****TRACK SCHEDULE UPDATE FROM THE UIL****

[KFDM COOP]

Regional Track Meets

All UIL regional track meets originally scheduled for this weekend, May 1-2, have been cancelled. The state track and field meet will be extended to a three-day format to include semifinal heats. The meet is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 14-16. Semifinal qualifiers will be based on the district track meet results.

Each region will be represented at the state meet by the top four performances in each event for all conferences. Hand-held times will be converted to fully automatic times as defined by the National Federation of State High School Association rules. A revised track and field state meet schedule will be posted on the UIL web site no later than Friday, May 1. Qualifiers to the UIL state track and field meet will be posted on the UIL web site on Wednesday, May 6.

[BadMedicine]

This is very bad news for track athletes to compare times from different meets with different timing methods and track conditions.  Some runners, especially in the longer distances, may not have run their best times if they easily won their district meet.  How can you compare a 3200 meter race with first place winning by 100 yards compared to a race with a close finish.

The UIL is doing a great disservice to hard working and dedicated track athletes.  If this was football, they would be playing 3 or 4 games a week to get in all of the games.

[sfasuljack]

Hopefully sanity prevails and the UIL makes some other adjustments... otherwise, no Joe Dooley in the mile (cruised to District win in 5.01 but saved a bunch to anchor their mile relay). 5.01 won't get in. Believe he's made it state every year. He'll prob still go in the 800 but woulda been nice to see him try to win both the 800 and 1600 at state. Pretty sure the times he has run around 4.30 all year are 10 to 15 seconds better than anyone else in the region, not to mention he is the defending region champion in the 800 and 1600.

Surely they can come up with a better solution. Comparing district times is ridiculous. Sure to be many examples like this (especially relays).

[dayton]

I understand it this way..... All athletes who qualified for regionals out of their districts ARE running in the semifinals(replaces regionals)... the top four runners (from the semifinals) in each event FROM all conferences (or district) advance to "state"....

Simply put, all regional qualifiers get to compete and the top 4 from each region will advance. Still sounds weird because that means 16 athletes in each event at state... and I've never seen 2 heats at a state meet.

Posters Kris Gilmore and cardinalcc should know what this means, maybe they'll chime. I know that one or both of them is a coach with kids who have a lot at stake.

The release statement was, IMO, very vaguely if not poorly written. Or, maybe I'm just not smart enough to read UIL jargon.

[BUCman]

I believe that it goes like this, all of the times in the region are pooled together and then they are going to take the 4 fastest times in the region to state.  The only question I have is for 1A, in which I coach.

We have Area before regionals, so are they taking that time or are they going to take the district time.  I hope it is the district time, because our hurdlers did not run well at area, but ran a full second faster at district.

[BadMedicine]

There are approximately eight districts in a region, the top three finishers from each district qualify for regions, and four regions in Texas, then 96 partipants in each event would qualify for the state track meet.  You would need more than "semi-finals" to narrow down the top eight for the finals.

[football]

They will use your district times and compare them with the rest of you region and only 4 from each region will advance to state.

[skyhcky]

This is insane... Not having this track meet is not going to do much in preventing the spread of this disease.  Just my opinion...

[dayton]

They will use your district times and compare them with the rest of you region and only 4 from each region will advance to state.

I don't like that.... are you certain on that?

Their release left a lot to interpretation.

Not arguing with you... just hoping you're wrong.

[BH85]

It's wierd how they can't just put Regionals on the weekend that State is scheduled and move state back 1 weekend.  That would still give the 2 week + delay and not have anything going till May 11th.  I agree those not pushed at District or those that were being team players like Dooley and saving energy are getting messed around in the deal.  Here is a link to the memo.  Academic contests are also being hit....but the track is the one getting the worse end of the deal.

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[BadMedicine]

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Dayton,

Check out this web site that has a lot of discussion on this matter.

[HillGuy]

Ok...from other forum sounds like they are considering a "Super" State Meet with all region qualifiers...thats crazy.  96 athletes per event, per gender, per classification.  Can you imagine the hotel shortage in Austin!

[HillGuy]

FROM PUBLIC RELATIONS UIL

Thank you for your concerns regarding the recent UIL press release regarding the swine flu and UIL event schedules.

As indicated in the release, this is a situation that is changing daily and all plans released by UIL are tentative and the best options available at this time.

Be assured that all options are being considered, including rescheduling regional and state competitions in track and field.

As more information becomes available it will be provided via email updates and through the UIL web site.

If you have other questions or need additional information, please contact the UIL office.

[softball]

Please if I am Wrong please let me know but is it true that Joe Dooley not going to state for the 1600? If so this is crazy Joe Dooley should be going to state just because he ran a 5:01.38 in his mile at district and still placed first this is not fair Joe has been dedicated all four years of high school  he is now a senior and had a very good chance of winning state in both the 800 and 1600. His best time that I can recall is like a 4:30 1600. 

[KFDM COOP]

UIL track regionals might still be held

03:21 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

[email protected]

Now that UIL officials have had time to think, some new scheduling proposals are taking shape and the upcoming regional track meets may not be cancelled after all.

