d run, but I just tried to run through them. I’m just glad that I did as well as I did. I wish I had done better. For place, it was what I wanted, but not for time. I wanted at least a 22:30. But this course is always so slow for me.”
Johanna’s time—22:50—was a little off her all-time fastest (22:25.90 at the October 8, 2011 Hagerty Invitational).
“It’s the end of the season for me. It’s sad, because it’s the last race for (some of) the seniors and I may not see them again. We’re all like a big family, so seeing them leave is sad.”
I suggested a way of delaying that departure.
“(So far) I’ve just run cross country, but I’m thinking about track. I want to stay in shape for next year. And I’m training for a half marathon. I want to do it, like January or February. Up until now, the longest I’ve ever run is about ten miles. It didn’t feel that bad after ten, so three more shouldn’t be that much harder.
“It (the ten miler) was a good run. On a Saturday, we”—the Lake Mary team—“all went out to Clermont, and ran the trail. There were hills, a lake, and the trail was like clay. It started to rain at the end, so it was sort of muddy. But it was really pretty.”
JV Girls Team Results
With five girls in the top ten—4-6-7-8-9—it seemed like Winter Springs was in firm control of the scoring, but Lake Mary, with 1-3-5-12-15 just hung on until the last runners (20-24 for WS and 23-27 for LM). At final count, ‘Springs won with 34, and Lake Mary was a close second with 36. Oviedo placed third with 75 (2-14-16-17-26-33-35). 67 girls and six teams scored.
JV Boys
The most recent greatest race I’ve ever seen—as reported in the West Orange article—described how Oviedo’s David Anderson took wing in the last 400 meters of his race and sped, will-nilly, to unexpected victory and eternal glory among the lore and legend of JV running. After that exaggerated account, what could he possibly come up with and top that, you ask? Well, hang on to your disbelief, and give your full attention to David. (His name reminds me of a statue I photographed while in Florence.)
“Today, I was just trying to ‘pack run’ with Colin (same last name, different family tree; ninth in 19:33.55) and Chris Germ (fifth in 19:55.63). I just had to get to districts. So, at about the mile and a half point, I sped up, and passed Colin and Chris. I saw two Lyman kids in front of me (probably Jason Campbell, Jean Krige, and/or Chase McDonald, all of whom finished right behind David in, respectively, 18:38, 18:46, and 18:52). They were pack running. I knew, once I got past them, I couldn’t let them pass me back, so I gave it my all.”
For now, at least, Anderson’s all was 18:06.85, his third straight PR (in eleven days) and second straight overall win. Not only that, but that time would move him into fifth place for his team if he had run it in the varsity race.
“I’m going to districts. From the last race, getting first, I was going to be an alternate. Today, I beat Wyatt (Anderson—same last name, yet another tree in the Anderson family forest--seventh in the varsity race in 18:34.80). I just had to get the win. I also wanted to PR, but the main thing was the win.”
The other main thing is that he is on a roll….Is David too young to run for office?
Boys JV Team Results
Although he can do many things fast and inspiring, David can’t score all the points. So Lyman, with four in the top ten (2-3-4-7), plus 14th (and 23rd and 28th) took the conference title with 30. Oviedo was second (1-5-9-12-17-20-25; 44 points) and host Lake Mary third (8-10-11-13-21-22-26; 63). There were 67 runners, six teams, and three Andersons (all on Oviedo) in the race. Of course, there were five Oviedo Andersons—David, Colin, Tommy, and Wyatt, all in different grades, running for the Oviedo boys’ teams, and another—Courtney—in the JVG. Maybe they should rename the place Andersonville.
Varsity Girls
With all the press that has followed her this season, Hagerty’s Bryce Seymour’s one-minute and two second margin of victory would seem pretty much as expected. And, although her winning time of 18:45.54 was nearly that far behind her season’s (18:00.80 at FLR XIII) and personal (17:58.18 at last year’s FLR XII) bests, little remains for clarification but a brief history of her team affiliation (for those, like me, who have trouble deciding if there is one, or two Bryce Seymours.)
“I was at Hagerty my freshman and sophomore year, Circle Christian my junior year, and back at Hagerty my senior year,” recounted Seymour. “The whole reason that I switched from Hagerty was that it didn’t offer dual enrollment to juniors, only seniors. This year my parents gave me the choice, so I went back to Hagerty, and can do dual enrollment. Now I will have 30 college credits.”
Switching teams, teammates, and putting friendships on hold must have been tough.
“Freshman and sophomore years, it was the same teammates, and I really liked them,” she continued. “So I wanted to come back, because they’re so great, and it’s great coming back and being with them. They’re so hard working that it’s great finishing my senior year where I started.”
Because she rarely finds “local” competition challenging, Bryce and her coach, Jay Getty, must plan around meets such as these.
“My coach and I talked before the race. (It was decided that) I would do the first mile hard, do a recovery (mile), and finish with a strong mile. But this course isn’t that fast, so I’m pretty sure my first mile was a 5:27, then an 11:33 in the second, I think.
“In the middle of the race, the wind started to pick up, because of the storm, so it wasn’t that fast. Overall, however, it was a good workout.”
The question I posed next was “When would things start to get serious (for her)?”
“Probably the Regionals, because we have Olympia”—Emily Headley—“Dr. Phillips,”—Bridget Blake—“and some other individuals. For the team, we have goals for the end of the season. We want to qualify for the States, and finish better than fifth.”
Varsity Girls Team Results
For the first four places, at least, Hagerty was undoubtedly the strongest team (taking 1-3-5-6), but then came the breath-holding contest. Their last three finished in 28th, 38th, and 41st places. Team total: 43 points. Top ten places were spread out after that, but Lake Mary—with two—had the most, and finished second--4-9-16-17-23-31-37--for 69 points. Winter Springs was third with 75 (8-13-14-15-25-26-36). 58 girls and eight teams were recorded.
Varsity Boys
Although Oviedo’s varsity had only one Anderson, they also had a Schanze. Justin won with a 16:40.77 finish time.
“It was all about place,” he reminded me, “and not about time. We ran at West Orange on Saturday, which is a quick turnaround, so I was going to stick with the leaders, see what I had left, and bring it.”
Well off his best, 16:16 at the October 15, 2011 Terrier Classic, Schanze ran something better by me: perspective.
“I just go out. I know that my (finish) place matters, and it’s my job to get the least number of points possible.”
All that will change…when?
“Regionals, definitely. We’re in 4A Region 1, which is the most competitive in the state. They call it ‘the Region of Death.’ We have Colonial, Boone, West Orange, and Winter Park…” and Ken Pineiro of Deland.
“I just want to do the best. Obviously, I’m shooting for the top, the best that I can do. You can’t argue with results.”
(And with that, on came the rain. Too bad, “Pops,” but we are out of here.)
Varsity Boys
Top ten finishers were spread out among six of the nine teams, but Lyman, with three, had the most—and the least number of points: 43 (3-4-10-12-14-26-23). Oviedo had 65 (1-5-18-19-22-25-34), and Lake Mary 85 (2-6-11-31-35-38-40). 66 runners and nine teams finished the last race, and ended the quickest conference meet this bird watcher has ever seen.
More Coverage
- Complete Results & Coverage
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