Golden cross country runner Brian Whitfield (center) started strong at the state meet Saturday but faltered badly. Five days before the meet he came down with strep, a sinus infection and infections in both ears.
Colorado Springs — Golden’s Brian Whitfield hoped to finish in the top 10, if not the top five, at the state cross country championships Saturday. Instead he wound up crying in the embrace of his parents and his coach. He found out how cruel life can be, but also how comforting it is to be loved when bad things happen.
At the regional meet nine days ago, Whitfield finished second in 16:39 behind teammate Alec Hornecker as their team qualified for state in 4A. A senior, Whitfield had high hopes for the state meet.
“I knew I was ready,” Whitfield said.
But on Monday he started to feel sick and tired, really tired.
“He came home from school sick and slept almost nine hours,” said his mother, Laura. “When I got home from work I took one look at him and took him to urgent care. Two and a half hours later we had double ear infection, sinus infection and strep.”
Whitfield decided to compete anyway. He started strong but faltered and wound up finishing 175th in 20:51, a good three minutes slower than he would have run if he hadn’t gotten sick. During the race he got a painful cramp in his side.
“My whole body shut down, it hurt so bad.” Whitfield said. “I sat down for a second and cried for a little bit, but I got up and pushed through. My legs were actually pretty good, but my body and my lungs and my chest that needs to work with my legs did not work at all. It just gradually started to shut down and clog up, got worse and worse the longer I went.”
His eyes red from tears, Whitfield consoled himself that even though he didn’t get what he wanted or deserved at state, he did everything he could this season to prepare. He can look in the mirror and know he did his best.
Adults know life can be cruel, but it’s heartbreaking to see a kid learn it this way.
“It broke my heart,” said his coach, Jen Byrne, who waited at the finish wondering if he’d had to drop out. “I had panic the whole time that he’d gotten pulled off (the course) or had to pull himself off. He has so much heart, that would have been the worst way to end this season. Such a strong young man.”
He did stop, but he got up and he finished.
“If that doesn’t speak to the kind of kid he is, and the kind of man he will be,” said Byrne, “I don’t know what does.”
