Our trip to Egypt was with the ACS track and field team. I coach the hurdlers, while Tracy went along as a chaperone. The meet is one of the highlights of the year, for both the coaches and the ACS students. I have never witnessed a single school put on a such a well run track meet. They simply do everything right! The events run on time, everyone knows exactly what they are doing, and, most importantly, the students have the chance to compete in near ideal conditions. Our athletes always run their best times here, and this year was no exception. This year's meet was a competition between 17 school in six different divisions, a real extravaganza!
 

In order to run the 6 different divisions (3 age groups from middle school to high school, with boys and girls divisions) the meet spans three days, Thursday to Saturday. With the exception of a two-hour jaunt to the pyramids, it was up at 6:30, and our days at the track tended to run from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 at night (or later). In the picture to the left Casey Moden, son of Robert (Economics) and Jane (IB Art) goes after the competition in the 3,000 meters. Fortunately, the notorious Cairo heat gave the contestants a break, as the weather was sunny and mild.
 
 

The wonderful thing about track meets is that they are the closest thing in sports to a three ring circus--running, jumping and throwing. And it is a team sport. The photo at the right captures the middle school girls 4 X 400 meter relay team in action, with Dalia handing off to Nour Fawaz, under the watchful eye of the zone referee. The team concept is especially stressed at the Mike Ross meet, as the ultimate meet winner (again, our host CAC) is based on the composite score of all six teams.
 
 
 

Speaking of scores, (and speaking as a member of the coaching staff) ACS Beirut fared well in the finally tally, third place overall. Not bad for a team that doesn't have a track! The middle school girls, shown here, finished third in their division. They are shown here accepting their awards at the post meet ceremony. The middle school boys were likewise third in their division, as were the sub-junior boys and girls. The JV girls placed third, while the JV boys captured their division. The Varsity boys managed a fifth, while the varsity girls were sixth--both performed well, but we had very small teams.  Just as important as the team finish was team spirit: the athletes showed great sportsmanship and team unity. Nowhere was this more evident than in the awards ceremony--everyone knew who we were. Congratulations to the Overall Victors, Cairo American College (1st) and the American School of Dubai (2nd).

I was very pleased with the hurdlers. Their times dropped dramatically at the Cairo meet, and they ran faster than I ever could have predicted. Out of a possible 16 places in the hurdle finals, they managed 13 spots, and accounted for about 60 of our 260 total teams points. I am sure that I have never had the good fortune to work with a more determined (and successful) group. It just goes to show that talent can always compensate for coaching. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the most talented hurdle crew in the Eastern Mediterranean Athletic Conference. They will be a tough act to follow.