* Smithson Valley's Alyssa Jones before the 200m in Lubbock this weekend
Photo Credit: Jamison Michaels
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By Cory Mull - MileSplit
Faced with a challenge on Saturday in Texas, Alyssa Jones leaned into it.
She buckled down, owned it, ran with heart. She let the curve take her, then the crowd. She floated down the final straightaway.
And what a finish it was. 24.21 seconds.
All three girls in her heat scratched. So that left her all alone, no one to race. She was the only athlete on the track, in section two of the 200 meter finals.
It felt like a time trial.
But sometimes things don't go to plan. Jones walked to the line and got ready anyway.
As she proved at the Texas Tech Under Armour High School Classic on Saturday in Lubbock, even in the most inopportune of times you don't let misfortune change your way.
The Smithson Valley (TX) sophomore, one of the top freshmen in the country for 100m and 200m in 2022, ran brilliantly, whooshing out of her block and whirling around the curve.
Then something beautiful happened.
Everyone was watching. Everyone was cheering.
Jones let that ride take her home.
She finished fourth overall in the final across two heats, grabbing a new personal record. Perhaps that took the pain away from the 60m, where she didn't reach the final.
Better yet, her 200m performance was so good, it now ranks her No. 13 in the country. For sophomores, she's currently third best in the U.S.
On the season, Jones also owns a 60m PR of 7.69 (14th best for sophomores) and 19 feet, 8 inches in the long jump. The latter performance ranks her No. 7 in the country and No. 1 for sophomores.
Afterward, Jones posted about the experience on Twitter.
The video -- and the message -- has racked up over 160,000 views ...and counting. By the time you read this, it might be 200, maybe even 300K.
We're not surprised.
Because Jones exemplified something we all need to hear sometimes: That if you show up and perform at your best, regardless of who's around or who's watching, you might experience something great. You might experience something epic.
She showed toughness. She showed confidence.
She didn't let the moment distract her.
Jones was exactly what we all needed in that moment.
Girls 200 Meter Dash
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Top 12 times advance to three section final
No blocks in prelim
Name Year School Finals H#
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Finals
1 Ariike Elijah Amax 23.65 1
2 Laila Hackett Team Quest 23.75 1
3 Lauren Lewis 0 Team Quest 23.90 1
4 Alyssa Jones SO Unattached 24.21 2
5 Nita Koom-Dadzie JR Unattached 24.31 1
6 Indya Mayberry Team Quest 24.31 1
7 Skylar Brazzell Team Xtreme 24.35 1
TWEET DECK
