Weather Stops Girls 3200 Mid-Race



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The UIL 6A Girls 3200m was turning into a great race with Samantha Humphries (Lewisville Flower Mound), San Juanita Leal (Edinburg North) and Nicole Humphries (Lewisville Flower Mound) running in the top three spots. The rest of the pack was close on their heels when the race was stopped due to inclement weather at the mile mark. The leaders hit the mile at 5:13 when they were stopped by officials.

Samantha Humphries had taken the lead in the race right from the start, but all nine runners were still closely packed. On the fourth lap, lightning struck nearby and thunder rolled through Mike A. Myers Stadium. When the runners came around to the start/finish line meet officials stopped the runners and forced them to evacuate the stadium.

It is quite unusual for a race to be stopped in the middle of the event, but it is not unprecedented. According to The Washington Post a boys 3200m race on June 9, 2011 was stopped with one lap to go when lightning struck and the lead runner was on pace to break a New Jersey State record. "There was loud booing from the crowd followed by criticism and debate in the press. Not many people argued that the officials were wrong to have stopped the race; however, many said the race should have never been started."  


The weather will have a dramatic impact upon the 6A Girls team title. Lewisville Flower Mound is hoping to go for back-to-back State titles and they are relying heavily upon the Humphries in the distance events. They also have the #1 high jumper in the State in Riley Ward who had made one unsuccessful attempt at 5-4 before the weather delay was announced.