Dots of crimson among a sea of uniforms, the track and field athletes of Coral Gables Senior High were difficult to spot among the flurry of teams that participated in one of the biggest preseason meets in South Florida. The Louie Bing Invitational has persisted every year since 1999, and showcases teams with exceptional athletes. This year’s meet was hosted on Feb. 16 and began at 9:00 a.m. with the 4 by 800 meter relay; the meet ended the next day with the 4 by 400 meter finals.
Louie Bing provides an excellent opportunity for athletes to experience competition against the best in the state, feel the anxiety that builds before the sound of the gun or the tension before lunging for a throw. All of these components contribute to the experience that defines Louie Bing.
“Louie Bing is unique because it was our first meet of the season so we really got to see what condition we were in after the first few weeks of practice and set our goals for the rest of the season. It’s also really intense because it’s a huge meet and so many different schools go, even schools I’ve never heard of,” sophomore Adrian Perez said.
Gables assembled at the entrance of the school at 7:30 a.m. in their matching uniforms, full of nerves for the competition. As they waited for the bus to arrive, certain athletes went to collect their items such as the javelin, the shot put and the batons.
Once everyone was at the entrance and accounted for, the team departed the school at 8 a.m., arriving at the Traz Powell Stadium around 8:30 a.m.
“The amount of great competition and the number of teams there is what sets Louie Bing apart from other meets. Traz Powell Stadium is super cool to run in and I think the stands keep the audience really engaged in the meet which is very motivating,” sophomore Avril Donner said.
The meet was opened with the 4 by 800m relay, which Gables competed in, with both the boys and girls racing. The girls placed 10th with a time of 10:43 while the boys placed 14th with a time of 8 minutes and 41 seconds.
As the meet persisted, the amount of spectators multiplied, as families and friends came to support the athletes. By the same token, the scorching heat increased, causing many track athletes to get sunburns.
“Last year we had so much great talent with people running amazing times. This season the talent is starting to show and we have new people reaching for high goals,” sophomore Jasmine Abu-Zaraybah said.
As the sun set at around 6:15 p.m., the track started to get dark and the stadium lights turned on, illuminating the track and the runners. The final event that Gables participated in was the girls 3200 meter invitational, which was run by Avril Donner at 7:30 p.m.
She finished with a time of 12 minutes and 51 seconds, with her teammates motivating her the entire way. The Gables squad finally left the track at 8:30 p.m., after spending 12 hours at the meet.
However, some Cavaliers had to return on Feb 17. The throwers of the team had to compete at 10:00 a.m. and some of the distance runners competed at 2:00 p.m.
The girls team ended in 17th place out of 33 teams, earning 11 points. Meanwhile, the boys ended in 24th place out of 31 teams with a total of six points. These points are gathered through the athletes in each school that placed at least eighth in the finals of their event.
Juniors Damirrah and Damaris Passmore placed third and fourth respectively in the girls pole vault event, giving Gables 11 points. The points for the boys team were gathered through pole vault as well; junior Lesday Viera placed third in his event and gained six points for the team.
“I’m pretty happy with how the team did, I think everyone did the best they could at the moment. It’s only the beginning of the season so we can only improve from this point forward,” junior Lauren Hernandez said.
Regardless of the amount of points Gables earned, several Cavaliers achieved personal records in their respective events, marking a valiant effort by the team. These athletes will have to wait until March 5 before they can participate in their next meet. Regardless, these athletes will continue to train and reach for better results as they await for their next competition.
