Snowflakes win again? DI Northeast regional XC championships is changed to road race because it snowed

I coached the team that won in 1987. It was not a freak snowstorm out of the blue, as someone previously said. I called The Weather Phone up in Syracuse 5 days before the race to find out the forecast. It was exactly the way they said it would be. We got turtlenecks and spandex for under our uniforms, gloves and hats. It was crazy cold and windy with about 6 inches of snow but my guys were prepared, especially mentally. We didnt have any issues but there were many teams completely unprepared. I specifically remember a girls team that only wore tank tops and bun huggers, who really had issues. I believe they were from Tottenville. We have a storied program but that win is one of our great highlights.

The 2014 NXR at Bowdoin wasn't much different.

I'm surprised. I would think most schools in the northeast would want to run the snowy course as a matter of pride. Hosting an xc meet on the road seems just silly.

Remember, this is a qualifying race; do you want your runners to be at a disadvantage at NCAAs because of problems that arise on the course. Ice causes slipping and falling, tweaking muscles, tendons, and more. And for then men it is the first 10k of the season. On FloTrack they were talking about the miserable conditions in Buffalo a couple of times, with many of the runners essentially giving up on racing and just trying to get through it. The stupidity on here about 'snowflakes' and such just shows how much of an Alberto you might be and do you think that very many people that this is a compliment now? Get your priorities straight; it is not for your perverse entertainment, it is to get a fair, non-dangerous qualifying race eight days before NCAAs.

USATF junior olympics region 2 xc is in Buffalo, NY on Sunday and I don’t see any mention of changes. Glad my kid is not going this year.

Hypocritehttps://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=8943360

rojo wrote:

What a joke. I've changed the title since it's now been changed and the snowflakes have won the day.

The title was initially: DI Northeast regional XC championships possibly going to the roads.

I can't believe this. This is Buffalo. It snowed 9 inches on Monday. That's nothing for them. The race is on Friday. The course pictures look fine to me. One of my most memorable coaching moments was coaching an xc meet in rain/snow. I guess they'll remember it now forever for being a road race but this is disturbing as to how risk averse administrators are becoming.

Any boots on the ground in Buffalo? Can someone tell me if the course is truly dangerous?

Here is the email the NCAA sent to the coaches.

This reminds me of my regional meet at Franklin Park in 1998 I think?

About 5 inches fell on Thursday before meet and then it got very cold. I remember Travis Landreth (RIP) won, he was in really solid shape, but if I remember correctly ran about 5:15/5:20 pace for 10k. Overall times were about three minutes slower than usual. I’ll remember that race for the rest of my life.

If I’m a team ranked 6 or below in the regional ranking and I believe we have an outside shot to qualify with the crazy conditions, then I have to imagine I want this race on the golf course. My guess is that the teams with the most to lose pushed this decision. I can see arguments for both courses.

It's Cross Country!

Case closed!

Anybody want to bandit with a LetsRun singlet?

Before y'all get even more worked up about this, have any of you been to the course? No pictures, not somewhere in Rochester, not 20 years ago, but at the golf course in person as of yesterday. If you haven't then you can't make judgements about the conditions.

Of course holding a regionals race on the roads is stupid, but it could very well be the only option. For the last two years people were complaining about the Buffalo course, and it was in better shape then. They decide not to host the slowest regional course ever and you're complaining about that too?

Remember, it's not Buffalo's fault. The coaches probably had next to no say in it, it was either the games committee or all the coaches from the top schools that don't want an unpredictable course (*cough* so Harvard doesn't choke again).

Yes move the race to the roads and rotate the event between non-snow regions.

Really; I think not? wrote:

Remember, this is a qualifying race; do you want your runners to be at a disadvantage at NCAAs because of problems that arise on the course. Ice causes slipping and falling, tweaking muscles, tendons, and more. And for then men it is the first 10k of the season. On FloTrack they were talking about the miserable conditions in Buffalo a couple of times, with many of the runners essentially giving up on racing and just trying to get through it. The stupidity on here about 'snowflakes' and such just shows how much of an Alberto you might be and do you think that very many people that this is a compliment now? Get your priorities straight; it is not for your perverse entertainment, it is to get a fair, non-dangerous qualifying race eight days before NCAAs.

Ok snowflake

The Fact that most of USA is under unseasonably cold early winter is ignored by the Climate Crisis Contingent.

Where was your state meet, and what was the year?

Polar Vortex for Jussie wrote:

The Fact that most of USA is under unseasonably cold early winter is ignored by the Climate Crisis Contingent.

And yet 2019 will end up being one of the hottest years on record overall. Way to look at one week in one localized region of the planet.

Arishole wrote:

My old coach texted me the same tonight. That's really bizarre.

Buffalo shouldn't be hosting this meet. Rotate it between Hammonasset in CT, VCP, and Franklin Park. No need for it to be in a snowtown in the middle of November.

I see arguments on both sides of the issue.

On one side, it's complete BS to exclude an entire geographical portion of the region because they get snow. Especially when other portions of the region get devastating hurricanes, etc.

On the other side, it's definitely not ideal to have teams run on a snowy course when most runners probably haven't had much time to accumulate to the stuff yet. Running in snow, especially when you're not used to it, can take a huge toll on the legs. But to counter this, it's not all that much different than running in thick mud.

Geez , kids are SOFT these days . I remember running college cross country in the 60s. You had to be a MAN to compete . Plenty of times there was over a foot of snow on the ground and we ran. Plus , you ran over mountains and streams and boulders . None of those pancake flat manicured golf course races . SAD.

Kyle Merber says it best :

Kyle Merber (@TheRealMerb) Tweeted:

Due to snow here’s the new Northeast Regional XC course

https://t.co/ausTMoYZJP

Polar Vortex for Jussie wrote:

The Fact that most of USA is under unseasonably cold early winter is ignored by the Climate Crisis Contingent.

Actually it's more evidence for them?