Earlier today, the University Interscholastic League suspended all athletic events until May 11 because of the swine flu outbreak. This weekend's regional track meets were originally going to be scrapped while the upcoming baseball and softball playoff schedules would only be tweaked.

But UIL executive director Charles Breithaupt said his office has contacted all of its regional sites to see what dates would be available in mid-May. If that happens, the state track meet would be pushed back into possibly late May.

A new postseason track schedule could be announced later this week.

"If there's a safety issue, it's public problem for us having a kids come to a common place from all over the state," Breithaupt said. "We understand that. It's one of those tough calls you have to make.

"Stay tuned, because we think we have a better model now that we have a little time to think about it."

The biggest hurdle may be rescheduling the state meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The state meet is now currently slated for May 14-16. UT officials will not let the UIL push things back one week because it bumps into graduation ceremonies.

"Every hotel room, parking spot and facilities are taken that weekend," Breithaupt said. "No one is allowed to schedule anything that week."

Area high schools officials are anxious to see what the final schedule will look like.

"That's unfortunate that has to happen, but I guess they've got to make a decision, I guess," Dallas ISD athletic director Jeff Johnson said.

[bronco1]

By my calculation it would work like this, 16 teams(four from each region based on District times), that would equal 2 preliminary races on the first day and a final with the top 8 on the last day.

Does that sound right to ya'll?

4A District Meet Times in Men's 4x400 Relay

Reg. District School Place Time

1 5-4A Denton Guyer 1 3:21.24

1 7-4A FW Eastern Hills 1 3:22.30

1 1-4A El Paso Austin 1 3:22.68

1 8-4A Arlinton Seguin 1 3:23.66

2 13-4A Longview 1  3:21.72

2 13-4A Texas High 2 3:21.84

2 15-4A Lancaster 1 3:22.86

2 15-4A Lancaster 1 3:22.86

3 23-4A Lamar    1 3:20.85

3 24-4A Pearland Dawson 1 3:21.40

3 19-4A Dayton                1 3:24.60

3 19-4A North Forest 2 3:25.13

4 30-4A Port Lavaca 1 3:21.86

4 25-4A Pflugerville Hendr. 1 3:23.33

4 25-4A Hutto      2 3:23.55

4 27-4A Canyon  1 3:23.85

[cardinalcc]

I think they are going to work this out somehow. Some of the elite athletes will not be going under the current format and I am pretty sure that they will find a way so that they will be competing. I know that Alex De La Garza who is in 4A and has the #4 time(4:15 1600) for the 1600 in the state(1A-5A) will not be going, Zach Ornelas(9:12) who has one of the top 5 fastest 3200(1A-5A) will not be going, Austin Roth (9:08) will not be going, and Evan Hibbs(4:16) who was a Footlocker Finalist(huge national meet) will not be going. These are just a few distance guys, there are plenty more distance runners and other events too that will not be going. I think UIL will have to come up with some kind of solution to this other than the one that they have now.

[KFDM COOP]

They will!! Should be new schedule Thursday.

[Jdad]

The uil should have thought this through a little bit better before post what they were thinking. You can't compare times with different conditions. I am glad everyone is responding and contacting them and hoping for a better solution. The swine flu problem is not a 2 week thing so the same problems will be at state as this weekend. Cancelling is not the answer everyone let your voices be heard look  at the uil website and go to contacts and send your emails.

[RETIREDFAN1]

They will!! Should be new schedule Thursday.

Do you know that for sure???

[KFDM COOP]

There will be a Regional Track Meet according to the UIL Director. Hopefully news Thursday.

[KFDM COOP]

A new postseason track schedule could be announced later this week.

"If there's a safety issue, it's public problem for us having a kids come to a common place from all over the state," Breithaupt said. "We understand that. It's one of those tough calls you have to make.

"Stay tuned, because we think we have a better model now that we have a little time to think about it."

The biggest hurdle may be rescheduling the state meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The state meet is now currently slated for May 14-16. UT officials will not let the UIL push things back one week because it bumps into graduation ceremonies.

"Every hotel room, parking spot and facilities are taken that weekend," Breithaupt said. "No one is allowed to schedule anything that week."

Area high schools officials are anxious to see what the final schedule will look like.

"That's unfortunate that has to happen, but I guess they've got to make a decision, I guess," Dallas ISD athletic director Jeff Johnson said.

[Let’sGetAlong]

Hopefully they will have the regional meets, but if they don't and they are only going to take the top so and so from each region why not this?????

There is going to be a day of prelims no matter what...take the TOP 8 from each region instead of 4 (you won't be leaving so many great runners behind...especially distance).

You have your prelims on Thursday and take the top 2 from each event in each region and their are your finals.

Is this a good idea or is there something wrong with it? There's just too many distance runners being left behind. So many distance runners don't run for time at district...they just run to win. They are pushing the 800, mile, and for some the 4X400 in less than 2 hours.

[RETIREDFAN1]

They ARE having the Regional Meets.  They just haven't worked out the dates yet.....

[RETIREDFAN1]

I just called Huntsville to see what was going on May 15 and 16 in case that was the date.  That is the weekend of Sam Houston's graduation, so the Region IV Class A meet probably won't be able to be held in Huntsville on that weekend.