Favorite Track and Field Event and Why

[Fryowa]

And let's not forget these kids often double or triple up, running the 800, 1600, 3200 in the same meet.
And a relay leg somewhere in there to boot.

Our coach puts a two event limit on distance guys. He doesn't think it's productive to do more than that in one meet. I don't have an opinion on it because I stay in my lane when it comes to stuff like that. We have a nice arrangement at our school with the luxury of specialized coaches...the XC coach also coaches track and he basically takes the 800/1600/3200 runners, everyone else practices with our head coach, we have one who was an NAIA long jumper and high jumper so he works with that group plus hurdles, and then we have a teacher who was a college football player and thrower who takes our shot and disc kids. Obviously that's common at a larger school, but most programs our size have maybe one or two coaches max and you're lucky if they even ran track themselves in high school. The kids that run our 8/16/32 are basically our cross country team which is nice because they get essentially two seasons per school year to train with each other.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

And let's not forget these kids often double or triple up, running the 800, 1600, 3200 in the same meet.
And a relay leg somewhere in there to boot.

My typical meet in college was either the 4x800 or one of the medleys in the morning, open 800 and 4x400. At bigger meets there were prelims and finals so you would run back to back days with a similar schedule. There was usually less than an hour between the half and the 4x400. It was normal for me to throw up after the last race. Track is not a normal sport for normal people. At least not for distance runners. Its training to see whether you can take more pain than your opponent. But, as a 5'9 white kid from a small town in Iowa, I did not have a lot of other options for collegiate sports.

I have talked to high school buddies and we would all pad up and play a tackle football game and run the old veer offense today. We all remember the plays and calls. Its seered into our memory. Would love to do it. You could not pay me to run another competitive track meet again.

 

[CP87]

There was a woman a few years ahead of me at Luther, Turena Johnson. She was a 5-time national champion (spread across 5k, 10k, and XC). But the most impressive thing I ever saw her pull off was in the conference meet her senior year. She won the 1,500, 3,000 (that was before women added the steeple), 5,000, and 10,000 in a single meet. I know the 1,500 had prelims, I cannot remember for sure if the 3,000 did. All of those races were within a 24 hour period. She was practically indestructible.

 

[Seth53]

Fun Fact: Only Iowa and Alaska no longer have boy's prep pole vaulting.


1989 was the last year in Iowa. "Lack of coaching" and "dwindling interest" are often cited.
I think it was mainly due to an insurance issue.
48 other states seem to have it figured out.

Prep track varies quite a bit across the USA.

What Events Does Your State Track Meet Have?

Javelin is an event caught in the middle where state track and fields meets are concerned. One-third of the states have it, and two-thirds do not. Photo by Alan Versaw.

co.milesplit.com

 

[Fryowa]

1989 was the last year in Iowa. "Lack of coaching" and "dwindling interest" are often cited.
I think it was mainly due to an insurance issue.
48 other states seem to have it figured out.

Funny you mention it, another coach and I were talking about that exact topic at the state meet the other day. We were sitting with a South Dakota coach who was in town watching his niece run is how it came up.

When it comes to pole vault that’s an event that once it’s been gone a while there’s really no bringing it back. It’s not debatable that PV is inherently dangerous and you need to have coaches who know what they’re doing and have some genuine experience with the event. It’s obviously not ideal, but with running and other field events all you really need is a coach with a certificate bare minimum and you at least know no one is going to fall from 10’ or more and snap their neck or end up paralyzed from shitty coaching.

Even if the state said they’d open it up at 3A and 4A schools first because there have all the money and resources, that’s 112 schools in Iowa. Where would you find a hundred competent coaches out of nowhere to take something like that on?

The guy we sat with said a pole vault pit, standards, and approach are about $60-80K minimum installed and you have to find room. I could definitely believe that, I don’t think you could touch even the smallest construction project for less than 50 grand nowadays. Even if you had say 40 or 50 schools offer it, the only places that would have the equipment would be those schools…what happens when you go to any other school’s hosted meet with nowhere to vault? Then you’d also have to train up officials which are becoming harder and harder to find every year and (at least in NW Iowa) are made up mostly of retiree volunteers who aren’t being replaced by young people.

I love watching PV and think it’s impressive as hell, but I can’t think of a sport or event with higher barriers to entry in Iowa’s than that one.

 

[Fryowa]

Prep track varies quite a bit across the USA.

What Events Does Your State Track Meet Have?

Javelin is an event caught in the middle where state track and fields meets are concerned. One-third of the states have it, and two-thirds do not. Photo by Alan Versaw.

co.milesplit.com

Small clarification in the article…

Author lists the 800 SMR as girls only in Iowa and the 1600 SMR as boys only…that’s incorrect. Those two events are each contested by both boys and girls.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Small clarification in the article…

Author lists the 800 SMR as girls only in Iowa and the 1600 SMR as boys only…that’s incorrect. Those two events are each contested by both boys and girls.

