XC State Meet Questions

State: Iowa

1) 5 Regional Meets hosted in each class (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A) Top three teams advance there top 7. Top 15 finishers at each regional meet not on a top 3 team get to run at state.

2) No idea, maybe randomly drawn. Here is an example of the lane assignments (http://www.iahsaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4A_Boys_State_Starting_Grid.pdf)

3) Yes 4A girls -> 4A boys -> 3A girls etc....

4) Schools are classified by size alone, and classifications are reconsidered every year.

Illinois

Three classes based on school size (although there is a multiplier for private schools). Each class has regional, sectional, then state

Regional: top six teams qualify and then top five individuals not on qualifying teams. Three regionals feed into each sectional.

Sectional: top five teams qualify and then top seven individuals not on qualifying teams. Five sectionals feed into the state meet.

Boxes at the state meet are randomly determined based on where you finished at sectional. Each qualifying spot at each sectional is randomly drawn a box before the sectional races. Those box assignments are not publicized.

You can choose to run up a class but not down. I don't know of anyone who has chosen to run up. Each class runs separately.

MN

1)two teams from each section by placing 1st or 2nd at section championships. First 8 individuals who didn't make it on a team also go.

2) random draw

3) yes. A and AA run separately, same course same day

4) no.

Virginia

1) Conference advances top 3 teams and top 15 individuals overall.

Regionals advances top 6 teams and top 10 individuals not included.

2) Starting line determined alphabetically or random

3) Yes (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A)

4) No. School size corresponds to classification

Thank you everyone for the great info.

Keep them coming!!!

Rhode Island

1) Teams are divided into four divisions based on location in the state for the dual meet season. Top three teams in dual meet standings are automatically in the state meet. Then school are divided by school population (class A,B,C) to run the class meet. Top two teams in each race that have not already qualified goes to the state meet. Finally the top 18 fastest runners from the class meet not on a qualifying teams goes as individual qualifiers.

2) random draw

3)No

4) They sometime rotate some schools in and out of divisions to try and make the divisions somewhat competitive but class is always done by school.

Utah:

1. 5 Classifications. Each of the classifications has 4 Regions from which the top 4 teams and 3 individuals not on those teams qualify for State at their region championships.

2. Start line boxes are by random draw.

3. All classifications compete at the same venue on the same day with the following order (so a coach can take care of both squads)

1A Girls, 2A Girls, 1A Boys, 2A Boys, 3A Girls, 4A Girls, 5A Girls, 3A Boys, 4A Boys, 5A Boys.

4.Classifications are determined by school size every two years. Schools can petition for adjustment. Some consideration is given to travel distance:Utah is over 400 miles from North to South.

Ohio

1. 3 divisions based on school size---4 regions in the state---5 teams from each region + any individual who finished in the top 20 in the regional meet.

2. Not sure how the starting spots are determined but probably random.

3. Divisions race separately---3 girls, 3 boys races---they were yesterday. They now have it at National Trails drag strip which is poor for spectators---very limited access to see the runners. It used to be at Scioto Downs horse racing track which was better for viewing. Before that, at the OSU campus agricultural center, though they ran into trouble on days that OSU had home football games and eventually they built other athletic facilities on the site making it unusable for XC. Before that, on the OSU golf course.

4. School size is the only determining factor in divisions.

rubar wrote:

State: Iowa

1) 5 Regional Meets hosted in each class (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A) Top three teams advance there top 7. Top 15 finishers at each regional meet not on a top 3 team get to run at state.

2) No idea, maybe randomly drawn. Here is an example of the lane assignments (http://www.iahsaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4A_Boys_State_Starting_Grid.pdf)

3) Yes 4A girls -> 4A boys -> 3A girls etc....

4) Schools are classified by size alone, and classifications are reconsidered every year.

IOWA:

1. My understanding is that the IHSAA (boys) and IGHSAU (girls) assign teams to districts based on rankings and some type of point system. Teams do not know where they will run districts until a couple of weeks before the meet. This allows for a more balanced district assignment to assure that the better teams have a more fair chance to qualify.

This was not always the case. At one point in time, the district assignments were more of a political process selected by geography. With a higher XC participation rate on the eastern side of the state, the district match-ups would not be equal in terms of difficulty for teams to qualify.

Years ago, our school was ranked 4th in the state for its class. The state assigned the top 4 ranked schools in our class to the same district. Only the top 3 qualify. We finished 4th, only 2 points from 3rd place and 7 points from 1st at districts, and thus failed to qualify. Meanwhile, the coach who was the chair of the district assignment committee was able to have his team run in a district with no other ranked teams.

2. I think starting box assignments are random.

3. Four classifications (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A) for boys and girls. The state loves to have too many teams and individuals qualify for its state meets and tournaments in all sports. Approximately 1/3 of all large school teams qualify for the state meet. We have 1,000 runners qualify for the state meet, and 7,000 spectators all descend on a golf course in the middle of the countryside with inadequate parking, a poorly designed course, and a lack of crowd control during races. We have several colleges and universities in the state with dedicated cross country courses that have sufficient parking, hotels and lodging options, and are used to holding major events. Yet, we continue to hold the meet on a golf course far away from where most qualifying teams are located.

