Monday Morning Finish Line

 

February 1, 2021: A Month Done and Then Beyond

 

By Michael Newman

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I started writing this on Tuesday afternoon and thought I would have to stretch to have something to write about for this initial piece of MMFL. Wednesday came and my cup runneth over.

 

January was not a hot bed of high school track and field action across Illinois. We did have some notable things happen in the first month of the new year.

 

Ava Parekh of Latin School continued her jet setting ways traveling across the country looking forward a place to race in. The junior did run the sixth fastest 3200/2-Mile ever for an Illinois Girls runner she ran 10:17.71 at the Virginia Showcase on January 17 at the new Virginia Beach Track Center.

 

Tori Thomas of Alleman High School did not have to travel as far as Parekh as she traveled from Rock Island down to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to compete in a small Pole Vault Meet on the Southeast Missouri University campus. The senior set a new al-time Illinois best (indoors or out) clearing 13’ 6” to win the event.

 

Good things should happen also for Brandon Battle. The senior from Edwardsville High School has traveled to meets in Alabama and Ohio in the past month. Battle ran the best time indoors ever for an Illinois High School runner for the 400 Meter Dash when he was clocked at 48.25 to win the event at Youngstown State University.

 

Last Wednesday was an early “Groundhog’s Day” for Illinois High School athletes when the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced there would be high school sport seasons for the remainder of the 2021 school year.

 

The IHSA announced that Track & Field would have a season from April 5 to June 19 with a state meet “To Be Determined”. Social media was a buzz announcing we must have this, and we must have that. I think that we must have is patience in letting the environment tell us what will work for us and what will not work. When asked what his team’s season would look like, North Central College Head Track & Field Coach Frank Gramarosso reply is a simple “I don’t know”.

 

It is a three-word statement that we should be used to by now having heard this during this past Pandemic year that is still dictating what we can and cannot do. Our society is in a must have answers immediately for everything instead of thinking, pondering, and then making a well-informed decision.

 

We do not know how this track season for high schools in Illinois will look like this spring. We, however, can look at the many options that we could see during that time. Let us watch the snow fall this weekend and throw ideas at the wall seeing which will stick.

 

LOOKING AT WHAT WE KNOW

 

Let us start this ongoing discussion on what we must work with and from what officials from the IHSA have had to say. I commend that the IHSA moved the track & field up in the calendar to April 5 and then ending on June 19. It was longer than the May and June outdoor schedule that was originally put out there in the fall. The three-month track campaign makes up for the fact that we did not have a season in 2020. “Season limitations for track and field have gone unchanged,” stated IHSA Assistant Director in Charge of Track & Field Kraig Garber. “In other words, 18 team dates and 21 individual dates exclusive of any state series is what schools will be limited to.” The limits for meets have in the past years been spread out from the start of February all the way to the state series in May. The elimination of the indoor track season and now the three-month outdoor season make the scheduling extremely interesting. Knoxville High School Girls Coach Greg Ruetz stated, “If there’s ever a year to experiment with the schedule, this is the year to do it.”

 

“We need to figure out if we leave our traditional dates for invites in and create new meets for the end of May and June OR do we push all traditional invite dates back 4 weeks,” said Waubonsie Valley Boys Head Coach Kevin Rafferty. “Make the 3 weeks in April dual/tris/quads only. We need big group discussions.”

 

It would make sense to have April a time to have the smaller duals, triangular, or quad meet with the emphasis on QUAD meets. The one problem that I saw last fall during the Cross-Country season was that school athletic directors were a one-man gang with huge limitations on how schools would race. It would be a huge mistake if we had set schedules right away and instead let the ideas and the conditions figure themselves out. Honestly, there are some athletic directors that do not have a clue of what a track & field meet, or cross-country meet is all about. There are some AD’s that get it. The key should be that the AD’s should lean on the expertise of coaches that are around the sport and know what would work best for their school or for the situations that will continuously evolve.

 

It is okay to say, “I do not know”. It would be a HUGE mistake if we rush to judgement. If we do make that rush, make it okay to change the schedules to reflect the current guidelines set for by the IHSA and the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH).

 

A STATE MEET?

 

This is not a “business as usual” year in 2021 for Illinois High School Track and Field or for track and field across the United States. Since we did not have an IHSA State Meet in 2020, there will be a push of must having to have a state meet for 2021. I think it is important that we have a state meet this June. There are many ideas that I have come up with and that many other coaches have forwarded to me.

 

I think the most important thing is to need to understand the situation that the IHSA is in before we start pushing our agendas on them.

 

Craig Anderson, the Executive Director of the IHSA, held a video press conference on Wednesday afternoon after the IHSA released the schedule for Illinois High School sports. Some of the things that he had say are important on how this season will go on. “Does the possibility of a state meet in track and field exist,” said Anderson. “Yes. Is it a longshot? Yes.”

