GNAC (DII) DMR Disaster!

that's pretty damn unfortunate

Irony is that SFU was not GNAC last year and WWU would have gone anyway...

If it's any consolation, the athletics page background photograph is stunning. WWU looks like it's set in a runner's paradise, really beautiful.

Oh, boy......messing up the lap count and ringing the bell a lap early for the wormen's mile, thus changing the results of the winner and likely causing another athlete (Puga) a trip to nationals.

Embarassing for that Idaho crew running the meet.

Ralphy wrote:

If it's any consolation, the athletics page background photograph is stunning. WWU looks like it's set in a runner's paradise, really beautiful.

It pretty much is.

11:53 put's them 9th and that should get them in. 3 seconds ahead of lewis and Puga is not even on the list at all she is 37th with a 5:04 a long ways away from the 4:56 it will take to get in.

truth of the moment wrote:

11:53 put's them 9th and that should get them in. 3 seconds ahead of lewis and Puga is not even on the list at all she is 37th with a 5:04 a long ways away from the 4:56 it will take to get in.

Puga stood for a solid 5-7 seconds after the finssh line, then jogged (probably 7-8 min. mile pace) the next 150 meters since she just finished an all out kick.

Try running an all out mile sometime, then see how fast you can run another lap?

It cost Puga at LEAST 10 seconds. So yes, it cost her a spot to Nationals no doubt.

how many more of these things have to happen before someone decides to solve it - it happened to me at the NAIA national indoor championships on a DMR.

As a coach it happened in the 3200 - they fired the gun lap one lap early...knowing it was a lap early i quickly told the meet officals, but the problem is the damage is already done - and since they have no protocol for informing the ahtletes in prompt manner...they did not solve the issue.. .the runners were told to go one more lap as the approached the finish line = this is not the answer.

First, they need to decide what the protocol is for a miscounting of laps - ie once the gun lap is fired - no more laps can be added to the race = this allows all the runners to know they can start kicking without having to worry about getting on the homestrech and being told "one more lap". OR they need to give a mic to the meet started with instruction to announce a miscount if it is caught quickly - however, i don't think they can cacth it quickly enoough - so i propose my first idea = gun fires, there is only 1 lap left for all races 3200 meters or longer.

On relays - like the DMR, the meet officals need to get out the way and let the athletes make the call - if you miscount - ie start a lap early or late - you are at fault and can be DQ'ed. When the officals make the mistake there is no way to undo it quickly - and if you (the athlete) know how many laps remain, you end up getting screwed by their mess up. Again in my DMR, i spend the whole race catching up...just closed in on the pack and was ready to kick and they made us handoff one lap early. you can't undo that mistake.

Of course one other solution to the distance race miscount - is for them not to fire a final lap gun (or make it optional) and leave the responsiblity of counting laps up the runners. If you miscount and kick a lap early - you are at fault (most runners know exactly where they are because of the overall time in the race) if you think there one more lap and there is not - again you screwed up - and have only yourself to blame.

I feel bad for those ahtletes who got screwed and i know it will happen again because the governing bodies are unwilling to take a stand. I made a proposal to our state's high school director about this, and basicall got the 'we are aware of the problem' (but will do nothing proactive and just hope it never happens again). NICE

As a runner in this race I would like to clarify a few things.

1. yes the official did yank the WWU 400 runner off the track.

2. It did not cost them 7 seconds which is the amount that SFU beat them by.

3. Also, the retarded officials did interfere with the SFU 400 runner (although not as much because her teammates pushed her on the track) costing her time as well.

It was really unfortunate and probably cost them making national standard although not the win.

lejjjjj wrote:

3. Also, the retarded officials did interfere with the SFU 400 runner (although not as much because her teammates pushed her on the track) costing her time as well.

Wow, really?