Really? To my memory, we never had the 800 SMR in my area growing up and I don't ever remember seeing boys run that. Its a difficult race to run given the break at the quarter.

 

[Fryowa]

Really? To my memory, we never had the 800 SMR in my area growing up and I don't ever remember seeing boys run that. Its a difficult race to run given the break at the quarter.

The boys 800 SMR was added in Iowa in 2017. The girls have always run both the 800 and 1600.

I should clarify some verbiage too that's confusing when it comes to Iowa...

Iowa (high school level) calls the 800 medley (1/1/2/4) the "Sprint Medley," and they call the 1600 medley (2/2/4/8) the "Distance Medley." That's kind of different than what the rest of the country does. Most associations call the 1600 the Sprint Medley, and don't even have the 800 as an event. I cant really find the 800 in any other place.

Super weird and confusing for anyone not from Iowa.

BTW, I love that Iowa has so many relays. It's awesome and the medleys are great because you can't just throw four stud sprinters out there and compete. You have to have a well-rounded team to compete at the top.

 

[Seth53]

Funny you mention it, another coach and I were talking about that exact topic at the state meet the other day. We were sitting with a South Dakota coach who was in town watching his niece run is how it came up.

When it comes to pole vault that’s an event that once it’s been gone a while there’s really no bringing it back. It’s not debatable that PV is inherently dangerous and you need to have coaches who know what they’re doing and have some genuine experience with the event. It’s obviously not ideal, but with running and other field events all you really need is a coach with a certificate bare minimum and you at least know no one is going to fall from 10’ or more and snap their neck or end up paralyzed from shitty coaching.

Even if the state said they’d open it up at 3A and 4A schools first because there have all the money and resources, that’s 112 schools in Iowa. Where would you find a hundred competent coaches out of nowhere to take something like that on?

The guy we sat with said a pole vault pit, standards, and approach are about $60-80K minimum installed and you have to find room. I could definitely believe that, I don’t think you could touch even the smallest construction project for less than 50 grand nowadays. Even if you had say 40 or 50 schools offer it, the only places that would have the equipment would be those schools…what happens when you go to any other school’s hosted meet with nowhere to vault? Then you’d also have to train up officials which are becoming harder and harder to find every year and (at least in NW Iowa) are made up mostly of retiree volunteers who aren’t being replaced by young people.

I love watching PV and think it’s impressive as hell, but I can’t think of a sport or event with higher barriers to entry in Iowa’s than that one.

Good points.

But again, 48 other states, many with low populations (Nebraska, Wyoming), seemingly have it figured out. Why exactly Iowa bailed 35 years ago seems odd.

 

[Fryowa]

Good points.

But again, 48 other states, many with low populations (Nebraska, Wyoming), seemingly have it figured out. Why exactly Iowa bailed 35 years ago seems odd.

If you google "Iowa high school pole vault" there are several articles talking about why they stopped offering. It was low participation.

Regardless of why they stopped, bringing it back would be pretty much impossible.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Fun Fact: Only Iowa and Alaska no longer have boy's prep pole vaulting.


1989 was the last year in Iowa. "Lack of coaching" and "dwindling interest" are often cited.
I think it was mainly due to an insurance issue.
48 other states seem to have it figured out.

Prep track varies quite a bit across the USA.

What Events Does Your State Track Meet Have?

Javelin is an event caught in the middle where state track and fields meets are concerned. One-third of the states have it, and two-thirds do not. Photo by Alan Versaw.

co.milesplit.com

Damn right. I graduated in 1989 and I clearly remember the pole vault ending a few years before that. I seem to recall an opposing track athlete getting badly hurt at one of the meets, and possibly paralyzed.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

The boys 800 SMR was added in Iowa in 2017. The girls have always run both the 800 and 1600.

I should clarify some verbiage too that's confusing when it comes to Iowa...

Iowa (high school level) calls the 800 medley (1/1/2/4) the "Sprint Medley," and they call the 1600 medley (2/2/4/8) the "Distance Medley." That's kind of different than what the rest of the country does. Most associations call the 1600 the Sprint Medley, and don't even have the 800 as an event. I cant really find the 800 in any other place.

Super weird and confusing for anyone not from Iowa.

BTW, I love that Iowa has so many relays. It's awesome and the medleys are great because you can't just throw four stud sprinters out there and compete. You have to have a well-rounded team to compete at the top.

A college only event I loved was called the Distance Medley. It was 1200, 400, 800, 1600. Crazy race. Slowish, fastest, fast, slowest. Its run at Sioux City and Drake and a few other events, but not a national or conference race in most places. I either led off and ran the 1200 or the half. Having the mile at the end allowed for some massive comebacks if you had a stud miler on the team.

