Albany men had a 1.5 point lead on Umass Lowell heading into the last event, the 4x4. Albany wins the 4x4 and thus the meet. Their team storms the track from the stands, and in doing so impedes New Hampshire who is still finishing up their 4x4. That interference gets Albany's 4x4 team DISQUALIFIED, resulting in Umass Lowell winning the team championship! Albany's streak of 13 straight indoor conference championships is broken.
Has anyone ever seen anything like this before? That's a hell of a way to lose a track meet.
Video below, go to the 5:48 mark for the 4x4 start or 5:52 for the last leg of the relay.
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/americaeast/portal.htm?eventId=428550&streamType=video
Unbelievable!! Albany Loses Conference Championship due to EPIC DQ!!
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ouch.
damn.
I got nothing. -
I can't think of anything that even comes close to that bad of a loss
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Go Riverhawks!
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That is epic.
Normally I don't care for DQs that really don't affect the end result.
But you have to uphold the DQ.
You can't run onto the track and interfere with a runner who hasn't finished, even accidentally.
That's just dumb of the athletes who did that. -
Come on we all know why Albany was DQ'd and it has nothing to do with NH runner being interfered with
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For reals2 wrote:
Come on we all know why Albany was DQ'd and it has nothing to do with NH runner being interfered with
well everyone in the conference hates Albany, so nobody is going to give them the benefit of the doubt. The coaches on the jury of appeals were all probably like "screw albany" instead of actually discussing what happened. -
1. Albany men had a 1.5 point lead on Umass Lowell heading into the last event, the 4x4. Albany wins the 4x4 and thus the meet.
Under common interpretation, the meet championship ends right then, when Albany crests the victory line. Everything else is nugatory.
2. Their team storms the track from the stands, and in doing so impedes New Hampshire who is still finishing up their 4x4.
This is irrelevant. To take this to the extreme, New Hampshire could decide to run so slow that everyone else gets bored so decides to go home, and gets DQ'd for not attending the (delayed) closing ceremony.
3. That interference gets Albany's 4x4 team DISQUALIFIED, resulting in Umass Lowell winning the team championship!
Was it the 4x4 team or the Albany "team" in general that stormed/interfered? Clearly you can't DQ the 4x4 team from the 4x4 race, merely for what other Albany people (perhaps secret moles) are doing. Though you could DQ Albany (on the whole) from the meet from their actions, particularly if there is no derogation from authority (coach). The facts are not clear. (Note to self: take this matter up at secondary appellate in any event)
4. Albany's streak of 13 straight indoor conference championships is broken.
OTOH, only a thorough fanboy would care about the multi-adjectived "13 straight indoor conference championships" in the first place. -
I agree with the DQ. It's funny tho because i had to rewind and watch the race again to see there was a 5th team. They were so far behind in the race, they lost by like 100m lol.
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I'm thinking the UMass Lowell coach should give the trophy to Albany.
Albany clearly won the race and the Albany team did what teams do storm the track with emotion.
The problem was there was a New Hampshire guy so far back (like 10 seconds in the heat) they ran infront of him. I'm not sure how much they impeded him as I didn't see that part on the video.
Originally I was thinking the Albany celebration no effect on anything except their finishing time. However, there was a slower heat of 4x400s as well. So New Hampshire being impeded could have affected the 4x400 scorings as teams score out of the slow heat. However looking at the results, I'm not even sure if affected any scoring of the meet at all.
What do you all think?
http://americaeast.com/documents/2018/2/24//Combined_Results.pdf
What if during a 5k or something someone walks into the track and bumps into a runner? Would they DQ the runners from the person who walked on the track? I'm sort of curious what's the actual rule on the DQ. Point being there is some discretion that can be used. -
wejo wrote:
I'm thinking the UMass Lowell coach should give the trophy to Albany.
Albany clearly won the race and the Albany team did what teams do storm the track with emotion.
The problem was there was a New Hampshire guy so far back (like 10 seconds in the heat) they ran infront of him. I'm not sure how much they impeded him as I didn't see that part on the video.
Originally I was thinking the Albany celebration no effect on anything except their finishing time. However, there was a slower heat of 4x400s as well. So New Hampshire being impeded could have affected the 4x400 scorings as teams score out of the slow heat. However looking at the results, I'm not even sure if affected any scoring of the meet at all.
What do you all think?
http://americaeast.com/documents/2018/2/24//Combined_Results.pdf
What if during a 5k or something someone walks into the track and bumps into a runner? Would they DQ the runners from the person who walked on the track? I'm sort of curious what's the actual rule on the DQ. Point being there is some discretion that can be used.
