Watching The Kids At The Regional Track Meet>

[TinyTim]

The year has already been a huge success but I can't wait to watch my kids at the Regional Track meet. My favorite sport to watch. No outside influences of any type. No rose colored glasses or politics. Truly one of the few sports that takes the guess work out of who plays and who don't. Just running against the clock. Good Luck to all.

The stopwatch don't lie.

[kepdawg]

Originally posted by TinyTim
The year has already been a huge success but I can't wait to watch my kids at the Regional Track meet. My favorite sport to watch. No outside influences of any type. No rose colored glasses or politics. Truly one of the few sports that takes the guess work out of who plays and who don't. Just running against the clock. Good Luck to all.

The stopwatch don't lie.

Hopefully that's the case! I know some people in Class A Region 3 would probably say it isn't.

[Sweetwater Red]

Originally posted by kepdawg
Hopefully that's the case! I know some people in Class A Region 3 would probably say it isn't.


???

[garciap77]

Originally posted by TinyTim
The year has already been a huge success but I can't wait to watch my kids at the Regional Track meet. My favorite sport to watch. No outside influences of any type. No rose colored glasses or politics. Truly one of the few sports that takes the guess work out of who plays and who don't. Just running against the clock. Good Luck to all.

The stopwatch don't lie.

Keep us posted on how we do!

[scrub c]

Originally posted by TinyTim
.....No outside influences of any type. No rose colored glasses or politics. Truly one of the few sports that takes the guess work out of who plays and who don't. ....

no kidding,
parent question "why dont my kid get to run the hunnut?"

coach answer "watch this"

gun goes off, 3 kids beat said child, any questions?

[TinyTim]

It's all about positive minded coaches that teach with encouragement. Coach Lang and Hibbitts are phenomenal men and coaching is mainly about managing young adults. Others could definetly learn from these men. My kids are fortunate to have had these coaches and will benefit the rest of their lives from the teachings of these two men.

Siblings Tanner, Nicole Mitchell try to make effort pay off at regional
By Daniel Youngblood (Contact)
Thursday, May 21, 2009


Reporter-News photo by Thomas Metthe Wylie's Tanner Mitchell (2404) gets the baton from teammate Kris Gilmore on the third leg of the Class 3A boys 800 relay at the UIL State Track and Field Championships in Austin Friday last year.

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Separated by just two years, Wylie's Tanner and Nicole Mitchell say they've always been close.

That's one thing that made last year's trip to the regional and state track meets together so special.

With Tanner graduating this year, however, the siblings have a maximum of two high school meets left to run alongside each other. And both are hoping this year's Region I-3A track meet in Lubbock isn't their last meet together.

"We have a huge relationship. Me and my sister are really close and having her at the track meet is always something that's real cool," Tanner said. "She's always there for me after every race and I'm always there for her, whether we did good or not.

"It's just good to know that you have your sister there and it's good for her to know that I'm there for her."

Tanner, who reached the 2008 state track meet as a member of two relay teams, will be competing this weekend for a chance to go to Austin in the 400-meter relay, the 1,600 relay and the 300 hurdles.

Seeded eighth going into the 2008 400 finals, Nicole finished third with a personal-best time of 57.7 seconds. She will run in the 400, the 400 relay and the 1,600 relay in Lubbock.

With a history of success in their three events, both are hoping to earn return trips to Austin with strong regional showings. Wylie boys track coach Eddie Lang said he wouldn't bet against them.

"That's a real talented family with a lot of heart. They don't like to lose and they'll do whatever it takes to win," Lang said. "They're a fun group to coach. They're always smiling, they're always giving it the most and they're sort of leaders in the whole deal.

"If they're behind, they're coming at you and if they're ahead, they're going to hold on to what they've got."

Tanner and Nicole's hard work has shown up in every aspect of their athletic lives, which spans multiple sports for both of them.

Tanner, who will be going to Hardin-Simmons to play basketball, has been a basketball, baseball and track standout his four years at Wylie. And after medaling at the state meet as a freshman in track, Nicole earned minutes on Wylie's regional quarterfinalist girls basketball team at the point guard position this year as a sophomore.

But neither Mitchells' success has come easily, and Lang said it's the duo's willingness to work that sets them apart from their peers.

"It's always fun with them. It's not like it's work," he said. "Whatever they're doing, whether it's basketball, baseball or track, it's always a fun, smiling type of deal. They'll work until everybody else leaves and they'll put in extra when they need to."

Nicole showed that after the District 2-3A meet, Wylie girls track coach Kerry Hibbits said.

"She and a couple of others after our district meet in the prelims, they were pretty unsatisfied about how they ran that day," Hibbits said. "It's getting dark when we're getting back and I'm putting things up when I hear the little pitter-patter of feet around the track. I look up and she and a couple of others are on the track running 500s.

"That's just the type of driven person that she is. She's a competitor and not afraid to work hard."

Nicole said she attributes much of that work ethic to the example set by her brother.

"Tanner has helped me a lot with that," she said. "Tanner's an amazing athlete and I look up to him in every aspect of my life and track is just another thing he excels in. I'm really lucky to have a brother like him because he's taught me a lot."

Tanner, who at 5-foot-8 is smaller than most hurdlers, narrowly missed a trip to state in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore before a hamstring injury kept him out of the event last year.

Nicole said she expects big things from her brother now that he's a senior.

"He's been working really hard and his time's dropped a lot in the 300 hurdles," she said. "He did really good as a sophomore and almost made it to state, and this year I think he'll go farther."

Regardless of what happens, Tanner said he hopes to enjoy what's left of his high school athletic career.

"It's different knowing that the most I can have is two more track meets, but it just makes you want to go out there and give everything you have for those last two meets," he said.

When Tanner's gone, Nicole will be the last of three Mitchell children left in high school.

Lang said he's not ready to be rid of the Mitchell kids yet.

"Nicole's the last one. We're trying to get (their parents) to adopt a couple of more, but we haven't got that yet," Lang said. "We hate to see that happen but they are really an athletic family and they participate in everything. It's a fun type deal."

[scrub c]

great article. congrats