Mother’s Day may have officially been on May 12 of this year, but for two Whiteoak Wildcat moms it just keeps on coming. Whiteoak’s 4 x 800-meter relay team is made up of two sets of brothers — Landen Eyre and Keegan Eyre and Weston Blair and Sawyer Blair. These four young men have qualified for the state track meet in Dayton on Friday.

All season long teammates, fans, coaches and other relatives have enjoyed and cheered on these record breaking athletes but two ladies stand out. Beth Blair, mother of Weston and Sawyer, and Beth Swanson, mother of Landen and Keegan Eyre, attend these meets, and while all moms have that special pride for their sons, these two ladies definitely have that and much more. And why wouldn’t they? What have they watched over the last few years?

Well, each has an older son that has achieved an unbelievable amount. Between Landen Eyre and Weston Blair in their running sports they have combined for six team conference championships, 17 conference individual titles, two team district titles, 13 individual district titles, three individual regional titles, two team state qualifying berths, 12 individual state qualifying berths, two state podiums including a state runner up — and are going on Saturday to the state meet to add to these hard-to-fathom achievements.

The younger sons? Both Keegan Eyre and Sawyer Blair are sophomores but came in to postseason play without the major accolades. Both are tremendous kids that love sports, each other and their brothers. During cross country neither of them participated in the sport but would be at the meets cheering on their brothers at all parts of the course. They are the typical “younger brothers” in most every sense. As the season has went along both have become integral parts of Whiteoak’s track success and in doing so starting to resemble the talents of their older and heralded siblings. The bond between all four of them is something that has to be witnessed. Both older brothers seem to be the older brother to both of the younger brothers and vice versa. Keegan has chased older “brother” Weston all year in the 800-meter dash and while he has yet to catch him he has gotten so close that he advanced out of districts and immediately engulfed by big brother Weston just seconds after finishing himself and realizing that Keegan has done the unthinkable task.

So Mother’s Day this year for the Beths fell on May 12. On May 15, four sons won district 4 x 800-meter relay title, on May 17, Landen won the district 1600 and 3200 and Weston and Keegan qualified in the 800, on May 22, four sons qualified for the state meet in the 4 x 800-meter relay and on May 24, Weston qualified for state in the 800 and Landen qualified for the state in the 1600 and won the 3200. This memorable month of Mother’s Day for the Beths will continue on Thursday, May 30 for the 4 x 800 relay with both sets of brothers and on Friday, May 31 will be the older sons in the 800 and 3200 meters.

It is not known that two sets of brothers have ever taken a relay team to state, but we know it’s been done now. If you need the Beths Thursday and Friday, they’ll be in Dayton with their state level pride for their state level sons.

A Mother’s “Day” to remember.

Doug Hughes is the track and field coach at Whiteoak High School in Mowrystown.