Fastest Distance Runner to not make state?

Close on the CA qualifying practices, but not quite. I believe qualifying out of league is 1 auto for each event, a soft standard for 2nd and 3rd, then a relatively tougher standard for 4th and beyond. I believe for the boys 800, if you got 4th or worse at league you had to run 1:57.high to move on to Section Prelims, but 2nd or 3rd was like 2:02. I also believe each division has different qualifying standards from league to Section prelims. Section prelims and finals are run on different weekends and are separated by divisions (1-4). There is no qualifying standard from section prelims to finals. From prelims to finals for field events it is best 9 marks. Running events it is the heat winners plus next fastest times to fill in remaining spots up to 9 total. Then at finals the top marks/times of the day from all divisions move on to the Masters meet the next weekend. No time standard here at all. For field events I believe it is 12, along with the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m, and then 9 for every other event.

For the Masters meet, the top 5 places auto move on to the State meet, then anybody else who hits the state qualifying time standard AT THE MASTERS MEET moves on. As an example, I believe the 800m is 1:54.high for the state qualifier. This is all specific to the Southern Section which is the largest section and creates the most confusion. I believe rules are the same throughout all sections though. I know in a LOT of events this year kids have run the state meet qualifying time but weren't top nine at prelims or top nine/twelve at finals all divisions to move on. As someone pointed out already, it took 9:15 to make it from the southern section finals to the masters meet, along with 1:54.XX and 4:15-16ish. There are plenty of competitors each year who deserve to go, but if they don't race their way through the rounds then there are that many better guys/girls out there.

Do you say "I qualified for national"? I mean, there's only one nation, right?

Mainly because Rhode Island is so small, the qualifications for the state meet is either based on top performance (top 18 for distances 300m and up and field events, while top 24 for the dash and hurdles) or exceed the qualification standard at specified meets (typically selected invitationals, divisional meet, and class meet). The outdoor qualification standards are adjusted based on the top performances from the previous years so the number of entries are kept to a reasonable number.

I know Connecticut does the regional format as well, but I don't know the details of it.

And RIers called them "States".

Also, the top 6 performers from each event from each New England state (CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, and ME) are invited to compete at the New England Regional meet. If one of the top 6 people/teams decline, then the invite is extended to the 7th performance and so on. These are usually declared by the end of the meet day so the state officials can send the entries to the New England officials within a few days for seeding purposes. Only events that are contested in each of the six states are contested at New Englands (so no pole vault for indoors, and no hammer for outdoors).

I guess because we're from the south we can't grasp the concept of 1 state calling the "state" meet states?

It sounds like the problem in TX is that they only have 4 regions for such a large population. Is that right? Does that mean they field only 8 runners (2 per region) to compete for the 2 Mile State Championship?

Usually coaches can petition the state officials if there is a special case.

state and states are both short for state championships. the s at the end of states is derived from the s at the end of championships. that is, there is one meet with many different championship events contested. hence, the plural. either is fine.

Gotta agree with "State", as in, "I made it to the state meet," or "I won the state meet" or "Did you qualify for the state meet?"

Kiel Uhl of ISU didn't make state with a 1:56, 800.. He qualified in the 3200 and 1600, with a 9:09 and a 4:14. But not in the 800.

The answer to this question obviously lies in CA where 9 sections take the top-3 to state. That's it. No 6A or 2A or A or AA classifications. You finish 1-3 in your section you go. It is the last hold out, kind of like the single class systems used to be for hockey in Minnesota or hoops in Indiana.

Texas does have just 4 regions and they problem is that many of the distance powerhourses (especially The Woodlands and, in the past, Kingwood) are in same region - region 2 i believe. Region 3 includes Houston and has some strong runners. The other two regions not so strong.

Indiana has a single class system for track (the way it should be, but that is another topic). We go Sectional, Regional, State. Top 4 advance from sectional plus anyone hitting the state standard in the finals. Top 3 advance from regional plus anyone hitting the state standard in the finals. The state standard is the average of the 9th place finishes at the state meet from the previous three years.

While not as fast as some times out in CA, but a boy from Carmel ran 4:22 and finished 5th in his sectional. The standard is 4:21. He didn't advance when he would have won pretty much every other sectional in the state.

In minnesota there are state qualifying times.

So at a section meet they take the the number one relay and the top two individuals and they get to go to state.

BUT, if in any event there are there are more than those number that get under the state qualifying time, they also go to state.

So hypothetically everyone in the race could make it to state if they ran under the state qualifying time.

Wisconsin has Regional, Sectional and State. Large School (D-1) Have 16 Regional, top 4 in each event advance to Sectional meet. In Sectional, top 3 in each event advance (24 compete @ State meet). Extra qualifiers if you are among the top 8 qualifying times/performances for the state at Sectionals. Last year one sectional had 7 teams sub 7:58 for 4x800. Three advanced as extra qualifiers.

wicked wrote:

In minnesota there are state qualifying times.

So at a section meet they take the the number one relay and the top two individuals and they get to go to state.

BUT, if in any event there are there are more than those number that get under the state qualifying time, they also go to state.

So hypothetically everyone in the race could make it to state if they ran under the state qualifying time.

To add/clarify:

Qualification is a one-step process. You run the sectional meet and then advance to state.

The state qualifying time must be run at the sectional meet. This was due to many schools in rural areas not having FAT systems. It's not fair to sprinters who actually ran the time to let a kid who only got the time because his timer screwed up, but it's also not fair to make it FAT-only because some schools run every meet with FAT but certain small schools may only get FAT at their conference and section meets, so their athletes would only have two opportunities rather than 7-10.

XcXc wrote:

It works just like you said, except LA City doesn't add in until State Prelims. Three from league to CIF Prelims in 4 separate divisions, top 9 move on. Then CIF Finals the four divisions are together, but not in the same races, the top 12 in distance races and 9 in everything else from all divisions combined. Then from masters to state prelims it is all divisions together and 5 move on or people who hit the at large time (which is most people).

LA City has degenerated into crap. The top guys from 800 - 3200 are putting up times slower than we ran in dual meets in the mid 1970's. What has happened?

What happened? two words: X Box

Barry Abercrombie wrote:

The most amazing high school race I have ever seen was the 1600 meter run at the 2003 District 15-5A meet. Not only did Steve Magness of Klein Oak break a 20 year old state record with a 4:01.58, Erik Stanley of Klein broke the old record with a 4:03.77, but Brian Sullivan of the Woodlands runs 4:11 and doesn't qualify for regionals. Beyond that, Gabe Gonzalez of Klein Oak runs 4:13, Darren Brown ran a 4:15, and Dane Hurtubise of the Woodlands runs a 4:17 and gets sixth!! You've got to be kidding me. How many districts would Dane have won, and he got sixth? That was pretty special.

I have heard about this race many times. It's become something of running lore around the state