Winter 2013 Daniel Repeats: Goes to Nationals Again

Daniel L. Tulloch with his athletic back pack walking toward the Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex at 1519 Hooper Ave. in Toms River, New Jersey on the morning of Sunday February 24, 2013 with trainer and babysitter Kathy S. Derr of White Deer, Pa.

The Best Laid Plans

Since returning from the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Stephanie Tulloch and I made plans for Daniel to win the 1500 Meter and 800 Meter Run at the USATF Northeast Zone meet in New Jersey. When I left the house at 7:00 AM, we did not expect him to go to nationals in the long jump since we had very little practice in this event.

The first problem came when Daniel caught the flu and had a temperature of 101 on Tuesday February  19th, 4 days before the meet. I knew that was not going to be good. This was a meet that covered the Northeast United States but I did not expect over 3,000 children to compete in this meet. So at least one wheel on my bus came off as the indoor track meet progressed.

Daniel, the Jamaican Flash came away from this USATF Indoor Northeast Championship meet as follows;

•  Fourth Seed in the Long Jump

•  Third Seed in the 1500 Meter Run

•  Fourth Seed in the 800 Meter Run.

Daniel came in third in the 1500 Meter with a time of 6 Minutes 11.2 Seconds. The Flash ran the 800 Meter in 3 Minutes 14.84 Seconds coming in fourth place. He came in fourth in the Long Jump, with a length of 6 Feet, 10.25 Inches (2.09 meters).  

This meet settled the rankings of the children in the USATF Northeast Zone (the North Eastern United States).  For the USATF Sub-Bantam Boys, Daniel is ranked 3rd in the 1500 Meters, 4th in the 800 Meters, and 4th in the Long Jump.

     

Here is Stephanie the mother of Daniel and training coach preparing Daniel for the 1500 Meter run.

While Kathy S. Derr is preparing Daniel's equipment and preparing to take care of brother David.

David Tulloch and their father "the Jamaican" Damine Tulloch looks on.

The Northeast Zone is made up of the following associations; Adirondack (upstate New  York), New York, Niagara (Western New York), Long Island, New England, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Three Rivers (Western Pennsylvania), Mid Atlantic (Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware).

The top 6 individuals in each age group advanced to the National Indoor Championships that will take place in Prince George’s County, Maryland on March 9-10, 2013. Here Daniel and the other 5 in each event will compete against the rest of the United States represented by the South, Midwest, West, and Host Zone (Potomac Valley Association).

Four years ago, Daniel placed 2^nd in the Northeast but rule 100c said that children must be at least 7 years old to run at Nationals. Now he is of age and he is going to represent the Mid-Atlantic Association and the Northeast Zone at the 2013 Indoor National Meet.

Daniel took 3rd in the 1500 Meter Run at the Northeast Zone meet. He ran out of steam toward the end when an athlete passed him about 100 Meters from the finish line.

If you just want to see the 800 Meter race, click on the link below;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH0ehCGkpSQ&feature=youtu.be
Daniel took 4th in the 800 Meter Run. He qualified to run at Nationals in this event.

The times of all the athletes in their events are on the USATF New Jersey website:

www.usatfnj.org/youth

 

 USATF National Indoor Meet on March 9th and 10th

March 9, 2013

•           Long Jump at 9:00 AM

•           800 Meter Run at 2:45 PM

March 10, 2013

•           1500 Meter Run at 12:15 PM

The Meet from Hell

The meet was taking longer than expected so after Daniel ran the 800 Meters the Tulloch's went home. Daniel had school the next day.  David was not willing to be nice one second longer.

That is when my real problems began. The track meet was just a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. The ground that the site was on is not dirt but sand. I parked in the only place available, on the sand. Needless to say, when I went to move my car, it was not going any where.

With 3,000 children and their coaches and parents, I do not have to tell you that it did not take long before arguments and drama broke out all over the complex. It was not helped that some couches and track clubs got special favors when it came to being allowed to enter and use the track. By 5:00 PM the portable potties were smelling like a bathroom that has not been cleaned for 10 years. Do not look inside the potty because you will see people's condition at the time they used it (use your own imagination). 

In fact, people started going into the Tom's River Middle School to use the bathrooms. That lead to the same conditions in the school. Not only that but one bathroom could not be used because of a power failure.

As I came out of the school preparing to go home, I heard one lady on her cell phone say, "This is a track meet from hell!" In my mind I said, "Yes lady and you don't know the half of it. It was dark when I started my 165 mile trip home. I can't see well at night when it is cloudy. After getting lost in New Jersey, I found Rt. 70 West. Knowing that going west will get me back into Pennsylvania, I took Rt. 70 West to Philadelphia. That put me on Rt. 30 West and on the Turnpike home. I got home at 10:00 PM.