Senior 3200-meter runner from Downs Tri-Valley high school rests on some hurdles after running in her event at O’Brien stadium on Saturday afternoon. (Jay Grabiec/The Daily Eastern News)

The gun went off. The athletes heard silence even as the crowd roars to life. They raced around the track as photographers from around the state crowded near the finish line. As her foot crossed the white line the crowd roared even louder as the photographer’s flashes went off. The race was won and for a moment the girl was treated like a celebrity.

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