 

“It is hard to know exactly what the state series will look like for track and field at this point,” added Garber. “I believe that we will at least conduct a sectional round, but I don’t know the number of sectionals or potential sites at this point.  More to come on that.”

 

The loss of the state series competitions in all sports has hurt the IHSA with the loss of revenue. It will be important if there is a state competition in our sport, things will have to be close to back to normal.

 

“There are still financial concerns conducting some of the low-risk sports or the spring sports. (Having a state meet) It won’t benefit the association financially unless we can have spectators beyond the limits that are currently in place,” said Anderson. “That will play into what kind of state series we are able to offer or if we get any give from our members (terms and conditions). It will be tough to give back to our membership for those hosting responsibilities. Those are things to be determined. There is still a financial concern with the loss of revenue with the result of no state series. If we do hold a state series with spectator limits it could hurt us financially and considerably.”

 

Those are some of the things that should be remembered as we head into this coming season.

 

STATE MEET IDEAS

 

2021 Track in Illinois could be a difference maker in our sports for years to come. This is not like every other season. Now is the time to try things new, to try different concepts for meets. It is also a chance to try different things in running a state meet. With the COVID-19 guidelines, there will be the chance that the state meet will be smaller.

 

Mark McCabe, the Hall of Fame XC/Track Coach from Hinsdale Central, had some unique ideas. “I agree we should use this as a time to be creative and think outside the box. “It is not a "business as usual" year, it does not have to be a "business as usual" meet.  I would like to get post-season opportunities for as many kids as possible, which is a true strength of our usual state series/meet, unlike most other states, McCabe said. “There are lots of options for example boys and girls together/separate in a state venue. A few meets in various locations (3A up north, etc.) to minimize overnight travel. A sprint meet in one place, distance in another and so on.”

 

Knoxville Coach Greg Ruetz has similar ideas. “I believe this year that the IHSA needs to make the State Track meet a one-day event,” says Ruetz. “Maybe run it like the Top Times Indoor meet for a year. Iowa has a time each event that each athlete/relay team have to reach during the regular season and they automatically qualify for the state meet. Again, I think each class would have to get it done in one day.”

 

The idea of what Ruetz said about Iowa requires a little more time to look at. It is like what the NCAA’s have done and I think now could work considering how many more meets are using FAT timing. It was not possible 10 years ago. I think it could work now.

 

My main concern is that there could still be timing manipulation (fudging) with track performances. There was a sectional meet several years ago where a high number of athletes qualified for the state meet in a sprint event in a sectional that normally would have just had the minimum of athletes qualified. What was later discovered was that there was a problem with the starting sensor. The timer hit a button on their computer – hence times. Should have been hand times. The following week at state “these athletes” that were on the top of the list had only one runner qualify for the finals. Most timing companies are ethical. There are some and some coaches that are not.

 

The use of Athletic.Net as the registration company for the IHSA state series could make it possible. The IHSA wants regional representation in their state meets. FAT meets timed could be used to qualify “x-amount” of runners per sectional hence eliminating the use of a sectional meet. It is like the idea that the Illinois Top Times Meet uses.

 

Doug Roberts, who is a coach and the father of Illinois Pole Vault Champion Windsor Roberts, came up with a complex idea of how to hold a state meet. (His idea is attached to this article in a PDF Document).  It is out of the box thinking and something that we need more of over the next few months. “It is okay with 2021 looking different,” stated Roberts. “Give our student athletes a chance to compete. Track

 

is a low-risk sport. We should be having a state meet like every other state around us.”

 

Roberts went as far in his plan on the days that sectionals would be held, the time schedule for state, and how to govern spectators. It is well thought out.

 

I despise the phrase “We should be having a state meet like every other state around us.” I have heard it so many other times especially from parents on social media. The fact is Illinois is the largest of the states in the Midwest population wise compared to the surrounding states that touch Illinois. Denser population bases compared to our surrounding states make tougher but safer guidelines. These are tough times. That must be a factor.

 

What we should be doing is looking at the states around us that are having meets right now. Look at the restrictions that they have for holding a meet and how they hold it successfully without a huge COVID-19 bump. Illinois numbers are going down. We must let the conditions improve for our chances of a state meet improve. Remember, we are only at the beginning of February. We have a long way to go.

 

NEWMAN’S IDEAS

 

My main thoughts are simple. There are no bad ideas. The only ideas that are not shared are bad. My feelings are strong that we must have a state meet in June. The problems are looking at this right now is it is hard to see that happening. State Meet will be tough to hold in Charleston especially for the teams that have long distances to travel to get to EIU. Will the dorms be available? Will it be safe to stay in the dorms?

