The B-Side has returned! I've had a tough year so far this year, but... as I tell my son all the time, "it's hard to keep a champion down!" Speaking of champions, it's New Balance Indoor Nationals Week! The national high school indoor championships are in Manhattan, New York inside the world famous Armory. The best of the best will go at it this weekend. I hate I'm not going this year. Anyone who has read my blogs the last couple years know that every year about this time I write to let those from Illinois who have never been a guide on what to expect; a warning if you will. Letting you know that this is NOT your regular meet. I recommend that everyone go back & read New York, New York 2014 for all the background info.
This years' version will focus on what I call, "The Strip". The Strip is basically a warm up area made up of a couple of carpeted lanes of about 60m. When you come to the steps and enter The Strip, bring your attitude with you. Everybody that is warming up is one of the best in the U.S. and they're full of confidence, wearing game faces that never leave. Each person that comes down The Strip seems hell bent to one up the person who ran before them.
The warm up on The Strip is unlike any other meet. You can only run towards the door and walk back on the side by the walls. If you aren't paying attention either walking back or stepping onto The Strip, you could literally be run over. New Balance is the ultimate high school indoor meet at the mecca of indoor track The Armory. Good Luck to all Illinois athletes.
As for last weeks show at the U of I by Josh Eiker (Sr., Galesburg)... impressive. Josh's only competition this season will be can he stay injury free. The move up in class to 3A means absolutely nothing. He is simply in a class by himself. Josh is sniffing Jamari Ward icon status. He is there statewide right now and all is left for Josh is to take it to the national level and be recognized as one of the top sprinters in the country.
Speaking of the Cahokia great Ward, I had originally planned to make my BSide debut after the Proviso West Invite, but I got sick. I must speak on what I saw from Jamari. He is a competing legend and we only have a couple of months left to witness greatness. If you have somehow missed the show these last four years, do not allow this season to end without seeing him in person. Jamari had a couple hundred people lined up three to four rows deep. When it was announced that he was on the runway, there was pure silence. In all my years of track, I've never seen that many athletes gather around the long jump pit. Athletes would shake his hand or pat him on the back almost as if to say I just shook hands with a legend.
I want to give a shout out to the IL Alumni who came through at their conference meets individually or on relay teams. As I looked at results it was full of IL greats. A special shout out to those who qualified for the NCAA meet. REPRESENT!
This BSide was dedicated to one of Central IL' greatest sprinters. Kankakee's Al "Birdman" Singleton. He always supported the BSide and his last words to me were ," I hope I'm in the next one!" Birdman, you aren't in the NEXT ONE! I gotta let them know you are watching all the meets from heaven in the First One! RIP Birdman.