Delia Frias misses the start of her race and is DQ'd from advancing in the 3200 from CIF

Was she 45 seconds late for check in or did her race start 45 seconds before she arrived? Either way that’s devastating. Track meets are chaos.

The race (heat 1) started 45 seconds before she arrived at the starting line. She then went back to the check-in area and was allowed to run in heat 2 (she was entered in heat 1), which she won easily, but was later DQ'd.

Can't read the time schedule?

Maybe she can run Pre 3k and skip state in the 1600 ?

Wow. You have to really try to miss the start of a high school track race.

She was much later then 45sec to check in. She was 45sec later to the start line. Meaning the gone went off and she was running across the field and missed the race. You are supposed to check in much before the start of the race.

It's defiantly a sad situation, but she missed the race. It's kind of a strange thing.

all-around this is perfect scenario.

1. She learns a great lesson re: not being late
a. probably won't ever miss a race again
b. may also have anxiety about it being forever traumatized

2. She avoids running the 3200 at CIF Finals, Masters and State
a. this means she can focus a bit more on the speed of the 1600
b. less stress overall given no waiting around race-day for the 3200 which comes many hours after the 1600
c. with a chip on her shoulder and following a hot early pace from Engelhardt, maybe all this leads to an amazing performance with a sub-4:30 at state

3. She runs the 2 mile at nationals v. Natalie Cook
a. having not run the 3200 for over a month, her nervous system will be more excitable for that event
b. facing Natalie Cook will bring a lot of electricity
c. with sub-4:30 1600 speed Dalia is able to follow the pace set by Cook and then goes around the favorite near the end to take the new national record

4. She now understands The Parable of the Chinese Farmer

/End

Very positive spin and I don't disagree. However since they conceded and let her run the second heat, doesn't seem right to DQ her after the fact.

The timer added her without permission. She should've never been allowed in the race.

That is my favorite parable of all time. It describes my life.

This is a recurring nightmare of mine. I'm late to the starting line. It usually involves climbing down a wall draped with cargo netting. I sit down on the track.. I either can't get get my sweatpants down past my ankles or can't get my shoes tied. The race is about to start. Eventually I get to the track but the race has started and I'm way behind. The track is like a BMX track except synthetic. Maybe even a figure eight with small hills,, and I struggle mightily to catch up, sometimes I do, sometimes not. Then I wake up sweating.

When I was 16 in one of my first high school races I missed the start of the 800m. In fairness I was doing the HJ and they started the 800m in advance of the time it was meant to be. It was our town championships and I was gutted. In addition to that my school lost by literally one point. I was I was saying that for effect but that's what the team leader told me (I mean maybe she could have made that up or exaggerated it but I doubt it). I can understand things not running to schedule and running late, but I don't understand starting heats early, and not telling everyone/making sure everyone knows. I felt guilty about it for a long time. It was my first experience of a (very small) championship athletics. It also meant I went to the county championships in HJ instead of the 800m which was a total FU. I ended up 2nd in the HJ which was a small miracle. I actually quit HJ after that event.

*wish

She's going to Duke, so she's a smart kid. Wonder what happened here. I ran over 300 races in high school, never once "missed" or late to start.

In the old days we would be sitting at our team camp, watching the meet in the open elements. Then teams started bringing tents. Now runners are so concerned about sun and heat and wind sapping their energy, they have to be indoors instead of trackside before a race.
I have no idea what led to this instance, but that is one thing I have noticed.

I don't think the tents are a bad thing but sitting inside during an outdoor track meet is horrible! You would miss the entire atmosphere and watching other people compete.

This easily could have happened to me at the HS, college, or club levels -- I'm kind of a space cadet and track meets are big and loud and confusing. At the end of day it's just one event, best of luck to her for the rest of the season and beyond 😃

I had this happen to a freshman before and the parents wanted me to do something to correct it of course. Of course I could not and just teaches them a lesson for next time. Better than learning it senior year. She never missed a race again.

In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal. Curious if she just not paying attention, stick in traffic and late, couldn't find spikes, line at the port a potty? Surprised a veteran racer would miss a start but it will be forgotten by tomorrow.

She will compete against Sadie Engelhardt in the 1600m at the CA Master's meet one week prior to the state meet. Probably not head to head but in the different heats based on time from the previous Saturday at Division Finals.