2012 Track Season

[V0two]

Also, if I understand it correctly, the milesplit guy for Iowa is Lyle Knudson, an Olympic track coach a few years back. Definitely no towel boy. I could care less about these combined results as well, but there is something wrong with getting that worked up over it and then being downright disrespectful to the person who runs milesplit. I'm hesitant to even post this because I feel like I might be duped because you sound so harsh I feel you must be joking.

[The 9th Lane]

You're right, over-reaction on my part. Other sports do the same.

Random Post-Season Thought: I wish the Sr. Spotlight meet was closer to our state meet. 2 weeks would be perfect 3 seems a little long. I wish it wasn't only for seniors as well but I understand why it is. If they could get more states involved it would be a pretty good regional meet for those wanting one more option to hit it big in an individual event or relay prior to the National Meet. It would mean a big trip say to U of Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas etc... which takes time and money but it would have potential to be a great meet no doubt. Minnesota just finishes too late to coordinate with them.

Midwest Meet of Champions, Great Southwest, etc... type of meet that would allow the Iowa kids an opportunity to go up against some of the best in the region. Nothing wrong with the Sr. Spotlight meet but it's not quite what I would like to see it be. Don't get me wrong, Wisconsin and Illinois always send good athletes but I think its a little too late for the Iowa kids that have to wait 3 weeks while the others only 2. It just takes a huge amount of organization though to get more states involved. Golden West is by invitation so maybe with a couple big sponsors (Tyson Foods, Boeing etc..) maybe it could get done. Need Track Interest Connections though with university connections of some kind probably as well.

[oricfan]

Originally Posted by The 9th Lane

You're right, over-reaction on my part. Other sports do the same.

Random Post-Season Thought: I wish the Sr. Spotlight meet was closer to our state meet. 2 weeks would be perfect 3 seems a little long. I wish it wasn't only for seniors as well but I understand why it is. If they could get more states involved it would be a pretty good regional meet for those wanting one more option to hit it big in an individual event or relay prior to the National Meet. It would mean a big trip say to U of Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas etc... which takes time and money but it would have potential to be a great meet no doubt. Minnesota just finishes too late to coordinate with them.

Midwest Meet of Champions, Great Southwest, etc... type of meet that would allow the Iowa kids an opportunity to go up against some of the best in the region. Nothing wrong with the Sr. Spotlight meet but it's not quite what I would like to see it be. Don't get me wrong, Wisconsin and Illinois always send good athletes but I think its a little too late for the Iowa kids that have to wait 3 weeks while the others only 2. It just takes a huge amount of organization though to get more states involved. Golden West is by invitation so maybe with a couple big sponsors (Tyson Foods, Boeing etc..) maybe it could get done. Need Track Interest Connections though with university connections of some kind probably as well.

I agree 9th Lane. Unless you are a kid like Flood or Houhlihan who is good enough to cruise through the Iowa state meet in their pre-peak phase and point their training toward June, those late meets are often past kids' racing prime. They can still be fun for them, if expectations are realistic, but for most they are not going to produce their best performances.

[FastTrack]

Cedar Rapids middle school girls held their end of the year all-city track meet the other night. Word has it that Linn-Mar 8th grader Stephanie Jenks ran the 1500m in 4:43. There was also a 7th grader, Syaira Richardson that ran a 59 second 400m. They have two other 7th graders, Hannah Saville and another, that have run 1:02 or faster. This class also has Deana Newhouse (Carolyn's younger sister) and Jennifer Jenks.

There's also a girl in 7th grade that will go to Kennedy that's cleared 5' 1" in the high jump.

Maybe the Cedar Rapids area schools can finally challenge Des Moines and IA City schools in a few years to bring some balance.

[oricfan]

Those are some outstanding middle school marks!!

I think it would be GREAT to see LM and other CR schools produce teams that contend at state. Here's a link to an article today in the Iowa City papers. Those 15 years have been fun in Iowa City, but I don't know that they were helpful for the health of the sport statewide. http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20120525/SPORTS01/305250002/Prep-notebook-City-West-streak-ends-state-track?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

[runfan]

Originally Posted by oricfan

Those are some outstanding middle school marks!!

