By Chris Parker
El Dorado Springs senior Justin Brown was supposed to be a defending state champion.
Everything was lining up his junior year to win the Class 3 100-meter dash.
Then disaster struck in his prelim race as Brown tore the labrum in his hip ending his hopes of a state title as a junior and putting in jeopardy his senior season. He was not able to start running until midway through this season, which was actually sooner than originally expected.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF DAY 2 OF THE MEET
“Last year I was favored to win and then I got injured. Coming in senior year, I wasn’t supposed to be able to run until districts, but I healed faster than I was expected to,” Brown said. “I started running the 100 the third meet in. I am just grateful that I am healing and all glory to God.”
Brown came back into Saturday’s meet with the top seed and expectations to win once again.
“I was nervous but my mindset was I needed to win,” Brown said. “Winning was the only option for me.”
Brown exploded out of the blocks running a 10.51 to win the Class 3 100-meter dash title.
It was a moment he wasn’t sure he would ever get to experience through the months of physical therapy.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF DAY 1 OF THE MEET
“It was a lot of physical therapy and a lot of time. I started last year after state and it has slowly gotten better and better,” Brown said. “My first time running my hip hurt pretty bad and I was pretty worried. I prayed about it, kept going to PT and kept bettering myself.”
Brown also finished runner-up in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.49. He will run at SBU next season.
El Dorado Springs was runner-up in the team competition with 42 points.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE MEET
