i have no idea i found it odd that i couldn't find the meet through USATF but found it on athletic.net. yet my coach had told me about it so i presumed it to be safe.
I believe the netting should have been higher because it was clear as soon as you saw how these throws where from everyone throwing it was all over the place. people had throwing into the net around the circle (the cage). I remember the instructor had said the people would have died kind of as a joke but clearly as a warning. I don't think he meant that it was going to go OVER the net but that the force of the weight would send the net set up rocking and the weight would probably have still hit someone through the netting.
more insight:
after the man had been hit, the other field and track events kept happening till everyone was evacuated (high jump and runners) the only thing that was said to people about the accident was a announcement saying "Make a clear walkway" talking about the path the crowd had made after coaches pushed people to make said path so first responders could get through when they got there.
there was no amf or whatever its called in sight. people like my father had gone to look for it, but couldn't find one anywhere. the only medical personnel there was a doctor who was a onlooker. NOT hired by the hosts of the meet of anything. the doctor, thank God did everything she could and got to the victim immediately and started CPR while another lady who seemed to be a er nurse or something started first aid on the man.