The weather finally turned too bad to continue.
Early Saturday afternoon, the Missouri State High School Activities Association called a halt to the state track and field championships because of heavy rain and lightning in the area.
After waiting for about an hour, it was decided the championships wouldn't restart until around 6 p.m. That left a lot of athletes, coaches and fans having to find something to do to pass the time.
"We kind of told them to just relax and when it happens it's going to be the same for everyone else and you've just got to go about your business," Jefferson City head coach Melvin Myers said. "I let them go home for a little bit and then they were back about 4 and were ready to go."
Jefferson City distance runner Jackson Schwartz made good use of the home track advantage. He stayed put at the stadium.
"It's super nice being here, I got to stay in my film room, nice and air conditioned and I just kind of rode out the storm," Schwartz said. "I really tried to keep a good attitude about it. That's just more time between races I get."
Helias sprinter Anna Vollet attempted to use the unexpected break to get some lunch. She found out a lot of people had the same idea.
"I tried to go find someplace to eat, but all of the places were full," Vollet said. "So I went home and took a nap."
The event was halted as 16 competitors in the Class 5 girls 1,600-meter run were about to finish the second of their four laps. Officials went out on the track to stop the runners.
"To be honest I really didn't know what happened," Madison Leigh of Francis Howell, one of the runners, said. "I just saw some people just getting out of the race. I didn't really know what was going on and then I saw the hands go up and realized the race was over."
The 1,600 was the first event to be held after action resumed Saturday.
"I know it was a hard race for everybody pretty much having to run a mile and a half," Leigh, who won the title in the event, said. "It worked out. I didn't know if it was going to or not, but it was a great race."
California senior Audrey Pickering didn't allow the unexpected delay to bother her. She won the Class 3 girls shot put Saturday night.
"I try not to let the weather or anything affect the way I throw, because the weather does whatever it wants to do," Pickering said.
Helias coach Tim Rulo went home to wait it out. That something most people couldn't do.
"I feel so bad for these other schools, having to find something to do for all that time," he said. "I'm sure they just went anyplace they could just to get away."
The delay totaled five hours and 34 minutes.