I don't fully understand how the runners will be seeded for the 800 and below. Will one heat be the top 2 in each region and then the 2nd heat will be the 3/4 from each region? Or is it 1st/1st/1st/1st by times then 2nd/2nd/2nd/2nd by times then all by times after that?
Heat 1:
Fastest and 4th fastest 1st place qualifier
2nd and 3rd fastest 2nd place qualifier
Heat 2:
2nd and 3rd fastest 1st place qualifiers
1st and 4th fastest 2nd place qualifiers
After that you spread out based on times ignoring places.
1) Who is responsible for compiling (and hopefully posting here!) the heat sheets? (GSHA or meet director)
2) Insisting all Sectionals start at the same time - I wonder what the thinking was in terms of codifying it that strictly?
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friendofthedevil
The logic was this. Each sectional meet will have a variety of teams with very different travel requirements (some will go hundreds of miles). By setting a schedule that allows for travel the day of the meet, we were hoping to minimize additional costs incurred in association with the additional layer of qualifying for the State championship. Starting late enough in the morning as the schedule does, allows teams to travel that morning, which was a priority. If teams choose to go the night before that is certainly their prerogative but GHSA did not want to set it up where that was necessary. The return travel might result in a late night but would also not necessitate a hotel stay.
In addition, allowing variation in the schedule would open the door to all sorts of criticisms that the different sectionals were not the same at might then appear to have been unfair to one group or another. This way the sectional host, who likely will have the simplest logistical situation for his team, will not be seen as having any additional advantages in the meet set up. As you know there are complaints about every sort of strange issue weekly on this site. What is often true is that a passionate complaint is born out interest in one athlete's situation that often fails to take into account the larger group. Since athletes compete in multiple events in a wide variety of combinations, what might be seen as a simple and appropriate schedule change that would be better for one, might prove to create a tremendous challenge for another unintentionally.
Thus the committee felt that standardizing the schedule would eliminate that concern as far as the hosts were concerned. I am confident there will be those who take issue with the choices made and I bet those concerns were part of our discussion as we hashed out numerous scenarios in this process. In the end we came up with a schedule that all involved were comfortable with that addressed the travel issues along with issues of challenging combinations of athletes in multiple events.
tp
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tpee
That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
(To be clear - I was not questioning the wisdom of the policy, I just couldn't come up with the rationale for the policy on my own.)
Why is track & field still the only GHSA sport officiated by it's coaches?? Hopefully the sectional meet hosts, per the handbook published, will take on the expense to have qualified and objective officials working all the events (not just the starters). Good luck to everyone competing on Saturday.
Can someone explain why the top 2 finishers in regions still must run in sectionals. That seems redundend. they are the 2 best in their region. The 3 and 4 finishers should go to sectionals and have a run off with all other 3 and 4 finishers from other regions,
Because the top 2 finishers in a region still may not be in the top 8 best from the sectional.
Think of this way, because this actually what has been created. This meet is the quarterfinals of State and to qualify for the semis you must do well enough in the quarters. By the above logic why would the 8 region champs not just be the 8 finalist. I predict there will be plenty 3rd's and 4th's who qualify for the next round and bet there will be a few region champs who do not.
tp
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coachal5k Not trying to point out stuff, but in the research I have been doing for our girl that moved on to see who she would race, Region 2AAAAA 800 winner is 9th best in the section, and 2nd place is 13th. That is the entire point of sectionals is to eliminate runners who are able to qualify because their region might not be as strong in that certain event. Most regions have a specialty (distance, sprinting, field events) some are good at a few, but where one lacks another makes up for it. Some regions might push through all 4 qualifiers.
When will the sectional heat sheets be posted?
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aparish
They've got Entry Lists posted for 2A and 5A up on GHSA's website. I imagine that the others are soon to follow. I doubt we'll see heat sheets unless the sectional host decides to post them on here. They've never posted heat sheets for state on here in the past. Aren't they going to seed sectionals similar to the way they seeded state in the past? Fastest and slowest region winner in one heat, 2nd and 3rd fastest in the other heat. Then alternate so the region winners and runner ups aren't in the same heat? Something like that?
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spxcoachrm
Seeding for sectionals will be
Top two from region will be seeded by place then time
3rd and 4th place from each region will be seeded by time only
The result deadline is noon today so we should not expect contestant list to be up from all regions until later today, and perhaps Tuesday if there is a problem.
I am unsure about heat sheets but think we can post them somewhere. Mark Cutbirth is in charge of the heat sheets for sectioanls and for state. Big thank you to Mark for taking on this job.
Several more entry lists are now posted (including Class A West) I imagine they'll have the rest up by this evening. They may be waiting on results from some regions even though the deadline was this morning.
tp
tlgcc1Heat 1:
Fastest and 4th fastest 1st place qualifier
2nd and 3rd fastest 2nd place qualifier
Heat 2:
2nd and 3rd fastest 1st place qualifiers
1st and 4th fastest 2nd place qualifiers
After that you spread out based on times ignoring places.
@tlgcc1
Coach, does the GHSA put the fastest remaining person in Heat 1 or Heat 2? I know they alternate once they get all the 1st and 2nd guys in their heats, but where do they start? In other words, does the fastest of the 3rd/4th place finishers go in Heat 1 or 2?
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TFCoach16 Great question which I was also wondering. I seeded my kids into heats and told them it was my best guess. I put the next fastest person in Heat 1.
You'll have to confirm with someone who was on the committee that set-up sectionals, but from what I've been told it will be fastest 3rd place is with fastest 1st place (heat 1). More reason why I'm glad it is 2 + 4 fastest and not just top 4 finishers.
Thanks to both of you. I was trying to do the same thing with seeding for my kids. Hopefully letting them know whether they'd be in the same heat or not.
I figured they might put the next kid in Heat 1, even if that seems counter to trying to even the heats.
This is a mandatory read for any schools qualifying athletes to the Sectionals competition, the Sectional host. Please, click on the link and read, save or bookmark http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/ghsa track and field sectional handbook.pdf