4. Schools are classified in all sports by size. The parochial schools in the state all try to manage their enrollment so to make sure they compete in smaller classes where they can dominate. Of course, they would never "recruit".

Pennsylvania

1. PA is divided geographically into 12 districts. Each district holds its own state qualifying meet where individuals and teams qualify for states. The more schools a district has that offer XC in a particular division (school size) the greater the number of qualifiers (both team and individual) to the state meet. There are no at-large bids. If a district happens to have the 2 best teams in the state in that district/division yet there aren't many teams in that district/division, such that there is only 1 team that qualifies for states, then the #2 team is out of luck and stays home from states.

2. No idea, but it appears to be random drawing.

3. Yes.

4. PA's is determined by school size.

State: Michigan

10 regions per division in LP, there are 4 divisions based on school size. All teams compete at regional regardless of talent. Top 15 individuals and top 3 teams go. However, if a 4th team has 4 in the top 20, they go as well. If a qualifying team puts guys in the top 15, they take up individual spots so theoretically, you could have 0-1 individuals (but that usually never happens)

Box assignments are drawn at random

All 4 divisions run separately at state final with rolling schedule on the first Saturday in November at Michigan International Speedway

state: Alabama

1. There are 7 school size divisions, 1a-7a. Each division has 4 section meets, in which teams field 10 runners each. Top 5 score, 6 and 7 hold place, and 8-10 are backup. From each sectional, 3 full teams advance, and the top 6 runners not on a team also advance.

2. The top teams from each section pick starting boxes first, followed by 2nd and 3rd places at sectionals. Wildcard runners find a space where they can.

3. In track and field, all divisions are separate, but in XC 1a and 2a are treated as one division. All other divisions race separately. The state meet has 6 races, with 144 runners in each race.

4. No. There is not even a multiplier for private schools.

Texas

6 Divisions 1A-6A

4 Regions in each division (1-4)

8 districts in each region

Top 3 teams from each district to region

Top 10 individuals from each district to region (doesn't matter qualifying team or not.

Region To State:

Top 4 teams

Top 10 individuals on non qualifying team

Not sure about boxes. At region it was alphabetical order with individuals in boxes 1-4.

North Dakota

1.) Every team in the state, Class A or B, is allowed to bring 10 runners to state.

2.) Random draw

3. The G and B races of one class, and then the G and B races of the other a few hours later. Same day, same location.

4.) School is enrollment determines class placement.

alabamarunner wrote:

state: Alabama

1. There are 7 school size divisions, 1a-7a. Each division has 4 section meets, in which teams field 10 runners each. Top 5 score, 6 and 7 hold place, and 8-10 are backup. From each sectional, 3 full teams advance, and the top 6 runners not on a team also advance.

2. The top teams from each section pick starting boxes first, followed by 2nd and 3rd places at sectionals. Wildcard runners find a space where they can.

3. In track and field, all divisions are separate, but in XC 1a and 2a are treated as one division. All other divisions race separately. The state meet has 6 races, with 144 runners in each race.

4. No. There is not even a multiplier for private schools.

All correct, except there IS a 1.35 multiplier for private schools. Good luck this weekend in Moulton :-)

alabamarunner wrote:

state: Alabama

1. There are 7 school size divisions, 1a-7a. Each division has 4 section meets, in which teams field 10 runners each. Top 5 score, 6 and 7 hold place, and 8-10 are backup. From each sectional, 3 full teams advance, and the top 6 runners not on a team also advance.

2. The top teams from each section pick starting boxes first, followed by 2nd and 3rd places at sectionals. Wildcard runners find a space where they can.

3. In track and field, all divisions are separate, but in XC 1a and 2a are treated as one division. All other divisions race separately. The state meet has 6 races, with 144 runners in each race.

4. No. There is not even a multiplier for private schools.

All correct, except there IS a 1.35 multiplier for private schools. Good luck this weekend in Moulton :-)

Tennessee (this will be fun)

We are split public D1 and private (financial aid) D2

D1 has AAA and AA-A

Both of these have 8 Regions with 3 teams coming from each region and the top 10 individuals (must be top 10 to qualify).

D2 is also split AA and A (dumbest thing ever)

As a result AA only has 11 teams and all automatically go to state

Single A has 2 Regions with the top 4 at each qualifying and top 10 individuals.

So it is split by size and by financial aid. This has been a pretty hot topic here since the 90s and a good bit of reclassifying will happen next year.

Arkansas

All teams are allowed to enter the state meet (up to 9 runners per team).

Random drawing. Somehow we always end up next to one of our biggest rivals.

7 divisions. All race separately with the exception of 1 and 2A who race against each other.

Private schools are required to race in bigger divisions.

Hold on now wrote:

Ohio

1. --5 teams from each region + any individual who finished in the top 20 in the regional meet.

s.

It was 4 and 16 until this year. Eventually they'll just let everybody run.

Maybe by that time they will figure out how crappy that course is for fans. On the other hand, it makes it easy to get 5 or 6 miles in while watching the meet.