A long and fruitful year is finally at an end for Franklin track and field.
While the vast majority of Panthers ended their outdoor seasons at the 3A State Championship in May, a select few athletes continued their training for an even more prestigious meet. At the Adidas Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro June 14-16, 10 Panthers locked horns with elite competition from across the country in their last acts of the 2023-24 campaign.
“It was pretty fun. It was kind of a struggle for me to go because my family was on vacation, and I made my dad drive me back over to Greensboro,” said senior Boston Stringer with a laugh. “We were in the Outer Banks, so then we drove from the Outer Banks to Greensboro back to the Outer Banks, and then got home the next day. I really wanted to go just because it’s my senior year and it was my last one, so that’s what I told my parents to convince them.”
As last year’s 3A Indoor Pole Vault State Champion, athletes don’t reach the heights Stringer has without sacrificing some free time. On a sweltering weekend in Greensboro nearly a month after the state meet, only the most determined competitors ran, jumped and threw.
“It was really hot. Going in I was really scared – I thought I was not gonna do good – but I think I did,” said rising junior distance runner Amy Mendoza Lopez. “It was very intimidating. There was a really fast freshman who ran like a 2:20, and I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’” ... I think we did run pretty well. I was really confident with the team we went in with, because it was a really good team.”
“I saw people that I had never even seen before and they were running all of these insane times, and then we saw West Henderson and I was like, ‘Well, thank goodness – at least I know some of these people,” said senior Rylee Cassada. “It was intimidating because there would be these girls wearing those cool uniforms, and I was like, ‘Man, they would absolutely whoop us.’ But, it’s OK; I knew from the get-go what was gonna happen. I was really proud of how we did, though – top-eight was pretty good.”
Along with sprinters Hope Smith and Michelle Ortega, Cassada and Mendoza Lopez ran the final two legs of Franklin’s 1,600-meter sprint medley relay, consisting of two legs of 200 meters each, one of 400 meters and one of 800 meters. With a time of 4:25.83, the foursome earned Franklin’s highest finish of the day in eighth, just two places away from taking home a national medal. In facing some of the country’s best competition, non-senior athletes in attendance said the experience will come in handy next year.
“I felt like we could have done better at first, but I’m proud of how we did,” said Ortega. “It think it will help me prepare for next year.”
In attempting to extend their streak of four straight top-four finishes at state, the experience gained at a national meet can be invaluable for the coming year. In addition to the competitive aspect, multiple Panthers said they were glad to have one more meet before the team’s seniors head off to college.
“It was really fun. I definitely loved going and getting to spend more time with Hope because she’s graduating, and that’s why we really did the relay,” said rising senior Justus Bradford.
“I just figured it was my last time getting to run with some of my girls, so I was really excited to get that opportunity,” said Cassada.”