Sunday, March 8, 2009

Mason punches his ticket to Nationals!









He has come so far from a little boy and having his hand into everything from Chess, video's, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Baseball, bowling, Cello, Bass and Bass Guitar and other stuff, to finally running track in his last 2 years of high school.
BTW, I wanted Sharla to see these pictures of Mason, when he was a young boy! Wait till I start telling stories of the first time he started throwing us into a state of shock! That will be a long post...edited by Papa so I don't embarrass Mason! These pictures are so valuable when they get older, so be sure to have these and any videos kept safe. Believe me, you will need them for the High School Parent ads in the Year Books, as well as providing them to girlfriends and other friends and family when they do things that make you proud! Anyway, I am so happy I made it to the MPSF Championships to see him win. I so wish I could go and see him at Nationals and it IS KILLING ME knowing I won't be there to see how he does and embarrass him by crying and hugging and doing all that other stuff proud mama’s do. Yesterday I was having a fit waiting for Flotrack to post the video…and then when the video got cut off at the end…I almost had a heart attack…I swear my chest started to hurt! Thanks to the mom and dad of one of the other runners for providing their personal video to Flotrack so we could see the end. I recommend that you watch both..so that you can hear the announcers.
We were shocked...which is an understatement on his time of 1.47.76 when he called and told us after he ran! I am sure everyone was, including the announcers as well as coaches and all of Mason’s friends and supporters!
At the last chance races for indoor track in Aimes, Iowa, Mason broke his own record he set the week before in Seattle for ASU's fastest 800m run. As I told you in the blog before that record was set 24 years ago. His time now, puts him 2nd in the nation after Andrew Wheating who was a member of the 2008 Olympic team in Beijing!!!
He will now run in Texas with the fastest 800m indoor track runners in the nation, including Andrew Wheating, and Jacob Hernandez who has a time of 1.48.04 who won Nationals last year
. He has really thrown all of us for a loop with how he has shaved so much time off his high school times in the little time he has been at college and just in the 3 races he has run! I had a feeling once his Stress Fracture healed, with as well as he was running while injured, he would do very well. Imagine my surprise at HOW WELL!
There are a lot of people in the running community, here locally as well as his sister and my other friends all over the states, that are very excited as well as supporting him and wishing him well. Here is the link to the Bellingham Herald Article Just click here: "WHATCOM CONNECTIONS: Squalicum alum gains NAIA All-American status" Mason is in the middle of 3 athletes in the article that have made their marks at the collegiate level. GO WHATCOM!
I really want to thank Lori, Scott and Garrett for all their kind support by traveling to Seattle to cheer him on. So sorry Alex and Mason's other friends got stuck in the traffic and missed it. But, a huge thank you to Lori and family for being there not only for Mason, but, for us also!!
Now it is time for a prayer chain to help guide Mason as he embarks on this very important journey to Nationals that will at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas on Friday and Saturday this week!
I will be sure to make a post, but, just him going to Nationals is a HUGE honor! We will be so happy if he just makes it across the line! Again, thanks to all of you and please put in a good word to the Lord above for Mason to do his best at Nationals. BTW…yes…I balled like a baby when Mason called!!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Michele, this is all so incredible! I love the pictures from him as a boy. I'm sorry you didn't get to see the latest race and that you won't get to go to Nationals but I am so happy for you and Mason! Do I see the Olympics in his future? Wow!!!

Michele said...

Sharla,
thanks for the wonderful comment!
Yep, I wanted you to see him when he was younger, and had attitude! They grow so fast and are always throwing us curveballs arn't they? They never stop, no matter how old!
I think the coaches were hopeing that Mason would be stong enough to make it and were going to work him so that he has a chance to make it to the Olympics. ASU, has taken such good care of him, education wise as well as his athletics. I think Mason chose the right school that will give him the best chance at success in his goals. But, I have to say, when Mason wants something...he goes for it! He is quite the determined boy that is now a man.