I agree, these officials and the conference should be ashamed of themselves.
There needs to be a better penalty/repercussion for this as the runners on Albany's 4x4 did nothing wrong. That relay shouldn't be disqualified after the race for actions that other people took.
I really think the NCAA should intervene here and overturn the DQ. -
wejo wrote:
I'm thinking the UMass Lowell coach should give the trophy to Albany.
Albany clearly won the race and the Albany team did what teams do storm the track with emotion.
The problem was there was a New Hampshire guy so far back (like 10 seconds in the heat) they ran infront of him. I'm not sure how much they impeded him as I didn't see that part on the video.
Originally I was thinking the Albany celebration no effect on anything except their finishing time. However, there was a slower heat of 4x400s as well. So New Hampshire being impeded could have affected the 4x400 scorings as teams score out of the slow heat. However looking at the results, I'm not even sure if affected any scoring of the meet at all.
What do you all think?
http://americaeast.com/documents/2018/2/24//Combined_Results.pdf
What if during a 5k or something someone walks into the track and bumps into a runner? Would they DQ the runners from the person who walked on the track? I'm sort of curious what's the actual rule on the DQ. Point being there is some discretion that can be used.
There have GOTTA be other penalties in track besides a DQ. It's just ridiculous how it's always all or nothing. Step on the line, you're outta there. Elbow another guy, that's fine unless the other runner's coach knows how to work the appeals process in which case you're outta there. And they took away the free false start rule since sprinters were abusing it, and now that's draconian as well.
It's because we're too time-focused, and I'm fine with this: any rule violation in a race, and it cannot be a record, sort of like if there's no doping control at a meet. But most rule infractions are in championship races. Here are some ideas for lesser punishments than a DQ:
1) Time penalties. This would be for a minor infraction like stepping on a line early in a distance race or perhaps some sorts of contact early in races. So if you win by 10 seconds you'll be fine, but if you win the lean at the line, the 2-second penalty for cutting a corner too close will cost you.
2) Fines. This is what should happen to Albany. This was a stupid thing to do, but it was completely accidental, and it didn't affect the final result. It wasn't really competition related. The program should be sanctioned in an off-the-track sort of way (and it should be significant here; that was really bad). I would say that uniform violations should fall in the same category.
3) A longer distance to run. Let's have a false start line that's 1m back for the 100, 2m back for the 200, and 3m back for all other events. You false start, you start from that line. Again, and you're out.
4) An in-race alternative to time-penalties if they could manage it would be a cone in lane 5. You step on the line, and you've gotta run out to the cone on the next lap. Or a stop-and-go sort of penalty. Or one where you have to fade to the back of your pack and then move up again.
I'm not saying all of these idea are great, but there's no reason we can't have some penalties in between nah-it's-cool and you're-DQ'd-your-life-is-over-you-might-as-well-not-have-run.
BTW, absolutely the only call they could have made today. Really sucks for Albany though -
reformer wrote:
wejo wrote:
I'm thinking the UMass Lowell coach should give the trophy to Albany.
Albany clearly won the race and the Albany team did what teams do storm the track with emotion.
The problem was there was a New Hampshire guy so far back (like 10 seconds in the heat) they ran infront of him. I'm not sure how much they impeded him as I didn't see that part on the video.
Originally I was thinking the Albany celebration no effect on anything except their finishing time. However, there was a slower heat of 4x400s as well. So New Hampshire being impeded could have affected the 4x400 scorings as teams score out of the slow heat. However looking at the results, I'm not even sure if affected any scoring of the meet at all.
What do you all think?
http://americaeast.com/documents/2018/2/24//Combined_Results.pdf
What if during a 5k or something someone walks into the track and bumps into a runner? Would they DQ the runners from the person who walked on the track? I'm sort of curious what's the actual rule on the DQ. Point being there is some discretion that can be used.
There have GOTTA be other penalties in track besides a DQ. It's just ridiculous how it's always all or nothing. Step on the line, you're outta there. Elbow another guy, that's fine unless the other runner's coach knows how to work the appeals process in which case you're outta there. And they took away the free false start rule since sprinters were abusing it, and now that's draconian as well.
It's because we're too time-focused, and I'm fine with this: any rule violation in a race, and it cannot be a record, sort of like if there's no doping control at a meet. But most rule infractions are in championship races. Here are some ideas for lesser punishments than a DQ:
1) Time penalties. This would be for a minor infraction like stepping on a line early in a distance race or perhaps some sorts of contact early in races. So if you win by 10 seconds you'll be fine, but if you win the lean at the line, the 2-second penalty for cutting a corner too close will cost you.
