The FHSAA updated its web site last week with the date of the 2014 Track & Field State Championships slated for a single weekend: May 3 through May 4, 2014. The location is listed as to be determined. This led to quite a bit of speculation among eagle-eyed forum posters. Had the FHSAA adopted a two-day meet format for all four classifications? Was the meet returning to UNF?
The University of North Florida has been the host for the past two years. Head Coach Jeff Pigg has expressed concerns to the FHSAA over the financial viability of opening the venue for two consecutive weekends. Pigg said the university would be thrilled to bring the meet back in 2014, but would only do so under a single-weekend format.
"We love having the kids on our campus for a variety of reasons including exposure. We think it is a good venue, and we are making even more changes to it--including resurfacing the track in January. In the end though, we were losing a significant amount of money, and for us to host it we needed to go with a two-day format."
As the host of the A-Sun Conference Championships (as well as the NCAA East Regional), Coach Pigg also pointed out the wear and tear a two-weekend meet has on his staff.
"All that comes together. Two weeks of having your staff 12-14 hours each day after you clean up and hosting the championship caliber meets at the NCAA level, it was every weekend. We don't want our people to get burned out."
For at least a dozen years, the meet has been run with 1A/2A the first weekend and 3A/4A the following weekend. Members of the track & field community have been in support of a two-day state championship; however, this format is not exactly what they had in mind. Many thought the ideal two-day format would consist of prelims on Friday and finals on Saturday.
Instead the proposed plan would put a full two-classification meet on Friday and another on Saturday. Pigg believes a large class/small class pairing would be most beneficial to everyone involved.
"Our thoughts were to run 1A and 4A together (on Friday) and 2A and 3A (on Saturday)," said the UNF head coach, "to create the best balance of comptition and spectators over both days."
While signs point a return to Jacksonville, FHSAA Director of Athletics Shanell Young indicated the contract renewal with UNF had not yet been signed. Futher, she declined to comment on the specific format of the meet, but did say that the road to state finals would remain the same. According to FHSAA.org, that would leave a bye week in between regionals and state for class 1A and 2A.
"We're not changing the way we qualify," insisted Young,"that is the only thing I can confirm. I know wherever we go or whatever format we go to we won't change that."
Some feel the break would be an awkward intermission for the small school athletes. However, the logic behind keeping this schedule is to clear up the resources necessary for timing 64 district meets--eliminating the glut of attempting to hold them all in a single week. One solution would be to end the regular season at the same time for everyone and double-up or triple-up the district meets at a single date and venue.
Instead of:
April 14 - 1A/2A District
April 21 - 3A/4A District , 1A/2A Regionals
April 28- 3A/4A Regionals, 1A/2A Bye
May 3 - 1A/4A State Finals
May 4 - 2A/3A State Finals
Suggested idea:
April 21 - All Districts
April 28th - All Regionals
May 3rd - 1A/4A State Finals
May 4th - 2A/3A State Finals
The last issue is the time schedule. Going to a two-day format means the meet must start at an earlier time. Although nothing has been finalized, one proposal would start the 4x800 relay at 9 AM, the prelims at noon, and the finals at 4 PM. This schedule may create some shorter windows for those competing in the 4x800 and 400 meters, but will allow longer periods of rest for most athletes, including those trying to double or even triple in other track events.
The FHSAA has contacted several coaches, timers, and meet officials for their thoughts on this issue and are in the process of finalizing details over the coming weeks. We will keep you updated as more becomes official and the FHSAA issues a release.
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