It was like a person putting eye glasses on for the first time. A whole new world opened up for her.

That was a good win. We've been working toward this. For us to be able to compete with these big public schools that train year-round ... I'm real proud of the girls.

I think it's a parenting issue. I think kids are realizing they can participate with asthma, whereas years ago, parents would pull their kids out of physical activity.

She has the build of a runner and appears to be in good shape, but she simply couldn't breathe. As a coach, I think it's very easy to spot someone with asthma. ... You notice a lot of kids whose breathing is very labored, regardless of the distance they're running. You notice if their lips start to turn blue or if veins stick out in their necks.

With the girls, if we do what we need to do the next 30 days and shave some seconds off our minutes, we should have a shot at contending for a state title.