New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association

1161 Route 130 North, P.O. Box 487             Robbinsville, New Jersey 08691-0487

 

2006 Winter Track Committee Minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting Date: February 14, 2006

Time:              9:30 am12:30 pm

Place:             NJSIAA Headquarters

 

Present: - Committee Members: Lou Fraulo (Clifton), Cark Rickershauser (Cherry Hill), Martin Booker (Camden), Jack Martin (Westfield), Mary Sok (Watchung Hills), Wayne Gardiner (Delbarton), Don Danser (NJSIAA staff)

 

Guests:          Jim Camburn – Head Clerk of the Meets

                        Karen Malec – Princeton University Events Manager

 

1.         After introductions, Karen Malec spoke to the committee to let them know the problems facing Princeton in scheduling outside events, especially next year when Jadwin Gym must house the volleyball and wrestling programs previously housed in the Dillon Gymnasium facility. She had nothing but praise for the way things went so far (Meet of Champions was postponed because of snow from Feb 12 to Feb 19). In fact, next year’s morning sessions can all start at 8:30 a.m. The afternoon sessions will still start at 3:00 p.m. She promised she would do her best to let us know about next year’s dates by early November.

 

2.         Preliminary Financial report: (Figures for gates shown at the meeting were for one day of each of these events.)

            Income:

                        1. Entry Fees – Relays           $45,342           Gate:   $17,995

                                                - Group Meets   67,929                         17,339

                                                - M of C                     0                         To Be Determined   

                                                Totals            $113,271                       $34,334

 

                        2. Corporate - $5,000

 

                        3. Total income to date: $147,605

 

 

            Expenses:

                        1.         Princeton Contract (includes rental, security, other meet personnel)                       $79,000

                        2.         Officials’ payroll (55 officials each meet)                                                          25,000

                        3.         Finishlynx and Hy-Tek                                                                                       10,000

                        4.         Awards (Trophies, Medals, Certificates)                                                            9,900

                        5.         Hy-Tek Roster Services                                                                                     1,500

                        6.         Photographer                                                                                                      1,500

                        6.         Pre-meet preparation costs (man-hours, forms, etc)                                                    2,100           

                        7.         Printing of Programs                                                                                         19,260

                                                                                                            Total                                      $148,260

 

Financially, we did better than we expected, especially since the cost of the entry fee was reduced by 10% this year.

 

3.         Most of the correspondence dealt with the waiver granted to a Franklin shot put competitor who ran afoul of the new rule not allowing a 3rd throw if a legal mark was not made on the first two.

 

a.         Some history first. Unlike outdoors where we have a sectional "all-comers welcome" meet before the State Group Meet. Indoors has only the Group Meet Level. Over the years, because of the increasing numbers of schools sponsoring indoor track teams, we have had to limit the number of athletes we could allow into this Championship-level event by making minimum standards. These standards have helped reduce the number of runners in the meet. Up till now, each school was allowed two entries in the shot put with no restrictions or guidelines because we had the room and time to handle that many entries because we had two shot put circles. The boys and girls threw simultaneously, taking about three to 3 1/2 hours to complete both boys and girls.

 

            Two years ago, Princeton re-designed the layout of the track and field facilities at Jadwin Gym. As a result, the shot put event lost a circle. So now we had to throw both the boys and girls from one circle, one after the other. This doubled the time it took to complete the event. The track events were finishing in 5 hours, the shot in 6 or more hours. We instituted minimum standards to keep the time it took to complete the event to 5 hours. However, coaches continued to enter athletes who did not meet the standard. Last year, the Winter Track Committee added a rule that stated those who did not make the minimum standard on two attempts would not get a third attempt. The coaches immediately began to tell their throwers to deliberately foul on the second attempt if it was apparent that it was going to be short of the standard so they could get a third attempt. The result was an event that was still taking too long. The committee's reaction was to add a statement for this year's meet that said the thrower had to make a legal mark above the minimum standard in two tries, which meant that even if the thrower had two fouls, he/she would not get a third throw. The intent of the committee was to prevent poor throwers who should not have been entered in to a championship level meet in the first place, from unnecessarily delaying the event. It was not meant to harm throwers who met the minimum seed requirements.

 

            It turned out that it did. Mr. James is a thrower who had met the standard. He fouled on his first two attempts and was denied a third as per the rule. This cost him not only the opportunity to place in the Group Meet, but also to advance to the next level. His athletic director appealed this result the next day.

 

            Since the intent of the rule was not to prevent qualified throwers from receiving a third attempt, he was waived into the Meet of Champions, thinking that he had suffered enough from a bad rule. It seemed reasonable not to continue the initial mistake and compound the punishment of the athlete because of a bad rule. Any thrower that had found himself/herself in this position would have been waived into the next round. In the same vain, this was a new rule this season and it is the only rule that makes a drastic change in how the event is normally run. As is often the case, unforeseen results took place.

 

b.         The remaining correspondence dealt with seeding. Coaches are continuously complaining about their colleagues’ seeding the running events. There are no rules in the National Federation Rule Book that covers poor seeding, because New Jersey is the only state that seeds “on the fly.”  The committee has tried many ways of correcting this, all after the fact, and all dealing with punishing offenders. None of these methods have brought about substantial, lasting changes. Therefore the committee decided to try a new approach: It will apply to all running events (individual and relay) only.

