One Down, One to Go

My parents prefer for security reasons that I don't post actual dates and locations of events in advance. I think they're a bit paranoid, but I humor them. In any event, I've finished my high school diving career early this week with the state meet. I finished second. Some pople might be disappointed at not having come out on top, but i was positively thrilled with finishing second. If enyone had told me when I first started diving as a freshman that I would one day be the second-highest finisher in the state, I would have wondered what mind-altering substance the person had taken. It was cause for major celebration.

Sectional hurdling competition was today. i finished first in two event iand third in one event. We finished second in our realy there. I was approached by thhree university coaches. I haven't committed to my university, but I'm firmly committed to it. if I participate in any sport in college, I'd like it to be because I want to, and not because it's my way of finincing my education. Then I could walk away from it at any point if it became too much of an overload. Still, I was flattered that in this age of eliminating college sports (more men's than women's sports for Title IX reasons)any university coach wanted to speak to me regarding my participating in his program.

It was interesting to hear each coach's take. One coach thought I should abandon hurdles and concentrate on the 400 meter run. Another coach thoughtI should stick with hurdles but should run the shortest distances possible to take advantage of my legs, which are shorter than those of most of the competition, have a faster take=off time.

The third coach said that I'm defying the laws of physics by hurdling well -- that nothing about my body type, with the possible exception of my long legs in porporion to total body length -- would indicate that I should have success in hurdling. Then he asked if i had been a dancer or gymnast. I told him I had been a gymnast until I was ten. He asked what level I was when I quit. I told him level ten, approaching elite. He asked why I had stopped if I was that good when I was so young. I gave him the condensed version of my rooftop gymnastics stunt. He said I didn't have the bulky shoulders and neck that most gymnasts have and probably would have peaked early. He said the porportional length of legs and the lengthy stride as a result of early gymnastics training explained my success in hurdling, and that the lack of upper-body bulk was an asset in running and hurdling, where it would have been a detriment in gymnastics. He asked to look at my teeth, then asked a couple of question that were mildly personal but hthat I anwered since he didn't seem pedophilic. My parens were nearby lestening but pretending not to be. He asked if those were my parents, then changed his question, asking if that was my biological father, because it was obvious the woman was my mother. Our resemblance was strong. He said physical maturation ruins many running and hurdling careers, but that my parents both had runners' builds, so the additional height I should gain will outweight the bulk and slight widening of hips that will occur. My mother's hips aren't wide enough to allow passage of a two-pound baby, so mine probably won't be a great deal wider.

He said he knew I wouldn't be attending his university but gave me the name and number of an excercise physiologist working with the university I plan to attend. he asked my parents for mermission to give their number to the exercise physiologist. His reasoning was that it would be interesting to have an expert's analysis on whether my body was better suited to running, hurdling, or dibing. That didn't mean I had to choose the sport the expert recommended, or even that I had to choose any sport, but that the information provided would be good information to have. My parents gave him their numbers. I'll wait to see if the guy ever calls or if anything ever comes of it.

The state track meet is next weekend. Anyone who is really up on such matters knows where it will be held, but my parents wouldn't be all that happy with me for announcing it here.

Graduation will be the following week. I do get the distinction of having the highest gPA in the class. I think the principal might have fought it more -- because most of my work this year has been done off campus -- but my brother would have received the distinction had it not been I. My brother will give the valedictorian's address -- a chore typically but not always associated with having the highest GPA. I normally would revel in the idea of being able to say more or less whatever I wanted to say in front of a large captive audience, but the events of the past year or so have tkaen something from me. I would be afraid to speal in front of such a large group. I'm grateful to my brother for taking over the task.

After graduation I will spend most of the next two months at the facility. While there, i'll take twleve units at the university. My parents have bought a home in the general area but won't move until remodeling is complete -- probably in about September. I'm excited to see what my room will look like there. My aunt has worked with an architect, and says it will be even nicer than my current room, and will be done in the same motif.

Sayonara.