After hearing a pop and feeling a jolt of pain pulse through his leg, Jordon Washington reminded himself to simply “finish the race,” the motto followed by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this year.The Warrenton senior gritted out the last few strides during the 100-meter preliminary race on Friday. His determination paid off, as he narrowly advanced to the finals, despite pulling his hamstring.“I came up here determined to represent Warrenton well, and I feel like I did that,” said Washington.Washington finished eighth on Saturday in the final race of his career, running a time of 11.6 seconds.Check out a photo gallery from the event here: http://bit.ly/1cAsomn“I couldn’t be prouder of this young man for his work ethic and dedication he’s put into reaching his goals,” said Coach Steve McDowell. “It was disappointing to see him have that injury, but he was still able to power through and finish strong.”Washington had edged out the nearest competitor by three thousandths of a second to secure all-state honors for a second straight season.“Eighth wasn’t exactly what I envisioned, but I’m not completely devastated, because I’m out here competing in the sport I love in the biggest meet in the state,” said Washington.He had placed fourth as a junior, prompting him to aim for a first-place finish this season.But after a humbling experience on Friday, he altered his mindset.“I’m in it to win it, but I’m not in it only to win it,” said Washington.He had come frighteningly close to a disappointing fate on Friday.“I felt a pop and slowed down really hard, because it hurt pretty bad,” recalled Washington. “I was in line for second or third, but that brought me back to fourth.”Having run in the first heat, he had to wait for the next eight runners to race to determine his fate. The results were nerve-wracking but ultimately relieving.“I felt like I was given a second chance,” said Washington, who says he still ran in pain on Saturday, despite icing his injury overnight. “I was expecting to do better, but sometimes things go wrong, and I believe everything happens for a reason.”Washington had actually run a better time during the district and sectional meets than he did on Saturday.“This race brought together some outstanding competition from across the state,” said McDowell. “It was definitely a challenging field to run against.”Despite the setback on Friday, he managed a superior time of 11.04 seconds.“I was sitting there hoping that I made it through,” recalled Washington. “When I found out I had made it, it was a lot of pressure off my shoulders.”He believed making it to the finals was vindication for all the hard work and discipline he had invested into the sport about which he is most passionate.“He’s coming away from a very productive career,” said McDowell. “The medals he has won and the races he’s won throughout his entire career are proof of his tremendous dedication.” Washington initially admits perhaps he had set his expectations a bit too high.“I think God is telling me a lot right now,” said Washington. “This is just another part of my lifeI really feel like it’s a spiritual thing. I’ve been working so hard physically and spiritually to get there and God gave me a wake-up call real quick.”WASHINGTON EARNS SECOND STRAIGHT STATE MEDALDerrick Forsythe photo.