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They say one moment doesn't define someone. But in some cases, a moment reveals exactly who someone is.
What Reese Reynolds Malone did at Sunday's 58th New Jersey Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze was one of those moments.
From the moment the gun sounded to start the girls' 800-meter run, the senior star from Rumson grabbed the race by the horns, ripping through the first 400 in a blistering 59.41, setting a fearless pace and daring the field to go with her.
No one could hang with the University of Virginia-bound Reynolds Malone, whose aggressive front-running gave her a four-second lead with 200 to go. But about ten meters before the finish line, with victory in sight and after pouring her guts and soul into every stride, Reynolds Malone's legs gave out and she crashed to the track, causing the packed crowd to collectively gasp in stunned disbelief.
But even as eventual winner Reagan Moore of Oak Knoll and runner-up Stella Blanchard of Wilberforce ran past her, the race wasn't over in Reynolds Malone's mind.
Despite knowing that the victory had slipped away, Reynolds Malone, her face a picture of pain, somehow managed to peel herself off the track and get to her feet. Then she found a way to valiantly will her way across the line to place third before collapsing yet again.
There's an old adage: honor is in the effort. What Reynolds Malone did on Sunday was an effort for the ages.
In that instant, when the body was running on empty, giving up would have been the easiest choice. But that's when Reynolds Malone showed exactly who she is.
She's someone with a heart the size of Texas. Someone with grit, resilience, perseverance, and the intestinal fortitude to never give up! Things that can't be coached. Things that define who you are!
That is what a champion is.
And that's exactly what Reese Reynolds Malone is.
Keep your head up, Reese!
You showed on Sunday that you represent everything that makes this sport so great. You emptied your tank over four laps in a performance that will inspire other runners to strive to give everything they have every time they toe the line.
In a race no one will ever forget, it should always be remembered for Reynolds Malone's never-say-die mentality, the courage she showed to push herself to the limit, and the way she refused to let adversity keep her from finishing what she started!
