Random Fact of the Day

[rainbowgirl28]

This is from the Tacoma News Tribune:

Bethel pole vaulter Chris Csonka, who helped the Braves clinch their third consecutive South Puget Sound League South Division track and field championship last week with a personal-best vault of 12 feet, 9 inches, is a cousin of former NFL running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins.

[rainbowgirl28]

Random Fact #2:

Spokane has seven 14 foot pole vaulters, and three are from Mead.

[Dtrack]

It really bothers me that our region (the big 9 and GSL) only gets 4 entries ino state. I could easily go 14 feet next week at rgionals and not make it to state...only to find out that their are kids at the state meet in pasco who have only gone 12'6" or 13! I wish they'd somehow change this so that the top (however many vaulters) go to state, not the best 4-8 from each region. sorry but that one kinda struck a nerve.

[rainbowgirl28]

At least WA has a qualifiying standard. If you jump 14-8 at regionals you will get to go to state no matter where you place. Many states do not have that.

Taking the top vaulters to state based on season performances is not a good idea because sometimes people have a fluke meet... or they get hurt... or they turn into a head case...

Taking the top marks from each region wouldn't even really work because everyone has different weather conditions to deal with.

At least you don't have to have Tyson Byers (17-1) and Eric Dormaier (16-0) in your district this year

[Robert schmitt]

At least WA has a qualifiying standard.

Taking the top marks from each region wouldn't even really work because everyone has different weather conditions to deal with.

Just bc WA has a Qualifing standard doesn't mean that things cann't be improved to make things fair for all the kids. Athletes that are good enough to compete at state should be at the meet. Keep the district allocations to account/allow for weather and head to head competition but, Why not set a qualifing mark after the district meets equal to the 6th or 8th best qualifing mark for the state meet that year. This will at least assure that everyone that deserves to be at the state meet will be there. Wisconsin does this with out any problems.

At least you don't have to have Tyson Byers (17-1) and Eric Dormaier (16-0) in your district this year

I'm not sure if this was very helpful when Dtrack is already feeling ticked.

[rainbowgirl28]

I definitely agree that the qualifying standards need to be lowered.

[zack]

At least its not Texas where at one girl who jumped 11-6 and two others that jumped 11-0 at the same district meet didn't get to go to state. Or a girls 4x4 that ran 3:48 (10 seconds faster then fastest WA team!) or a guy who ran 48.12 (.8 faster then the fastest WA guy!).

[rebelvaulter]

At least its not Texas where at one girl who jumped 11-6 and two others that jumped 11-0 at the same district meet didn't get to go to state. Or a girls 4x4 that ran 3:48 (10 seconds faster then fastest WA team!) or a guy who ran 48.12 (.8 faster then the fastest WA guy!).

Southern California has it the hardest. We first have our league meet, then CIF divisional prelims, then Divisional finals, then masters (which is all divisions in southern california), and then state prelims and then FINALLY state finals. We just had divisional prelims last saturday, and it took 11 feet on an early attempt or 11-6 to just make it out of prelims. Of course this is division 1 we are talking about but still... and next week is going to be harder. They are only taking the top 9 from all divisions to go to masters, and there is a very good chance I will have to jump 12 or higher just to make it to masters! But if you look at the size of the other sections in california, some of them have about 20 schools, when southern secion has over 550. So they get to send girls who jump as low as 8-6 to the same state meet that we have to jump over 12 feet to qualify for! I dunno it just doesn't make any sense to me.

[Robert schmitt]

Yeah, I have heard it's tough there, one of my friends from college came from san diego and jumped 14'9" in the city meet and didn't advance back in '93 or '94.

[Dtrack]

yeah, i'm glad that Beyers and dormier aren't vaulting anymore...i remember watching them (my freshman year) open at 14-14'6" and there was absolutely no one left by then at mosts meets. But there has to be a way to stick in another 14- foot vaulter instead of the guys from the westside going 12-6 and 13-0. The big 9/GSL have the most competetive track teams (both girls and guys) year in and year out. Kamiakin girls in 99 and 00, southridge girls after that, then the eatsmont girls, and the mead boys have won the championship like the last 4 years. maybe we should get more slots into state in each event. I dont know what the solution would be but something should be done, so that the best 20 or so vaulters are at state.

[vaulter894]

It really bothers me that our region (the big 9 and GSL) only gets 4 entries ino state. I could easily go 14 feet next week at rgionals and not make it to state...only to find out that their are kids at the state meet in pasco who have only gone 12'6" or 13! I wish they'd somehow change this so that the top (however many vaulters) go to state, not the best 4-8 from each region. sorry but that one kinda struck a nerve.

from Dtrack

I am from new york, and yes I know this is a Washington forum but, we have had this discussion a lot last year because I got third at a meet to qualify for states with 14 ft and the other guys got 14-3 and 15-3 which is ok. I lost, not my day, but at states most of the division I would have been in went under 13 and I had to sit and watch. I wish they would just do a ranking a week before states and just take a certain number from the top down.

[Mecham]

At least you don't have to have Tyson Byers (17-1) and Eric Dormaier (16-0) in your district this year

Hey i go to the same school they went to. Oh and dont forget Brad Walker. I think he got sixth in the Olypic trials.