I hear what you are saying. For the top tier kids it doesn't matter long term in their journey. Jude Ritzenhein is going to get in the fast heat going forward no matter what. He doesn't need the 'help' and if he were to be in a slower section one day, it won't have much impact on his career.
But there thousands of kids competing who aren't named Ritzenhein. Running 4-5 seconds faster in one heat over another can impact scholarship opportunities whether you want to admit it or not. Especially when you're talking about boys and their trajectory (sophomore/junior) with all the roster spot limits.
Lucas Alberts (Jesuit) ran 4:07 and posted "4 more seconds" -- because that's what it takes for him to get a scholarship/roster spot at one of the schools he's looking at. This is a 4:07/1:51 (junior) guy that's legitimately worried about getting his spot.
And for many, this is the PREMIER race where you'll set your season PR. So every second counts. I think that's the point made. The stakes are high for a lot of these atheltes.
And the point I made about no HS coaches liking Rich was a genuine thought/question. I was thinking maybe I could ask for a favor vs. one of my contacts. But everyone I know seems to think poorly of him or vice versa.