On Saturday I was back at the UIL state track & field finals in Austin after a rainy Friday that kept everyone inside for a 5 hour rain delay (see yesterday’s post). Saturday was sunny and warm and perfect for shooting what I was shooting – pole vaulting.
Again, I got there early to explore my options and find a good spot. I found the girl I was supposed to cover and started shooting. She was the defending state champ in girls 5A pole vaulting and was expected to do well.
She seemed in good spirits and she cleared the first bar and then the second without any problems.
Then the bar was raised to 12 feet. She missed her first attempt and then her second. She talked to her coach quickly and set up for her third attempt.
Then the UIL official stepped on to the track and said “Time!”
She looked shocked and no one knew what was going on. She walked away devastated and let the next athlete vault.
She turned around in tears as her coaches jumped up to ask the official what was happening. (The photo at the top of the page.) Her coaches frantically looked through the rules and asked if she was supposed to get a warning flag. But the UIL officials said there was nothing they could do.
It’s days like this that are bittersweet for photojournalists. We love covering events like state track finals. In fact, I think every photographer out there spent as much time as they could shooting things that they weren’t sent there for. But no one enjoys having to watch as a young girl’s dreams are crushed. I felt like a jerk taking photos of her with tears in her eyes, but it’s just part of the job.
Congrats to this young athlete for her accomplishments during the rest of the season, even if it had to end on a time out.