Goofy, out-of-the-blue occurrences are attracted to W.T. Woodson senior Sarrah Hadiji like a magnet.
There was the time a friend’s overly rambunctious puppy bit her last spring, keeping her out of the Virginia Group AAA state outdoor track meet with lacerations to her feet and ankles. And of course the minor car accident just before the state cross country meet last fall, which she shook off to finish second overall. Hadiji has even been known to lose her way on the course at times.
But that pales in comparison to her outing on Saturday at the state cross country meet at Great Meadows. About a mile into the race she tripped on a root hidden in deep grass and fell into the brush when she tried to get up too quickly. Hadiji tried to hobble through the pain and chase down the pack, but it was no use. Just like that, one of the pre-race favorites was done.
“It’s more disappointing than anything,” said Hadiji, who is the Northern Region champion and will run at William & Mary next fall. “I felt like I let everybody down. I felt like I let myself down. But I know I can come back from this. It’s one race, one small part of my running career.”