2) Fines. This is what should happen to Albany. This was a stupid thing to do, but it was completely accidental, and it didn't affect the final result. It wasn't really[/u] competition related. The program should be sanctioned in an off-the-track sort of way (and it should be significant here; that was really bad). I would say that uniform violations should fall in the same category.
3) A longer distance to run. Let's have a false start line that's 1m back for the 100, 2m back for the 200, and 3m back for all other events. You false start, you start from that line. Again, and you're out.
4) An in-race alternative to time-penalties if they could manage it would be a cone in lane 5. You step on the line, and you've gotta run out to the cone on the next lap. Or a stop-and-go sort of penalty. Or one where you have to fade to the back of your pack and then move up again.
I'm not saying all of these idea are great, but there's no reason we can't have some penalties in between nah-it's-cool and you're-DQ'd-your-life-is-over-you-might-as-well-not-have-run.
BTW, absolutely the only call they could have made today. Really sucks for Albany though
And to add to that, the fact that this was unquestionably the [i]right call shows how much we need to think about this issue -
No one who has been an athlete or coach in the entire conference is at all surprised by Albany's actions or disappointed by the outcome.
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find a better solution wrote:
There needs to be a better penalty/repercussion for this as the runners on Albany's 4x4 did nothing wrong. That relay shouldn't be disqualified after the race for actions that other people took.
While it is true that the 4x4 team did nothing wrong, penalizing a team for actions not of their doing is commonplace. When fans throw things onto a football field because they are upset with a call, the team gets a penalty. Sideline violation against the players on the sideline? Penalize the players on the field. Basketball coach walks onto the court to argue with an official? Technical foul and the players ultimately are penalized. -
this was not the right call. nobody on the 4x4 interfered with anyone.
there should be officials there to keep people off the track, and there weren't.
this DQ is proof that the america east is a joke of a conference. -
I was at the meet as a true impartial observer as I went to run the 5000 thinking the Boston Last Chance meet was Saturday instead of Sunday (I'm dumb). I was on the infield right across from where the Albany team ran across. I didn't realize there was a 5th team involved either at first so it's tough to blame them.
However, they very obviously impeded the NH runner. I don't think that the meet officials were going to call anything, which is too their credit as it's really not in the spirit of competition. However, once UML protested, what could they do? Just say, no? It's a clear cut violation but we are going to ignore it? I was standing next to one of the meet officials talking to him and that was his take.
The funniest perspective in all of this is that of the UNH anchor who is basically a hero to UML for being so far out of it that no one knew he was there. It looked as though his teammates were trying to talk him up to the UML women's team, and he seemed to be taking it with good humor.
To the guy who suggested the run so slow that everyone goes home tactic. There's an honest competition rule that would invalidate that strategy. -
THE REST OF THE AMERICA EAST wrote:
No one who has been an athlete or coach in the entire conference is at all surprised by Albany's actions or disappointed by the outcome.
instead of looking for any desperate opportunity to DQ them, and then laughing at them when something bizzare and unprecedented happens, the rest of the conference should man up and try to beat them for real.
Umass Lowell, to their credit, didn't even celebrate because they know they didn't deserve the win. -
not the right call wrote:
this was not the right call. nobody on the 4x4 interfered with anyone.
there should be officials there to keep people off the track, and there weren't.
this DQ is proof that the america east is a joke of a conference.
I agree it's the "wrong call" in that this should not have cost them the meet.
But that's the rule, and they had a particularly egregious violation of it. The only way to not DQ their relay would be to say "well, we'd follow the rule if it didn't matter, but this is a big deal, so screw it."
How would you resolve this? -
b runs wrote:
I was at the meet as a true impartial observer as I went to run the 5000 thinking the Boston Last Chance meet was Saturday instead of Sunday (I'm dumb). I was on the infield right across from where the Albany team ran across. I didn't realize there was a 5th team involved either at first so it's tough to blame them.
However, they very obviously impeded the NH runner. I don't think that the meet officials were going to call anything, which is too their credit as it's really not in the spirit of competition. However, once UML protested, what could they do? Just say, no? It's a clear cut violation but we are going to ignore it? I was standing next to one of the meet officials talking to him and that was his take.
The funniest perspective in all of this is that of the UNH anchor who is basically a hero to UML for being so far out of it that no one knew he was there. It looked as though his teammates were trying to talk him up to the UML women's team, and he seemed to be taking it with good humor.
To the guy who suggested the run so slow that everyone goes home tactic. There's an honest competition rule that would invalidate that strategy.
I don't think there was a protest by Lowell that led to the DQ, when I watched the video you can see the starter reacting to the athletes all over the track and another official holding up the yellow flag.
