Qualifying Heats and Semis at the State Meet

[PDJ551]

After spending 40 years coaching in NJ, I began my second career coaching in Pa. I went to my first state meet at Shippensburg this past weekend. I was very impressed with the way the meet was run. I wasn't surprised because my league meet and district meet were very well done. I also went to a coaches meeting at the state meet. Most coaches were in favor of moving the intermediates to the 400 meter distance, and most were in favor of dividing the state meet into three classes instead of the present two. The moderator felt that the directors of the districts would never approve of the change. After viewing the meet I have a number of questions. Though there is a need to have heats in the shorter distance races, is it necessary to have kids run the longer distances in qualifying heats? Would it better serve the athletes to run seeded and unseeded sections in the longer races? In most states the athletes do not run qualifying heats in longer races. Another question which nobody could answer for me on Saturday was why do kids have to run semis in the 100, 200, and short hurdle races? Doesn't F.A.T. timing eliminate that need? I saw many fine athletes compete this weekend. Wouldn't they be better served if they weren't run in the ground? Also without all the qualifying heats and the absurd semis the meet could be divided into three classes and still be held on two days. I think the crowd support was amazing, the award stand, and having the athletes jog from the clerking area down the track to the start was great.

[pmeyers279]

i'm not really a big fan of having a third class, i mean look at the races that were missed because of two classes last weekend. havko vs. palmisano in the 1600 and havko vs. mallon in the 800, beveridge in the 3200 with the other guys would have been interesting as well. the list goes on. the girls distance races would have been awesome too. it'd be cool to have the fastest guys from AA and AAA in the same races, even if they give out different awards (i suppose there a third class would be feasible as well). and imagine that 4x800 if there had been 3 classes, i know penncrest and henderson and probably upper dublin would most likely have not been in the same class as souderton, north penn, la salle, CB south or abington. not sure about carlisle or baldwin.

i do agree that perhaps semis in the shorter races are a bit much, though. if there are only two heats in the semi-final then just have a fast heat and a slow heat and make it the finals. perhaps there is some purpose of the semi-finals that i'm missing.

[FIRE CHIEF]

Depoends how you look at it to me. You can either want it to be the best runner for one race wins. Or, the kid who can keep coming back again and again wins.

To me, I kind of like it the way it is. It's demanding sre, the best doesn't always win, but it makes it far less predictable and far more exciting to me.

As for the class discussion, I'm torn. The small school definitely have a big problem with quality of coaching. But, we do miss some outstanding match ups as it is.

I have always wanted 3 classes for relays and team scoring with one class for individual stuff.

I'd also like the season pushed into June. There just isn't a good enough opportunity to practce and prepare for a lot of kids until May.