I think it would be GREAT to see LM and other CR schools produce teams that contend at state. Here's a link to an article today in the Iowa City papers. Those 15 years have been fun in Iowa City, but I don't know that they were helpful for the health of the sport statewide. http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20120525/SPORTS01/305250002/Prep-notebook-City-West-streak-ends-state-track?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

Amazing streak, interesting how different ICH and ICW views the world. One coach is alway's complimentary of fellow teams success and competiveness while the other coach alway's takes time to diminish others success while taking time to compliment himself by looking through his rear view mirror.

You might find the link below interesting. It's an interacive map showing all the state championships by county. You can pick the sport which shows how dominant the Eastern part of the State has been in Track and XC.

http://data.desmoinesregister.com/dm...ps/#all-sports

[The 9th Lane]

Originally Posted by FastTrack

Cedar Rapids middle school girls held their end of the year all-city track meet the other night. Word has it that Linn-Mar 8th grader Stephanie Jenks ran the 1500m in 4:43. There was also a 7th grader, Syaira Richardson that ran a 59 second 400m. They have two other 7th graders, Hannah Saville and another, that have run 1:02 or faster. This class also has Deana Newhouse (Carolyn's younger sister) and Jennifer Jenks.

There's also a girl in 7th grade that will go to Kennedy that's cleared 5' 1" in the high jump.

Maybe the Cedar Rapids area schools can finally challenge Des Moines and IA City schools in a few years to bring some balance.

I saw the 5-1 high jumper. She's for real and I bet if you could review her consistency over the season she probably has a pretty high average. For a Jr. High meet, that girl acted, looked and performed like a high school sophomore. She didn't need any coaching at the meet (but obviously was very well coached), was confident and really stood out in her demeanor among others her age. She could be a special one dependent on physical limitations but athletic enough to be good elswhere, maybe hurdles.

[4A-runfan]

Originally Posted by runfan

Amazing streak, interesting how different ICH and ICW views the world. One coach is alway's complimentary of fellow teams success and competiveness while the other coach alway's takes time to diminish others success while taking time to compliment himself by looking through his rear view mirror.

I agree. Way to bring up your largest margin of victory, how humble.

Yes, Waukee has grown, but their 10-12 enrollment (1146) still trails West by nearly 300 students (1426) and is only ahead of City High by 100 students (1044). That's hardly a point to be made. But, WDM Valley (2038) has twice as many students as City High and 300 more than the next closest 4A school (DSM Lincoln's 1714).

West is the 6th largest school. Waukee is 18th and City High is 26th. Ankeny's approaching split will take them from 4th largest to roughly 38th+39th. If Waukee split, they'd have two 3A districts right now. Their split is coming before the year 2020 though.

[4A-runfan]

Anyone want to reopen the Rebecca Topham issue of competing in collegiate track meets? This is from the IHSAA 2011-2012 Handbook (Rule 36.15(2) h. on page 27):

h. A student is not eligible to participate in an interscholastic sport if the student has, in that same sport, participated in a contest with or against, or trained with, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), or other collegiate governing organization‘s sanctioned team.

[oricfan]

Originally Posted by 4A-runfan

Anyone want to reopen the Rebecca Topham issue of competing in collegiate track meets? This is from the IHSAA 2011-2012 Handbook (Rule 36.15(2) h. on page 27):

h. A student is not eligible to participate in an interscholastic sport if the student has, in that same sport, participated in a contest with or against, or trained with, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), or other collegiate governing organization‘s sanctioned team.

That's very interesting. Do you think she is ok with this rule because she ran them BEFORE she was in high school? For example, my impression is that a kid could get advise from a college coach/athlete under the "trains with" portion of that pre-high school, but that would have to stop as soon as the athlete hit high school. Has she raced in any college races THIS year? That's just my guess as to how she didn't get in trouble for those past races. It does seem pretty murky, though, doesn't it?