Friday the Thirteenth. The date is rooted in superstitions all over the world. While black cats or double-yolked eggs can be good or bad depending on your culture, it is almost unanimously agreed that bad luck is sure to come if the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday. Looking into it though, does this bad omen hold any weight?
Up until a year ago, maybe not. 2020, however, continues to go down in infamy.
Friday, March 13, one year ago today, was that fateful day when the world ground to a halt. While the KSHSAA basketball championships had yet to be settled, the arenas stood empty. Track athletes' dreams of climbing the podium at Cessna Stadium were just beginning as the first week of practice wrapped up. They were dreams that never became reality.
In essence, that Friday the 13th was as unlucky as it gets.
Now here we are, a year later. The snow has melted, basketball champions have been crowned, and the dreams of track athletes across the state have returned.
The 2021 track season represents a new beginning. Not a single high school athlete has competed as an upperclassman. Even the oldest seniors were just sophomores during the marathon of a state meet in 2019. Athletes have had nearly two years since then to grow and develop. Who will emerge as contenders? We can speculate with preseason rankings all we want, but here's the truth: Your guess is as good as ours. Nobody can predict the wild season we're about to have.
2021 will be a year of surprises. Stars coming out of nowhere, earning their spot among the state's elite. The dreams are alive, and the wait is over.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to track season.