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Arkansas Track Team Hosted By Generous Stranger After Lodgings Fall Through

SACRAMENTO (CBS) - Two Thousand miles away from home, an Arkansas club track team was without a place to stay. They are competing in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics at Sacramento State.

Rebekah Hamilton, one of the Young Phenom Athlete team members is running for her life.

"Anything that's holding me down, I just leave it on the track," said Hamilton, "just run it out."

The 18 year old is a leader on her Pine Bluff Arkansas team.

"A lot of time our kids are told they're not great," said Shannaine Eans, the founder and head coach of Young Phenoms, "so we wanted to exercise the word phenomenal, so that's where the name of the team comes from."

Pine Bluff was ranked the 2nd most dangerous city in America in 2013. The ranking is based on crime rates.

"They deal with a lot of violence a lot of family members that are in prison," said Eans.

Some of Ean's athletes have overcome difficult upbringings to get to this point.

"I changed my ways, people I hung with, my eating habits," said Rebekah Hamilton, who has a past being in and out of trouble, "I changed everything."

As the team continued to take steps forward, they stumbled when they arrived in Sacramento.

"Being here was a big deal for them and when we got to the hotel, they were let down," said Eans.

The first hotel couldn't accommodate the group after their room block was changed. Eans says they made reservations well in advance. A representative with Staybridge Suits says renovations took longer than expected. The hotel offered the group a different set of rooms, but Eans says there wasn't enough beds to accommodate the 24 people.

They tried booking a last-minute hotel. The closest, a Super 8 in Dixon, which Eans says had bugs and carpet stains. They stayed one night before leaving. A representative from Super 8 was not available when we called.

"Psychologically, they felt defeated," said Eans about her team.

While trying to come up with a plan, the team stopped at a McDonalds to use their wifi.

"I was at the right place at the right time," said Dr. Carol Cooks. He runs a non-profit for youth in Sacramento. He struck up a conversation with Eans' husband at the restaurant, and after learning about their situation, agreed to house the 19 athletes and 5 adults.

"I could not turn my back on a situation that needed help and I was blessed to be able to provide," said Cooks.

"A miracle," said Eans.

The Young Phenoms are staying with Cooks through the weekend.

"They realize that a stranger can care and people do care about them," said Eans.

It was just another hurdle for the Pine Bluff team who's mindset is already ahead of the pack.

"All the people who have invested in us, we can't let them down because of that," said Hamilton.

The Junior Olympics Track and Field meet continues through the weekend.

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