Marble Falls' rising senior Bailey Goggans didn't have the opportunity to compete much during the 2020 outdoor track and field season; in fact, she only ran one race.
Goggans had planned, prepared, and trained for one specific race this year -- the 800m. She used the time she had this season running it during the indoor season and had one more indoor race to go at the New Balance Nationals Indoor before turning her sights and full focus to outdoors.
That final indoor meet had most of the nation's top indoor season performers scheduled to compete and was supposed to come on March 13-15. However, just days before the meet, like all other sporting events in the country, it would eventually succumb to a mass of meet cancellations due to COVID-19. That eliminated everything that Goggans' had been shooting for both the remaining indoor and outdoor seasons.
Not competing in a single outdoors meet in her specialty, Goggans would be sidelined with every other track and field competitor, with the only options being to train and wait. On June 27, 2020, Goggans would finally get the chance to race the 800m this season. At the Lions Relays, she ran a 2:06.66; a fast time, but one well within her range. She added a 55.76 in the 400m less than 40 minutes later for good measure and showing her fitness capabilities.
To compliment her half mile running, Goggans had been focusing on over distance running. She managed to become a stronger runner as she improved to PRs of 4:53 in the 1600m this year and 18:17 in the 5K during cross country season.
Today, was her second opportunity at the 800m distance and she made it count. Of recent, she has been focusing on her speed and turnover, which combined with the improved endurance allowed her to run a 2:04.93 PR today.
The speed allowed her to comfortably run a first lap split 0f 1:02 and the endurance allowed her to double back in the second lap with another 1:02. Even splitting an 800m is a difficult thing to do and requires the skills that Goggans has clearly been sharpening over her career.
She will potentially get anther race or two in this season at the 800m distance. Plans to run at Thrall, Texas and the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tennessee are tentatively in the plans and could provide even faster times for Goggans.