 

1.         To be included in the top seeded sections/heats of an event, the coach must submit up to 3 days before the NJSIAA meet, the following information:

             Name of individual (or school name only for relay) and school

             Event

             Time accomplished

             Where accomplished

             When accomplished.

            As stated before, this information may be updated up to three days before the NJSIAA event in question. The submissions will be via e-mail.

            This information will be posted on the same website where the rosters are now posted. It would be required only for running events. Only those posted would be placed in the top-seeded sections/heats. All others, whose seeding information is received the day of the meet, will be seeded below the worst seed of the posted athletes.

            For example: In the Group II 4x400, 12 schools submitted times for posting. The day of the meet, an additional 10 teams submitted entries. There would be 4 sections of the 4 x 400. The 1st two sections (i.e. the “slower” or unseeded sections) would be composed entirely of the 10 schools who submitted entries the day of the meet. Sections 3 and 4 (the top-seeded sections) would be composed entirely of the 12 schools that were listed on the website. If one of the 12 schools scratched from the race, then the best seed from the 10 schools who submitted entries the day of the meet would move up to the 12th seed.

 

2.         In the event that the Relays are scheduled earlier than the 3rd weekend in January, a “day-of-meet” seeding plan would be used. Anyone wanting to make sure his/her relay team is in the top-seeded sections/heats would have to submit entries via the early-bird method. These events would be seeded and posted well in advance of the race in question. Coaches would then be able to challenge the seeds before the sections/heats are actually formed by the clerks.

 

            Either procedure will let everyone know in advance who the top seeds are and should prevent a lot of the problems we have been having with seeding irregularities in the past.

 

  4.       Relay Shot Put Rule

            The committee examined the 41 violators of the relay shot put rule.  17 schools appealed. All appeals were accepted. Because it is the first year for this rule, the committee decided to place the remaining schools on probation. If any of these schools violate the rule again next year, the full penalty of the rule will be assessed. But, as always, each alleged violator will be given a chance to appeal/explain why the athletes did not meet the minimum standards.

 

  5.       The individual shot put rule will change back to the normal rule: Each competitor will receive three trial attempts. The best 8 competitors from the trials will receive an additional three attempts. However, no throw will be measured that does not meet the standards set for that group.

           

  6.       No standard will be adjusted up for next year. After examining this season’s results, some standards may be lowered.

 

  7.       No longer will pole vaulters be required to submit proof of height in advance of the meet.

 

  8.       The 4 x 400 will return to the Group Meet, replacing the individual 200 meter race. Advancers to the Meet of Champions for this event will come from the Group Meets and will remain the same: top 18 medal winners only.

 

  9.       Tournament regulations will be updated to reflect any policy changes mentioned above. The order of Events for each meet will be as follows:

 

10.       Sportsmanship statements are required by National Federation Rules. Copies will be included in the tournament regulations, but must be turned in the day of the meet. One copy per school is required for both the Relay Meet and the Group Individual Meet. No statement needs to be signed for the Meet of Champions, since it is a continuation of the Group Individual Meets.

 

 

 

Relay Meets: Group Order   1st day at 8:30 am Group III, at 3:00 pm Group II

                                                2nd day at 8:30 am Group IV, at 3:00 pm Group I

 

This year, girls will start the meets:

 

1. High Hurdle Relay               Girls Finals                              7. 3200 Relay              Girls Finals

2. High Hurdle Relay               Boys Finals                             8. 3200 Relay              Boys Finals

 

3. Distance Medley                 Girls Finals                              9. Sprint Medley          Girls Finals

4. Distance Medley                 Boys Finals                           10. Sprint Medley          Boys Finals

 

5. 800 Relay                            Girls Finals                             11. 1600 Relay             Girls Finals

6. 800 Relay                            Boys Finals                            12. 1600 Relay             Boys Finals

 

Shot Put Relay: Girls followed by boys

 

Pole Vault Relay: Girls followed by boys

 

High Jump Relay (boys and girls) starts at the completion of Event 2

 

 

 

Group Meet and Meet of Champions

(Group Order   1st day at 8:30 am Group III, at 3:00 pm Group II

                         2nd day at 8:30 am Group IV, at 3:00 pm Group)

 

  1.  55 Meter dash Trials – Girls                                             11.  400 meter dash - Girls

  2.  55 Meter dash Trials – Boys                                            12.  400 meter dash - Boys

                                                                                               

  3.  55 Meter High Hurdles Trials – Girls                                13.  800 meter Run - Girls

  4.  55 Meter High Hurdles Trials – Boys

                                                                                                14.  1600 meter Run - Boys

  5.  1600 meter Run – Girls

                                                                                                15.  3200 meter Run - Girls

  6.  55 meter dash finals – Boys

  7.  55 meter dash finals – Girls                                             16.  800 meter Run - Boys

 

  8.  55 Meter High Hurdles Finals – Boys                              17. 4x400 Meter Relay - Girls

  9.  55 Meter High Hurdles Finals – Girls                               18. 4x400 Meter Relay – Boys

                                                                                               

10.  3200 meter Run - Boys  

                                                                                   

Shot Put: Girls followed by Boys

 

Pole Vault – Girls followed by Boys

 

High Jump (boys and girls) starts at the completion of Event 4