2007 McQuaid Invitational

This year all three of our kids ran in the McQuaid Invitational. Held annually for the past forty-three years in Genesee Valley Park, the event is one of the largest scholastic meets in the U.S.A. drawing teams from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, California, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as Canada.

Both boys ran in Race #18 Boys Jr. High #3 (Large Schools), while my daughter’s team represented their school in Race #22- Girls Seeded Varsity AAA (Large Schools). My step-son attends McQuaid so it was an especially big day for him. His team had set the course up on the previous day, so he was familiar with the lay of the land.

I nearly always plan on taking pictures of the kids racing, but find myself more include to cheer or shout words of encouragement than snap photos. The following are some pics I took of the boys race... but none of them actually finishing, as there was (polite) yelling to be done.

My step-son's McQuaid Knights Modified Team(Grades 7 thru 9) circling up, and wearing black and gold, before heading to the start for some last minute directions from the coaches.


My son's Fairport Red Raiders Modified Team (Grades 7 thru 8) warming up at the start in their red and blue uniforms:


Following the race both boys wanted to see how the other had done. They had not come to race together, nor seen one another, and did not realize that their teams were lined up at the start no less than 10 feet from one another!


They're off... a HUGE line of many teams take off over the field:


The only picture I took of my son running and he looks pretty strong!


The leading finisher from either of their team's was a McQuaid runner, pictured here. After this I put the camera away and went about the business of cheering!


Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!