Every year, the McDaniel track and field regular season ends with the Twilight Meet, our one home meet of the year. It is a small meet and not as prestigious as many others we attend, but I think it makes up for that in character.
One thing that our home meet is good for is reminding us that we do track and field because we love it and it’s fun. Sure, I’m ecstatic that I qualified for conference championships in discus and javelin, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as good of a moment if my friends, teammates, and even competitors weren’t there to congratulate me and wish me luck.
Throws that are usually a little boring are made a lot more interesting by the banter between and among the teams.
The 4×400, which is usually taken very seriously, becomes a somewhat silly thing at the Twilight Meet, in which everyone takes it seriously even though a quarter of the people running it usually don’t and many people, competitor and spectator alike, spend the race laughing and smiling at general camaraderie.
This year, the meet ended with a team photo, a speed walking competition, group dinner, and for my friends and I, a silly run race.
Even though having a meet in the middle of the week is a little inconvenient (there’s nothing like having homework to do after a meet), it is always a fun one that I look forward to. By the time it comes around, I need that little reminder that I compete not just for the challenge, but also for the team and my love for the things I do.
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