 

Even with the one-day model that is floated about will require overnight stays either in Charleston area hotels or EIU dorms.

 

The idea of Doug Roberts is a good one. The numbers of qualifiers are too high especially in a pandemic year for it to happen.

 

If we have a state championship meet, it is going to have to come down to all final races with no prelims. It also means lower numbers of athletes at the meet.

 

The one format that I am familiar with is the model that Ohio uses in conducting their state series in three weeks. A district meet qualifies you to a regional meet. You come down to four regional meets where only the top four finishers (regardless of comparing times in other regionals) qualify for the state meet.

 

The Ohio model for their state meet is stretched over two days with prelims on the track and some finals (including the 4x8) and field events on Friday, then finals on Saturday.

 

If we do it in Illinois as one-day finals in each classification, you may have to do section finals in the sprints based off regional qualifying times (or seasonal bests based off Athletic.Net). Are 16 runners too many in the 800? Do we do that in sections? 1600 and 3200 would be 16 runners and run in one section as would the 4x8 be.

 

Just some thoughts to let percolate for the time being.

 

MORE THOUGHTS

 

Like I said previously, we need to have a state meet. It just may have to happen after the IHSA season ends on June 19. We thought the cross-country season would end on October 24. They pushed it back one week to allow for a sectional race.

 

I do not think it will happen this year. Anderson hinted in his press conference that the June 19 date could not be pushed back. It is too close to the beginning of the start of the 2021-22 school start of the IHSA season.

 

“I would be in support of some sort of "unofficial" state meet that is held after the official end of the track season, maybe leading July 1-3,” said Downers Grove South Assistant Coach Mike Farthing. “The state meet could be held over 3 days, with each class given one day to compete.  I suppose some sort of format like the indoor Top Times meet with entries being limited.  Teams would only be allowed to qualify two athletes per event and one relay team.”

 

There are factors that could make this tough. One could be the athletes that play football and run track would already be transitioning into summer football getting ready for their season after June 19. It also applies for distance runners and distance coaches. Those coaches did get a break when the IHSA moved the end of season up one week to June 19. Runners would get a break before transitioning into summer cross-country training.

 

There also must factor in of the athletes that want to compete in the high-level national meets. The dates have not been announced yet but most likely in the end of June, beginning of July. There would have to be the choice of going for a “unofficial state title” or going for the national exposure that could be found in a national setting.

 

The key is getting to the point that we can have a state meet. Social distancing, wearing our masks, and getting the vaccine when you are in line for it must still be in focus.

 

“I truly think we will have to be in phase five (unlimited spectators, athletes),” concluded Anderson. “Without that, I think we would be challenged to conduct those three sports that were mentioned and to complete a championship at those venues (O’Brien Stadium). There are several avenues to crown a state champion that are not at those venues. Scaled back tournament. The Board of Directors will look at a number of possibilities at what a state championship will look like. At this point, we do not have enough information.”

 

We are not going to have the answer yesterday. It will not be soon. Conditions need to improve. Guidelines still need to be followed. That is what I hope for.

 

FINAL THOUGHT: THINKING OUT OF THAT BOX

 

Sing for the day, Sing for the moment, Sing for the time of your life;

 

Come for an hour, Stay for a moment, Stay for the rest of your life. – Tommy Shaw

 

2021 could be one of those moments for Illinois High School track & field history. Coming up with the wild and crazy ideas could etch this season in our history.

 

No more “as is” thinking that we have in the past. We have a three-month outdoor season unlike any other that we have had before. We will have a June official season. There could be some incredible performances that we have not seen before.

 

Think out of the box. PLEASE, do not make it three months of dual meets. Here it is a chance to make a memorable time for the high school student that has been shackled by not being able to compete.

 

It is time to be creative with our meets. Move the Batavia Distance Madness or the Windy City Pole Vault to an outdoor venue.

 

There will be no school in June, but we will have a track season. Why not have an early morning meet?

 

Specialize our meets. Make it small meets involving all your athletes with just two or three events. A sprint only meet? A jump meet?

 

Memorial Day weekend is usually the time that the Boys Track and Field season ends in Illinois. Why not make it special? Make it a kickoff for the state season.

 

 I would love to see Distance Night in Palatine held on Friday then Saturday. Why not have a super speed meet with some of the top sprinters in the state at one location?

 

Why not have a two day meet at Detweiller Park? It was a blast to see cross country running this past weekend at the Big 10 XC Championships. Could it be possible that we do a “track” cross country meet on Memorial Day?

 

We have some smart coaches in this state with unique ideas. This is the time for those ideas to come out.

 

This is an on-going discussion. We are just at the beginning.