Big 12 track meets aren’t glamorous.

Track and field doesn’t attract thousands of people, so those who come are the dedicated few.

It’s hard to be a fair-weather track fan aside from the Olympics. You won’t find Kim Kardashian sitting trackside, hoping to snag an errant shot put.

But you will find athletes, grandparents, coaches — and my dad and me.

Since I was in high school, my dad and I have been going to Big 12 or NCAA track meets hosted by OU. It became a May ritual — if we were in town, we went to the track for a day or two. And we have witnessed some great moments.

Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Warner — while he was still at Baylor — broke a world record, only to be disqualified for a lane violation.

Former Sooner Will Claye clinched a Big 12 title on his final attempt with a record-breaking triple jump.

And this year, OU junior Mookie Salaam ran the second-fastest time in the world in the 200 meters this year.

They are the moments that likely won’t make the headlines — even in The Daily or the local paper — but for the fans watching that day, it’s just about as good as it gets.

This year at the Big 12 Championships, there were many events that won’t be remembered except by those who rose in unison Sunday as athletes cleared the final turn or approached the last hurdle.

For example, in the women’s 400 meters, Texas A&M senior Jessica Beard entered the meet having swept the title for outdoor and indoor for the past three years. She was on her way to a fourth year when freshman Diamond Dixon of Kansas pulled off an upset.

The women’s 100-meter hurdles had its own drama when Aggie senior and 2009 champion Gabby Mayo dropped out of contention by falling through the final hurdle.

In the men’s 5,000 meters, Oklahoma State’s Colby Lowe and Colorado’s Joe Bossard — who also won at 10,000 meters — were in a heated battle for Big 12 honors until the final lap, when the yellow flag went up. Lowe was disqualified for impeding the runner, allowing OU’s George Alex to finish third.

Hard work and sheer luck were in full effect Sunday, but the season isn’t over yet. NCAA Championships loom, and for many — like OU’s Salaam and the entire Texas A&M team — these races will be long forgotten in favor of NCAA gold medals.

But for some — like my dad and me — the Big 12 Championships are as good as it gets until next year.

— Annelise Russell, journalism senior