 

[Fryowa]

A college only event I loved was called the Distance Medley. It was 1200, 400, 800, 1600. Crazy race. Slowish, fastest, fast, slowest. Its run at Sioux City and Drake and a few other events, but not a national or conference race in most places. I either led off and ran the 1200 or the half. Having the mile at the end allowed for some massive comebacks if you had a stud miler on the team.

I'd love to see that.

A bucket list item of mine in the past few years is to make a trip to see the Penn Relays. Next year we're going to do Drake, my kid wants to qualify on the HS side but taking 11 seconds off his mile probably isn't going to happen. They moved the standard to 4:20 this year. We'll probably still go down to watch the masters events.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I'd love to see that.

A bucket list item of mine in the past few years is to make a trip to see the Penn Relays. Next year we're going to do Drake, my kid wants to qualify on the HS side but taking 11 seconds off his mile probably isn't going to happen. They moved the standard to 4:20 this year. We'll probably still go down to watch the masters events.

Absolutely get to Drake. I ran their for 2 years in high school and 4 in college. It is such a great event because it has high school, lower collegiate divisions, and D1. So, you get to see all levels of competition. The crowd is really into and it is a track crowd that knows when something is cool and when to cheer.

I hear Penn is amazing too, but never been.

BTW, you son is a talented runner. That is a faster mile time than I ever ran in high school. Qualifying for Drake is a great goal for him to shoot for.

 

[CP87]

NCAA has an indoor distance medley relay that goes: 1200, 400, 800, 1600.

A college only event I loved was called the Distance Medley. It was 1200, 400, 800, 1600. Crazy race. Slowish, fastest, fast, slowest. Its run at Sioux City and Drake and a few other events, but not a national or conference race in most places. I either led off and ran the 1200 or the half. Having the mile at the end allowed for some massive comebacks if you had a stud miler on the team.

It is an NCAA championship event in indoor, though.

 

[Seth53]

What's cool about the DRs (I've been twice) is at the high school level, it's an all-comers meet.
No classes per se. The best against the best, 1A - 4A. Qualifying times/distances are tough.
The in-season times/distances for most events are significantly lowered/heightened due to this.
Good stuff.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

This thread is getting me nostalgic as shit. I can still remember seeing that blue track for the first time my sophomore year of high school at State. Like it was yesterday. I was in awe as I entered the stadium. Like the Hickory Huskers entering Hinkle Fieldhouse in Hoosiers.

Iowa kids don't know how lucky they have it to have Drake and to be able to run State in that stadium. Nebraska has their state meet at Burke High School every year. Never understood it. Just a regular high school track.

 

[Fryowa]

What's cool about the DRs (I've been twice) is at the high school level, it's an all-comers meet.
No classes per se. The best against the best, 1A - 4A. Qualifying times/distances are tough.
The in-season times/distances for most events are significantly lowered/heightened due to this.
Good stuff.

At the state HS meet a 4:35 mile will generally guarantee you a spot, Drake's standard is 4:20 at present. That's like a 60 meter gap which is crazy.

In the 3200 if you run a sub 10 you're definitely going to state, and in 1A/2A will be top half seeded. Very low 10s will also go generally. Drake is 9:25 standard which is also super tough. Especially when you consider that many HS runners in Iowa run both the 32 and 16 in the same meet. Running a 9:25 3200 and a 4:20 1600 an hour apart to qualify is bonkers.

 

[Fryowa]

This thread is getting me nostalgic as shit. I can still remember seeing that blue track for the first time my sophomore year of high school at State. Like it was yesterday. I was in awe as I entered the stadium. Like the Hickory Huskers entering Hinkle Fieldhouse in Hoosiers.

Iowa kids don't know how lucky they have it to have Drake and to be able to run State in that stadium. Nebraska has their state meet at Burke High School every year. Never understood it. Just a regular high school track.

I took lots of pictures to remember it. I looked like an Asian tourist at Mount Rushmore and I don't care. Hopefully get to go back with him again. I think I was probably starstruck with the day more than he was, which I understand. I played in the HS stat baseball tournament in Marshall as a high schooler and I didn't think it was as big a deal as I would now. Don't know why that is.

 

[Seth53]

At the state HS meet a 4:35 mile will generally guarantee you a spot, Drake's standard is 4:20 at present. That's like a 60 meter gap which is crazy.

In the 3200 if you run a sub 10 you're definitely going to state, and in 1A/2A will be top half seeded. Very low 10s will also go generally. Drake is 9:25 standard which is also super tough. Especially when you consider that many HS runners in Iowa run both the 32 and 16 in the same meet. Running a 9:25 3200 and a 4:20 1600 an hour apart to qualify is bonkers.

So of course my questions are:

Who exactly sets the DR minimums, and, do they change (throughout the years...lowered)?