Texas State Meet

[trackstar]

So there were probably 20,000 in Mike Myers Stadium yesterday; how many in Waco today for the last day of the Big 12?

Actually, the attendance looked lower than I've seen in years at Myers. Whole sections were empty. Still, I promise Big 12 didn't draw nearly as many. (I thought about driving up to Waco, but I can only abandon my wife and kids for so many consecutive days of track before I start getting in trouble. Especially when the third day is Mother's Day.)

[jsully]

Some of the highlights.

5A
BOYS
US#1/#3 all-time Eisenhower 40.05 4x100), 2nd was Garland 40.30 US#2, 3rd was Elsik 40.49 US#4

US#1/#4 all-time Eisenhower 1:24.10 4x200 (same order as 4x100), 2nd was US#2/#10 all-time Elsik 1:24.47, 3rd was US#3/#13 all-time Garland 1:24.61, 4th was US#4/#29 all-time Klein Forest 1:25.02, 5th to Duncanville 1:25.18 US#5 (Houston Worthing also 1:25.18 to take 4A on Friday night)

US#1 Ft Bend Marshall 3:11.99 4x400 (ran with alternate since one leg got hurt 2 days before meet) (splits 48.6, 47.9, 49.2, 46.3) , 2nd was McNeil 3:12.26 US#2, 3rd to Arlington Bowie 3:12.80 US#3

Windy Irving sr Adron Tennell 25-7.75 LJ (+2.3) over US#1 (wind legal) Abilene sr Lyle Leong 24-8.25 (+1.0). Leong also took HJ at 7-1.

Windy US#1 Carter jr Oscar Spurlock 13.42 (+2.3)

GIRLS
US#2 Ft Bend Marshall sr Brandi Cross 53.00 400

All-time US freshman record Manfield’s Shade Weygandt 12-9 PV

US#2/all-time #8 Alief Taylor 1:35.83 4x200

[HL]

This result points out one of the problems when you have five divsions and qualification to state is very restrictive at the regional level (I believe only the winner goes on to state but it may be the top two).

State 5A
Boys Shotput

1. 62 2.25
2. 61 3.5
3. 58 5.75
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.
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7. 49 3.5 !
8 26 5.0 !!!!!!!!

[trackstar]

This result points out one of the problems when you have five divsions and qualification to state is very restrictive at the regional level (I believe only the winner goes on to state but it may be the top two).

Top two in each of the four regions goes to state. Bret mentioned a good idea to me: Since Meyers has nine lanes, take the best third-placer to state. Of course, he also pointed out that coaches will howl about that unfairly favoring the regional meet with the best weather conditions.

The five divisions are the only way for the small towns to enjoy a competitive team championship. Otherwise, what's their motivation to support track & field at all?

And thus, the five divisions make the strict standards necessary: They don't have time for prelims. Everything is a final. It isn't a perfect system, but the UIL meet certainly never lacks for excitement.