COVID canceled state track meet, sparing injured Braddock hurdler from heartbreak

Vincent Guerrero had already made his peace with missing prom and Grad Bash.

Those senior-year milestones conflicted with the state track meet. G. Holmes Braddock Senior High’s record-breaking hurdler was focused on winning there.

That was until he broke his collarbone on the last hurdle the night before an invitational meet. It was the first time he fell since he first tried hurdling in his freshman year, and it cut his decorated high school athletic career short.

Then the pandemic canceled the statewide meet, sparing Vincent from the heartbreak of missing out on what could’ve been. He wanted a state medal. Instead, he got a four-inch long surgical scar.

“I was kind of down,” said Vincent, 17. “But when the season was canceled, I was like all right, that’s fine.”

He was so distraught after the injury, he thought about quitting competitive track for good. That was before St. Thomas University gave him an athletic scholarship and the chance to join his older brother, Benjamin, on the track team.

Vincent took after Benjamin, who was also a track star at Braddock. Benjamin was more of a distance runner, while Vincent was a sprinter who got a high from soaring through the air.

Vincent taught himself how to hurdle in his freshman year without a coach. He trained with a friend, practicing over garbage cans and watching tape of Olympic hurdler Edwin Moses.

He had one goal sophomore year: Break the school record for the 300-meter hurdles. His personal best then was 60 milliseconds short of the 44.24 record.

His moment finally came his junior year at Traz Powell Stadium. Vincent finished with a time of 43.96, shattering the six-year-old school record.

He was determined to keep cutting down his time. He wanted to set a record that no one could ever beat. He ran a 43.12 in his last race. Then he got hurt.

“If the virus wasn’t around and I wasn’t injured ... I would’ve been a district champ,” Vincent said. “It’s a bummer. That would’ve been my only medal.”

Now he sees the pandemic in a different light. The time off allowed him to recover. He opted for surgery instead of spending months in a splint. It’s a better long-term solution for the future of his collegiate athletic career.

“The virus, the whole quarantine, it took my mind off running,” he said.

He’s ready for a fresh start at St. Thomas. He’ll major in criminal justice. Maybe he’ll go to law school.

There was one big event he didn’t want to miss before college: a traditional graduation.

“I only care about graduation, getting my diploma,” Vincent said. “It’s an important moment. You’re going from being a child to adulthood.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 6:00 AM.