# Page 13

### [37. My First Indoor Nationals Heptathlon](https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/36689696822564694435897895103382216197122687226587959880145830644168184037377)

<figure><img src="https://2750191997-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5VpQqdx0844k8LrHIqhr%2Fuploads%2FSmf2nTqsJDm0TJ6GbCqD%2Frsz_11img_2573.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=713c689b-469b-4ea4-a2fd-75a5fa8f1e01" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This was my second year of indoor track, but my first year doing the heptathlon. It was a huge learning curve, but I was somehow able to sneak into qualifying for nationals. I was so happy to be at the meet because I had come a long way from being a 6'2 high jumper in high school. The meet didn't go the way I wanted and I dropped one of the lowest scores of the year. This meet didn't discourage me though. In fact, it did the complete opposite. It showed me that these guys weren't special and that with some hard work, I could be at the top.&#x20;

### [38. Let's Super Glue My Face](https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/36689696822564694435897895103382216197122687226587959880145830646367207292929)

<figure><img src="https://2750191997-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5VpQqdx0844k8LrHIqhr%2Fuploads%2FW5jKSBjuHnc3Gvb18R3Q%2FScreenshot_20230131_111432.png?alt=media&#x26;token=54202a55-509e-4eb5-b266-738ae8388656" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This is one of my favorite track pictures of all time. It was the conference championships and day two of the Decathlon. I already had one medal from the open long jump and was expecting two more in the open high jump and decathlon. I started day two with a PR in the 110m Hurdles and a solid throw in the discus. Then it was time for the pole vault. I got into a rhythm early and before I know it I'm flying over my PR. I clear a few more bars and get to my final attempt at 13 ft. I can feel the fatigue in my body, and the pain in my jump knee. Either way, I was going to take that jump with everything I had. I took a couple of deep breaths and took off in a full sprint down the runway. Right away when I planted I knew I was going to get jammed in the air. And that's exactly what happened. As I was in the air I kicked down the crossbar and went face-first into the pit. I turned over and just laid there with my hands covering my face. I remember feeling my eyes water and some pain, but I was mostly upset at the piss-poor last attempt. After a few seconds, I sat up and saw my hands were full of blood. Kelsey came over and helped take me off the mat. We went over to the tent where she did her best to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, it was just a cut across my nose that didn't need stitches. We got some super glue and glued it shut. The high jump was going on while all of this was happening and I tried to get my coach to let me go compete. He told me the points weren't needed because we were well on our way to another conference title.

### [39. My First Outdoor Nationals Decathlon](https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/36689696822564694435897895103382216197122687226587959880145830647466718920705)

<figure><img src="https://2750191997-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5VpQqdx0844k8LrHIqhr%2Fuploads%2FrmlCXioo0UOJFXNufEk6%2FScreenshot_20230131_112213.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ee9bf1aa-ae77-42ed-befb-367001d81278" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

A few weeks after the conference championships, we set out for nationals in Alabama. This was my first outdoor nationals and wasn't able to finish my Decathlon. I went into the meet battling an ankle sprain that was hurting my jumping. I was normally a very good and consistent long jumper, but after two scratches and a bad third attempt, my coach pulled me from the dec. He told me to focus on the open High Jump the next day. Things weren't much better in the open High Jump as I proceeded to no height. It was a sour way to end my outdoor season, but we still had a chance of winning it all. I was watching two of our best vaulters when the 4x100 final started. Tech the school favored to win the meet dropped the baton right in front of our team. I remember being stunned because you just don't ever see that. A few minutes later Levi, a decathlete, clears a bar to put him into second place. There was a shift that you could feel happening at that moment and I just knew the trophy was ours. When it was all said and done we took home the school's first men's national track & field championship.