State Track

Divide Avenue- that's the exit. Once over the bridge, the road turns to the right and sharply up a short hill, hiding the small college on the other side. The parking lot sits dormant early in the morning, but by midday will be packed with dirt-and-mud-covered SUVs and SUVs (along with some brand new farm pickups and beaten down old Buicks). The athletes plunge into the east entrance and walk down the hillside, sometimes taking one, other times two steps to traverse the awkward wood steps that line the way down. The lay people enter through the north side, showing a beautiful concrete and marble structure called the MDU Resources Community Bowl (formerly the Bismarck Community Bowl, but with less concrete and marble). On the sides of the large structure are two small, railed-off seating areas, one reserved for Dickinson Trinity (the Catholics), and the other for Carrington (that place with the pasta). In the directions of north, east, and south, the bowl is, well...a bowl. The north and south sides have layer upon layer of good ol fashioned stadium seating, while the east side has post-spring-rains lush green grass to sit on. To the west on the other side of the Missouri River is Mandan, a stunning view of the once magnificent valley, now dotted by houses used in the war of affluence. Further up past the horseshoe-shaped sidewalk connecting it all is the continued green hillside, containing all the colors of the rainbow represented in dinky tents protecting all the high school athletes. Of course, Bismarck High has their behemoth tent taking up the middle spot, a clear sign of athletic financial superiority, and usually next door is a small blue or red tent representing one of the 35 Class B schools to sport one of those two colors. The sun is coming out.

The lay people are starting to filter in quite handily now. The FCA meeting on the south hillside has finished, culminating in almost 100 athletes standing in a circle, holding hands and saying the Lord's Prayer. Amen. The field events have already started, random unannounced screams of joy erupting from far away places when a sophomore girl jumped her pr and might now make it to finals, the first athlete from her small school in years to do so. Dodging fellow spectators on the concourse sidewalk is always entertaining, especially when a young child decides to ignore simple courtesy rules of mob-mentality sidewalk walking; it is not uncommon to see the 'dance of the dodge' on this sidewalk. The hall of fame class is brought up to the stage; high school champions, college all-conference accolades, coach of 30 years, athletic directors, race officials, and passionate tracksters stand up in front of the thousands gathered for this yearly ritual. The hurdlers are starting to warm up around the track area, the coaches stands are still desolate, a rancher walks past. I wonder if he's thinking about low beef prices.

It's one of the most popular and well-attended events in the state, but it isn't shown live on TV. It brings people from every corner of the state: Hankinson to Crosby, Marmarth to Pembina, but you can't find it on the radio. Most of the hotels in Bismarck are plum full for the weekend, but you have to create an account to watch the live stream online. They always offer assurance that spam will not come. The stands are segregated by Class B teams, bright green and bright orange, deep blue and dark red. Grandparents are walking down the steps with their canes showing the way, while little kids sit on the shoulders of standing Dad in the back, watching their freshman son run his first race at state. It's amazing how quickly he got into shape after wrestling season. The flags above the scoreboard are sleeping after a rough few weeks; one old-timer says it's the best weather he has ever seen at state. The sky deepens blue in the far west; any North Dakotans worth their salt know it gon rain.

State records are either falling or tantalizingly close to falling today, a direct result of the rare privilege of nice weather. In the girls' 300 hurdles, a close finish between the fourth and fifth place finishers is followed by a sigh from the crowd after collectively holding their breath. The two girls, who live more than 3 hours apart and are in different regions, shake hands and talk about school afterwards. They both agree that the fourth-place girls' volleyball team will be quite strong in the fall- they might even make it to state. While they walk off the track, the 3200 gets going. The incredible battles up front between the same old folks is always a pleasure, but no matter how great the race, the fans always seem to come back to the mind-baffling sympathy clap at the end. Not only is the poor kid having a bad race and struggling to finish, but it's quite obvious to him that everybody here feels bad for him. One of the earlier finishers, the one with the man bun, asks his coach where he placed, to which the coach raises up his hands in deference- he couldn't see it. The line for the women's bathroom is out the door. The men walk right in.

Midway through the meet, about the time the high hurdles are taking place, the rain rolls in. In uncommon fashion, the wind doesn't pick up and thunder doesn't holler through the sky, but a pleasant drip-drop starts. The water is cold, and instantly people are moving in droves to covered areas. North Dakotans know that if it rains, it pours. The sprinkles feel quite good on the skin, and the young group of Fargo boys stay out in the grass and keep throwing processed sugars candy at each other. Fifteen minutes later it's pouring and the meet is delayed; most people are wondering why. Shuffling past one of the tents, the kids have pulled out an iHome of some kind and screaming through the speakers is IIIIIIII WANNA KNOWWwww have you EVERRRRRRRRRRR SEEEEENNNN the RRRRRAAAAIIIIINNNN. Walking up the majestic steps of the MDU Resources Community Bowl proves difficult, as hundreds of people have congregated in this area to avoid the falling water that most of the state needs. People are still coming in and getting their hands stamped, and the parking lot is full of people running to get their umbrellas. What they don't know is that by the time they get to their vehicle, the rain will be done. Two coaches from Bemidji State walk past- obviously they are only there to recruit girls since they cut their men's program a few years back. Two Class B teams win state with less kids than many bigger city kids had in their Sunday School classes growing up.

Before hopping on the interstate, the dairy queen near the state capitol needs to be consulted. Every year this little store fills up with post-state-track ice cream seekers. They advertise that they sell fresh eggs when available and that plastic jugs can also be purchased here. The Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock short bus is in the Hobby Lobby parking lot. A group of kids in white shirts is sitting in the middle of the intersection of Hwy 83 and that road that goes to K-Mart and Perkins. A Valley Bus drives past, headed to the interstate eastbound. A recently-washed SUV drives past with 'GOOD LUCK AT STATE TRACK' painted on the windows. It hails. It rains again. A rainbow appears in the east. 364 more days until state track at the MDU Resources Community Bowl in Bismarck.