By Jack Freeman | Special to The OBSERVER
Ava Fitzgerald woke up on the final day of the Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships with one thing on her mind: trust.
Trust not only in herself, but her training and faith. So the junior hurdler turned on some gospel music, sported earrings forged into the holy cross and wrote a trust-based Bible verse on her arm in Sharpie, Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord … not to harm you … to give you hope and a future.”
Fitzgerald would be competing in the women’s 100-meter hurdle final Saturday at Hornet Stadium, looking to win the event for the first time outdoors after winning indoors earlier this year.
Once the starting shot rang out, Fitzgerald bolted off the line, taking an early lead, and by the second hurdle, she had a clear lead. With the crowd on its feet and her parents watching, Fitzgerald crossed the finish with a time of 13.34 seconds.
That earned more than just gold; it earned Fitzgerald another school record, etching her name into Sac State history once again.
“It was just peace of mind that came over me at the end,” Fitzgerald said. “I know people cross the line and they’re screaming and hollering, but for me, I just shut my eyes and took a deep breath because I was really nervous going into the event.”
Fitzgerald applied much of the pressure on herself because of her stellar indoor performances. At the Don Kirby Elite meet in February, she claimed the 60-meter hurdle school record, leaving just one record to conquer.
“When I saw the time, I was just like ‘Finally,’” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a thing in track: indoor is cool, but the real version of track is outdoors. … It’s only cool once you do it outdoors.”
Fitzgerald earned one of two gold medals for Sac State on the final day, with senior Tamia Ramos winning the women’s triple jump event. Those performances helped the Hornets’ women’s team finish fourth overall, just three points shy of third.
“We didn’t leave nothing out there,” Sac State Head Coach Kenny McDaniel said. “We did an outstanding job in about four or five events. It was exciting to see the team come together and support each other.”
The Hornet men finished fifth, scoring their highest point total in seven years. Their lone gold came from Miles Grant in the high jump. It marked Grant’s second year in a row taking the gold.
Decathlete Jack Charlton also had a highlight performance, taking silver. After suffering an injury during last year’s outdoor championships, held during a blizzard in Montana, Charlton was relieved to compete in Sacramento at his best and in front of his family.
“I told him, ‘Imagine where you were one year ago today,’” Sac State’s associate head coach Carl Caughell said to Charlton before his last event on the first day. “Having all the events go the way they did today is a good refresher on having the right perspective on the moment.”
Charlton, a senior, said he embraced the fact that it could be his last meet as a Hornet.
“What I’ve been telling myself all week is just ‘Homefield advantage, go out how you want to go out and just leave everything out there,’” Charlton said. “I’ve got nothing to lose, right?”
McDaniel’s prerace speeches also guided Charlton’s mindset.
“His pregame speeches will have you ready to run through a wall,” Charlton said. “He’s always super-motivational, the loudest one at the meets, and a great head coach to have.”
Caughell first met McDaniel as a volunteer assistant at Northern Arizona. During that time as a scrappy assistant, he said McDaniel taught him the importance of taking care of everyone around the program, from janitors to trainers.
For McDaniel, that wasn’t just talk; during the championships, he helped numerous times with smaller volunteer tasks, such as moving hurdles into place before individual events.
“I like to get my hands dirty too,” McDaniel said. “I like to show our kids that even though I’m the director, I can go out there, move the hurdles, rake the pit, put up the poles for the pole vault – I just see myself as an assistant.”
McDaniel couldn’t do it all himself and said more than 100 volunteers from the Sacramento area helped put the championship together.
“They’re the ones who helped this event be such a success,” McDaniel said. “When you’re up in the stands and you’re yelling for Sac State or any other school, I think the community contributed to us having a great meet.”
After the event, McDaniel met with the team in Sac State’s weight room for around 30 minutes to share a message. He spoke about appreciating the opportunity and his hopes for the team over the summer.
“We didn’t bring no recruit here to get fourth place,” McDaniel said. “Now our mindset is about winning the championship. … We’ve reached a milestone, so now it’s time for an oil change.”
Most Hornets will have the whole summer to change their oil, but for Fitzgerald, she’ll need a quick tune-up before her chance to compete nationally in the NCAA West Regionals next week.