Part a

which statement best describes a theme of this story?

competition can bring out the worst in people.
team success is more important than individual glory.
pain is temporary, but pride is permanent.
confidence is the biggest key to success.

question 2

part b

which detail supports the answer in part a?

malik's team just barely beats the raiders in the final relay.
malik regrets nothing as he celebrates with his teammates after the race.
malik tries to hide how much pain he feels from his teammates.
malik's desire for the gold medal in his last race clouds his judgment.

the story:

a relay race to remember

everyone on the team noticed it. malik had been gradually limping more and more as the meet progressed. he was 18 years old and the captain and top-performing swimmer of the cardinal hill swim team, but he had hurt his ankle two days earlier while practicing flip turns. malik had told everyone, including coach davis, that he was in excellent health and could keep swimming, and no one doubted that he always tried his hardest. however, during the competition, malik acknowledged that he was swimming well, but not as well as usual. he recognized that his stroke was slowing as each agonizing kick in the water emphasized throbbing pain to his ankle.

the summer league swim competition was an all-day event, and by the conclusion of the day, malik’s team, cardinal hill, and their rival team, the raiders, were tied for first place. the outcome of the entire meet depended on the final event of the day, the men’s relay race. the relay team consisted of four swimmers: malik and three others, plus sean, alternate.

typically, malik would be animated by the hope of such an exciting finish. his relay team was far superior to the raiders’ relay team, and the cardinals were expected to win the competition. however, malik was the anchor for his relay and would have to wait for three other swimmers to finish before diving into the water. he was secretly terrified because he felt that his ankle could snap like an old tree branch at any instant.

as the relay teams collected their swim caps and goggles and began to head to the bullpen, malik’s ankle was a pretzel ready to crumble. the young men on the relay began to stretch as they waited for their chance to swim. malik elongated his leg and then hobbled, but caught himself before anyone detected his frailty. his teammate sean saw malik wince. sean was the alternate for the relay, and if anyone couldn’t swim, he was the one who would take his place. sean was a proficient swimmer, not as fast in freestyle as malik, but he had been training persistently for the competition and had refined his skill through the weeks. malik said to sean, “man, i want to swim in this relay so bad. i want that medal for my last race with the team, but i don’t know if i can do it.” he tossed his goggles to the ground as the relay team was called up to swim.

the first set of swimmers dove in the water with a splash, and off they went. sean reached for malik’s goggles, but then said, “i’m not as fast as you are, and we’re tied! this is for the win! i can’t swim for you! ”

malik offered sean a smile and a pat on the back as the second set of swimmers dove into the pool for the second leg of the relay. “you’ve got this. my ankle is killing me, and i know you can beat those guys out there.”

a third splash signaled that sean needed to get in position to swim anchor, and a look of determination flashed on sean’s face as he slid on the goggles and stepped onto the diving block. cardinal hill was barely ahead of the raiders as the third round of swimmers came in for their final lap.

sean positioned himself for the dive and then splashed in; in an instant, he was gliding through the water like a dolphin. he put plenty of distance between himself and the raiders’ swimmer as they turned into the final lap. as sean came down the stretch, it looked as though the water held out a hand and pulled him down the swim lane. he reached the wall first and immediately looked for his time on the screen.

the cardinals had won the relay and the meet, and they even set a new league record for the relay. malik and the rest of the team pulled sean from the water, and they jumped and danced with excitement. any regret malik had felt at not swimming vanished as he celebrated the victory with his team. he savored the team’s accomplishments as he interacted with the swimmers, and he knew that he had done the right thing.