At the rainy March 5 track and field meet at Sacramento State University, freshman Heidi Johnson placed first in the long jump.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds didn’t keep the track and field team from competing with more than 50 other schools at Sacramento State University on March 5.
The rain came down in sporadic torrents, and the fierce winds made it impossible to use an umbrella for fear of breakage.
In the stands, the wind even violently unlodged one of the tents used to shield people from the rain.
With so many schools attending, there was a flood of spectators in the stands and around the stadium, many of whom were cheering for their teammates or children.
Because SCDS members didn’t have any recorded high-school times for running, they were cut from the track events, said team member sophomore Annya Dahmani.
Consequently, members participated in only field events.
Freshman Heidi Johnson placed first in the long jump with a length of 17 feet.
Officials recording the length were impressed with the jump, one of their exclamations of “Wow!” audible even in the stands.
Dahmani finished with a jump of 13 feet, ¼ inches.
Sophomore Annya Dahmani’s length for the long jump was 13 feet, ¼ inches.
“I didn’t have really good form today, and I think I could’ve done better,” Dahmani said. “I kept jumping off my left foot instead of right.”
Dahmani found the dreary weather a hindrance.
“It was really cold, and it was hard to get warmed up,” she said.
However, Johnson said that the rain didn’t bother her because it was nice weather to run in.
“In line (for the long jump) and when warming up, you just have to keep moving to stay stay warm and keep your muscles from getting stiff,” she said.
Although Johnson wasn’t affected by the water, danger came along with the excessive rain.
A long-jumper broke his ankle when landing in the wet sand and was taken away on a stretcher with a makeshift cast and a look of agony.
Sophomores Katia Dahmani and Yasmin Gupta both scratched in the shot-put event.
“The rain is always tough to compete in,” coach Nick Domich said. “Katia and Yasmin threw some wet and slippery shots.”
The high jump was cancelled due to the dangerously wet weather.
The first league meet is on Thursday, March 10, at Foresthill High School.
—By Mohini Rye
