she missed the start to the race. nothing anyone can do once she missed it. It totally sucks, but it’s not the officials fault.
According to Rich Gonzalez, Dalia was literally walking down the track and was halfway to the start line, but the starter decided not to wait for her and fired the gun anyway.
If that's true that's crazy. Why couldn't the starter either wait a few more seconds, or yell "Hurry up, we're about to start the race."
She is senior who has probably run over 100 meets. The coach has dozens of other athletes, including some that are in their first divisional championship. It's unfortunate she won't run 3200 at CIF but it seems like a lot of people want to blame someone else for Dalia missing the start.
Yes, the team has other athletes, but there isn't only ONE coach for the entire team. And besides, Dalia is by far the star of the team, and stars should get extra attention, even if they screw up or it's their fault. (NOT because stars DESERVE extra attention, but because it benefits the team.)
Do you think if LeBron James was missing 2 minutes before the tipoff of an important game that his coach would say, "Well, if LeBron doesn't show up that's his problem"? No way, he would send people to go find him.
Also, another girl runner from Dalia's team was also in the 3200. So at a minimum there was one person on the team who was aware that Dalia was missing.
How do you know the coach and other athletes weren't looking for her before the start? It seems unlikely she was just sitting around on her phone and wasn't aware the race was starting. Is the coach supposed to follow her around, tracking her every move?
Since no one here seems to know what actually happened maybe we should reserve blame.
she missed the start to the race. nothing anyone can do once she missed it. It totally sucks, but it’s not the officials fault.
According to Rich Gonzalez, Dalia was literally walking down the track and was halfway to the start line, but the starter decided not to wait for her and fired the gun anyway.
If that's true that's crazy. Why couldn't the starter either wait a few more seconds, or yell "Hurry up, we're about to start the race."
Why would it take her 45 seconds to walk the other 50m?
According to Rich Gonzalez, Dalia was literally walking down the track and was halfway to the start line, but the starter decided not to wait for her and fired the gun anyway.
If that's true that's crazy. Why couldn't the starter either wait a few more seconds, or yell "Hurry up, we're about to start the race."
Why would it take her 45 seconds to walk the other 50m?
45 seconds was just someone's guess, but we have no idea how many seconds it actually was, since there doesn't seem to be a video of it.
Rich Gonzalez says Dalia was halfway up the track when the starter fired the gun. However many seconds away she was, if she was halfway up the track then the officials and the starter would have seen her. So why couldn't the starter either wait, or yell "Hurry up, we're about to start the race"?
Sounds like power tripping officials to me. We just witnessed an official in my state DQ a predominantly black/Puerto Rican team for cheering along the straightaway, but did not DQ any of the predominantly white teams. Had it all on video. Official didn't even care, just targeted that school, which won the 4 x 400 and stripped the kids of their medals. Such a shame.
Officials on power trips. We see it all the time in HS meets.
What power trip are you talking about? She missed her race.
She missed her heat (heat 1 of 2) and was still allowed to race in the second heat. Everything seem fine.... I watched her win the second heat but in front of where I sitting there was a school pissed off for allowing her in the race since they had a runner in the same race. I heard them say "we're going to protest," so at the end of her race she was DQd. I don't think the girl from the school that protest qualified to finals.
she missed the start to the race. nothing anyone can do once she missed it. It totally sucks, but it’s not the officials fault.
According to Rich Gonzalez, Dalia was literally walking down the track and was halfway to the start line, but the starter decided not to wait for her and fired the gun anyway.
If that's true that's crazy. Why couldn't the starter either wait a few more seconds, or yell "Hurry up, we're about to start the race."
This sounds spot on. Just was watching my daughter’s conference meet this weekend. The starter was acting like it was the Olympics. She was making the runners reset multiple times, like every other race was 2nd gunned for a false start. The meet ended up running like 1-2 hrs behind schedule. I appreciate that the starters want to take these HS comps seriously, but it can get out of control.
Ha! Awesome description. I have a similar recurring nightmare where the track is suddenly covered in water up to my thighs and then the gun goes off and I can barely move while the field takes off. Been having this dream on and off for almost 50 years.
According to Rich Gonzalez, Dalia was literally walking down the track and was halfway to the start line, but the starter decided not to wait for her and fired the gun anyway.
If that's true that's crazy. Why couldn't the starter either wait a few more seconds, or yell "Hurry up, we're about to start the race."
This sounds spot on. Just was watching my daughter’s conference meet this weekend. The starter was acting like it was the Olympics. She was making the runners reset multiple times, like every other race was 2nd gunned for a false start. The meet ended up running like 1-2 hrs behind schedule. I appreciate that the starters want to take these HS comps seriously, but it can get out of control.
70 year old white guys need to still be able to boss someone around in their lives. This is where they get to do that.
The race (heat 1) started 45 seconds before she arrived at the starting line. She then went back to the check-in area and was allowed to run in heat 2 (she was entered in heat 1), which she won easily, but was later DQ'd.
Officials on power trips. We see it all the time in HS meets.
And collegiate meets, elite meets, and even at the Olympics. Athletes finish the race and before they can get in a TV interview or victory lap someone who doesn't know anything about Track and field is tossing them out.
I hate to see a DQ ever, but it's hard to argue that missing your race doesn't warrant one.
But if you're literally on the track walking towards the start line and the starter fires the gun? That's pretty harsh.
You're making it sound like the official saw her coming and purposely fired the gun before she could get there. That's not how I read this, which should be noted is just one vague description of the incident: "Frias, who easily qualifed to Finals in the 1600 with her heat-winning performance of 4:54.56, arrived late to the Clerk of the Course tent for the first heat of the 3200, after the field of entrants had already made its way out onto the track. By the time she realized her plight and made her way halfway down the track toward the start line, the gun had fired for the race."
1. She learns a great lesson re: not being late a. probably won't ever miss a race again b. may also have anxiety about it being forever traumatized
2. She avoids running the 3200 at CIF Finals, Masters and State a. this means she can focus a bit more on the speed of the 1600 b. less stress overall given no waiting around race-day for the 3200 which comes many hours after the 1600 c. with a chip on her shoulder and following a hot early pace from Engelhardt, maybe all this leads to an amazing performance with a sub-4:30 at state
3. She runs the 2 mile at nationals v. Natalie Cook a. having not run the 3200 for over a month, her nervous system will be more excitable for that event b. facing Natalie Cook will bring a lot of electricity c. with sub-4:30 1600 speed Dalia is able to follow the pace set by Cook and then goes around the favorite near the end to take the new national record
4. She now understands The Parable of the Chinese Farmer
/End
It's laughable to consider this a traumatic experience. Unfortunate, yes; traumatic, absolutely not.
She has a good case for an appeal. If her actions lead to a DQ because she was late for her heat then they should not have let her run heat two.
I have two questions:
1. Was she allowed to run heat two and was told she could still advance if she met the advancement standard for the heat.
2. Was she told we’ll let you run heat two, but your still disqualified.
If it’s number one I believe she a good chance to get this over turned.
She was told something similar to number 1, but my understanding is that the person who told her that didn't actually have the authority to make that decision.
She was in heat one, and in heat one only. So she either could run heat one, or run no heat at all. But a last minute switch of heats isn't permitted.
If there is an Honest Effort rule in place (I don't know that that's the case though), Dalia would have been DQd from the 1600m as well had she not been allowed to race in the 2nd heat. What a crazy situation!
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