Drake Relays

One of the most exciting sports events of all EVER is Drake Relays. It's not just a high school event, it's also college, and even professional! Since this is a event for high level track and field participants, not many high schoolers get to go. This isn't going off of your class, it goes statewide. You have to be one of the best in the state to make it to Drake. It depends on which event you want to qualify in, the amount of participants for each event varies. For all field events, top 24 get to go. The field events include long jump, high jump, discuss, and shot put. For individual events, the 100 meter dash and the 100/110 meter hurdles have 32 entries. The 400 hurdles get 8 (REALLY HARD TO QUALIFY IN!!!!), the 800 meter dash has 16, and the 1500, 1600, 3000, and 3200 get 21. Unfortunately, the 200 meter dash and the 400 meter dash are not available to high schoolers. For relays, the 4x1 gets 80 entries (why so many? I've always wondered!), the 4x2 and 4x4 get 24, the sprint medley also gets 24, and the 4x8 and shuttle hurtle get 16. Also, the distance medley isn't available to high schoolers.
If you were lucky enough to qualify, embrace yourself. It is seriously the most fun I've ever had at a sports event, and I do a lot of sports! It is over a three day period, so if you're only in one or two events, you pretty much just get to watch everything happen. My freshman year, I made it in two events, the 4x1 and the sprint medley. When I wasn't running, me and my other teammates were watching other races for high schoolers, and we also got to see a bunch of professional races. We even got to see a Puerto Rican woman break the world pole vault record. It was incredible!
It is super fabulous to watch, but there is nothing compared to what it feels like to actually run in the relays. It is a huge stadium, and it's a beautiful, blue track. When you get to go down to the track, it is just pure madness. I started the relays, so I got to walk to the starting position in front of a packed full stadium. People were screaming and waving and I've never experienced anything like it! I mean for some people that's probably terrifying, but I loved it! And then when you start running, it is just so loud. You can hear people cheering, and I could even see my family in the front row of the stands. It was the most exhilarating 20 seconds of my life!
Not only are the relays fun to attend, but it's also really EXTREMEMLY fun to stay in the hotel with your teammates. Both our boys and girls teams were at the same hotel, so it was really fun. I learned so many new things about my friends and we had a great time. Our coach is really strict though, and he doesn't allow us to even go into the boys rooms. None of us do that anyway, we just chill in the lobby and play cards. Last year, me and like four other girls were put in a room with a balcony. Of course since we are teenagers, we're going to go on the roof! Unfortunately, we got in really big trouble, and our coach threatened to send us home early! All I have to say is, if you don't want us on the roof, why would you put us in the room with a balcony! Come on people!
Hopefully, you will get to experience Drake Relays once in your lifetime, because it is the most fun you'll ever have! If you don't go, hopefully this post will fill you in. I hope that I make it to Drake this year, the cut offs are in like 2 weeks! Fingers crossed!
For more information on Drake Relays, go to http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15700&ATCLID=1404451
Word Count: 679

Softball Showcases

Softball showcases may be one of the best things ever invented in the sports world. It's not your typical showcase. You don't actually keep score! I find that to be very nice because if you are getting absolutely murdered by a team, the college coaches aren't going to know that. They are going to see what you have to offer instead of worrying about how you're losing a game 15-0. 

Now it may not be the same for every club, but fortunately I have really good coaches, and they know how to handle showcases. My team is called a showcase team because all we do is go to showcases to get recruited. They know to rotate everyone in and out of the game, making sure that no one sits out more than two innings a game. Also, they make sure that if a coach is there to watch you in a certain position, they put the player in that position. The goal of the softball showcase is not to win, but rather to get players recruited. Now trust me, there are teams there that try and win every game, but they aren't there for the right reasons. 

