It was coming down to the wire. There was still a chance.
UF track and field coach Mike Holloway was feeling the pressure, big time.
“I’ve never been so nervous in my life,” he says now. “Never.”
Winning championships at a remarkable clip has been an all-consuming process where success breeds success.
This time, Holloway was uncharted territory. His lane assignment was more daunting than any he’d faced during 40-plus years as a competitor or coach.
Holloway started, then stopped. He wiped his brow. Finally he gathered himself, raised the 15-pound bowling ball, took a few steps and let it fly.