Jillian's First Cross-Country Meet

 Today was Jillian's first meet, held at Ackerman Sports Field in Glen Ellyn. 

 The race started at 4:30, with Sandburg, Bryan, Churchville, and Hadley middle schools represented.

"Ready, Set, GO!"

There were no strong Hadley "leaders" in the 6th/7th grade girls race,





but Jillian was about the 7th in her school to finish the mile and a half race.

(That's Jillian on the left...so many blonde ponytails in this race, she was hard to spot at first!)

 She was 38th overall, just behind her new girlfriend, Bailey, with a time of 12:01, about a minute improvement from their practice race Monday on the same field.

{My first cheering spot, after the first lap, which was a shorter  lap.}

I don't know how many girls ran that race, but there were a LOT. Jillian had a great pace throughout.

[Not quite the last stretch, but the end of the last long loop. Here she comes!...]

[...and there she goes!]

Brooks and I spread out along the course to cheer her on at different points in the course,


but by the time I got from my last spot to the finish line, Jillian had just crossed, and I didn't actually see her amid the many hovering around. Brooks was on the other side and got to see her time.

 I did manage to snap a picture right after I found her in the finish "trap". 

I can't tell you how proud of was of Jillian. As I walked toward the finish, I was fighting back those tears of joy, so happy to see her doing something, trying hard, doing well. I also can't tell you that she's in love with running and cross country, but her friend is into it, and they run at the same pace, so I could see her "tagging along", and I certainly don't mind seeing some of that. :) Although, she mentioned that she now she wants to try hip hop dancing...

Part of Jillian's cheering section. :)