I especially like showcases because they are just so relaxed. There is no pressure for anything to happen, and if I'm being completely honest, I don't ever notice when a coach is there. Probably because a college coach can't talk to you until after your junior season of softball, and in Iowa that means pretty much your senior year (VERY INCONVENIENT)

The only bad thing about softball showcases is that there aren't very many games. I played in a very big tournament in Florida, we played like 5 games in 2 days. Not a whole lot compared to a regular tournament! I've been to tournaments where we play up to 8 or more games! 

To be honest I don't know if showcases for other sports are different or not, I've never been to a volleyball showcase, and I don't really know if there is such thing as track showcases.. I guess we'll never know! 

Word count: 353 words

First College Visit

So... I just went on my first college visit this past week.. And holy cow was it intimidating!!!! I went to the University of Northern Iowa, and the softball staff took me on a tour. 

First, my mom and I had to go to the softball offices and have a meeting with all of the coaches. I have never been in such an intimidating situation in my life! They were asking me really hard questions like "what's your definition of compete" and "how would you take it if you didn't play". It's hard to come up with those answers in a matter of a few seconds! Those are deep questions! I gave them my best answers, and they seemed to accept it so I was happy. 

So after I went through that terrifying moment, we started on our tour. Now if you know anything about Cedar Falls, you know that it's almost always windy, and let me tell you, it was really REALLY windy that day! Also it was like 30 degrees so it was a real good time. We walked all the way around the campus and I got to eat lunch in the cafeteria where all the college students eat. And again, the coaches started asking me more questions, and I just get so intimidated by all of them! 

After lunch, the coaches had to go set practice up, so my mom and I went to the admissions office and we got to talk to a really nice admissions person. He walked is through all of the requirements to get through college at UNI. I also found out that because of all the AP classes I am taking/going to take, I'll come in with a bunch of credits. 

Lastly, we got to go watch the softball team practice. That was also intimidating because there were just a bunch of D1 softball players looking at me as I walked in to their practice. After a while things became more comfortable because a bunch of the girls came up to me and started talking to me. I got to ask any questions I had and I really enjoyed talking to all of the girls. 

The biggest piece of advice I have for you if you're going on an unofficial visit, is just be brave. The coaches are going to be blunt, and your going to be asked really hard questions, but that just means they are interested in you! Don't act shy and don't stutter, be firm with all of your answers! Also, you can throw a little humor and personality In there and you'll leave a good impression! GOOD LUCK!

Word count: 488 words

March Madness (literally)

Every year, my family and I have a bracket competition for March madness. Now I obviously know nothing about basketball, so I just fill in random teams because their name is cooler (like Gonzaga that's an awesome name). Somehow it works out for me because last year I got first! This year, I did absolutely terrible.. I got dead last, like I should I guess. But all I have to say I thanks, Iowa State. 

The crazy thing is, there have been at least 10 upsets already! Since I'm so good at picking teams, I chose Iowa State to go to the finals, cause you know, I'm from Iowa so might as well have an Iowa team go all the way right?? Well thanks so much Cyclones, you lost first round! Pretty much screwed me right there! Thankfully, I chose Kentucky to win it all! 

The final four consists of three number one ranked teams; Duke, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, and a number seven ranked team Michigan State. I'm really counting on Kentucky to get it done and my bracket isn't a complete failure!! Now it's not surprising that there are 3 number one ranked teams in the final four, but how did Michigan State snake their way in there? First, they had to beat number ten ranked Georgia, which was surprisingly close, 70-63. Then they went on to beat number two ranked Virginia! If that's not crazy enough, next they beat number three ranked Oklahoma and number four ranked Louisville. Who would have thought that a number seven team would make it all the way to the final four! Way to go boys!! Unfortunately they have to play number one ranked Duke, who almost always does really in the tournament. Well, I'm rooting for those guys! Bring on the under dogs!

I don't think there are any people left with a successful bracket, I mean how could there be! With over 10 upsets, this has to be one of the craziest March Madness tournaments in a while!!! Finally, the title of the tournament makes a whole lot of sense! Hopefully the madness is over and Kentucky can get the job done. PLEASE I'm counting on you! 

Word count: 366 words