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BONUS: Texas State Meet featuring Stu Kantor from TTFCA · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

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It's bonus time here on the Gill Connections podcast.
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In an effort to increase communication, empathy and
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understanding around the country, we're going to be
0:08
running a new episode every day interviewing a coach, a high
0:12
school coach from every state, and yes, even you, Washington,
0:16
DC with explaining how the state qualifying system works in their
0:21
state. We'll be talking with a local
0:23
state expert on how many classes, private versus public
0:27
schools, what events and what is the process?
0:30
Is it areas, districts, regionals, state meet?
0:34
Is it a descending order list? Are there fun things that you do
0:38
a little differently? Like maybe you, I don't know,
0:41
maybe you do double points for relays looking at you Texas.
0:45
And then we're also going to get to the bottom of is it the state
0:48
meet or do you qualify for states?
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So check us out every day here in April and May of 2024 as we
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run through each state with a local state expert.
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So let's get started. Right now.
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All right. You know, they say it's always
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bigger and better in Texas. We're going to find out if
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that's true because today as we go through all 51 championships
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and you Washington, DC, we're going to hop into Texas.
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And I am excited for this one because I actually have a good
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friend on this one here doing it today.
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So help me. Welcome from the Texas Track and
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Field Coaches Association, Mr. Stu Kanner.
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Stu, thanks for being here today man.
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Thank you, Sir. Appreciate you reaching out and.
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You know, giving track and field fans across the nation a taste
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of how all the different states operate, it should be, should be
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quite a fun experience. Absolutely.
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I'm, I'm having a blast at least.
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I don't know if anybody else is even following along.
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But I know I have learned and I'm excited to learn about
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Texas. And before I have you introduce
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yourself. Actually, I just want to say
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thank you, man. You know, not only for being
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here today, you know, this project doesn't happen without
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51 servant leaders stepping up and volunteering.
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You were one of the first people to say, hey, I got you for
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Texas, man. So we're just so grateful for
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your servant leadership and being here today to talk about
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that. But you know, I know you in a
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much deeper capacity. You know what you do for track
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and field, and I know you're very focused on Texas,
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obviously, but it affects the entire country for high school,
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track and field. I'm just so grateful for what
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you do for track and field. You do more things than people
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even know. TTFCA can tell you that's a
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whole bunch of big things. But photography, coaching,
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mentorship, coaching, fellowship, man, you you are a
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true leader in this sport and we're just so grateful, and I'm
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personally am just so grateful for everything you do.
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So thank you very much my friend.
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I appreciate it. Yeah.
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We, you and I have known each other a long time, so.
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Anything you need. We're here to help.
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I appreciate that very much. All right, let's hop into it.
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Let's get to know you a little better.
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Why don't you give us like a 32nd, 30,000 foot level
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introduction? Why should someone from New York
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listen to Stu from Texas about Texas?
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Well, you mentioned the Texas Track and Field Coaches
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Association, so myself and a gentleman named Steve McBride,
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he passed away last year. He and I were coaching together
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at Bishop Lynch High School private school in Texas.
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He was the head coach and we were walking around literally
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around the third curve, near our high jump, near actually our
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pole vault pit. And we were like, so Texas
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doesn't have a coaches association for its high school,
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track and field coaches. So we went over to Boomer Jack's
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where you would get wings and literally, you know the cliche
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on the back of a napkin. We designed it.
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And here we are 1516 years later, 7800 coaches as part of
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our membership. 15 years with a Hall of Fame and you know we the
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the governing bodies and I say bodies plural in Texas they we
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have good relationships with them and good relationships with
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vendors like you and and Texas Relays.
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So we've come a long way and I'm now.
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Several years later, I'm now the head coach for cross country and
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track and field at the same high school.
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Been there 27 years. And you know Coach McBride, I'm
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sure he's looking up and just wishing up, wishing all of us
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well that what we started over bearing wings is continuing.
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That's the best thing you can do for his legacy and memory is to
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continue what you guys designed together, moving it forward and
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growing. And you're doing a fantastic job
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with that. Thank you for that very much.
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All right, man, let's dig in. Let's start with, you know, what
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we're learning is some states, not all, but some states have a
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separate governing body for private schools, a separate one
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for public. Never do they mix.
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They, you know, private schools go to their own state meet
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public schools go to their own more common.
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Public and private are all together fighting towards the
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same state championship. What are we doing in Texas?
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Oh my. There's a loaded question now.
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That's been the easiest question on every single one, but not
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here. No, Sir.
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All right, what are we doing? We have, and yes, I'm not
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exaggerating, we have 8 conferences, 8 separate
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governing bodies in the state of Texas.
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So give me a moment. We have UIL University
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Interscholastic League, which takes care of all the public
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schools. And as many people say and will
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agree, and I know we'll get some argument at some point, but my
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money, it's the finest state track meet in the nation and we
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have SPC SW preparatory conference what would be
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considered like your Ivy League of private schools.
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Then we have TAPS, which I'm a part of Texas Association of
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Private and Parochial Schools. It's the largest.
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Governing body of private schools in the state of Texas.
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Then we got a whole bunch of small ones.
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T calf. TCAF.
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Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship.
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T Cal. Another branch.
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And then there's the ironically named TAIAO which is an
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association of independent schools.
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Which doesn't make sense to me because if you're independent,
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there is no association, but nonetheless.
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And then there's TCSAAL, which is a organization of charter
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schools. HCAL Houston has its own charter
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school conference. And then there's the Homeschool
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Athletic Association. So there's actually 9.
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So I don't know it's, it's a little insane now with those
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nine. First of all, way to really dive
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into the Texas. Everything's bigger in Texas
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because no one up to this point has had this, not not even
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close. You know it's this many.
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But are you saying with those nine, are those nine different
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organizations all doing their own some form of state
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championship for tracking? Yes.
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Yes, they are literally 9 state championships.
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Is that right? OK, well which one should we
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Because we're not going to do all nine.
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We'll we'll do one of the famous Mike Cunningham Gill Connections
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podcast where it's like 4 hours long.
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If we do that, we should we focus on one and or two?
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In all honesty, the three most popular, the three largest that
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get the most attention, whether it's the media or whatever, are
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UIL, obviously APPS and SPC. Those are the three dominant
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conferences. OK, We'll.
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Try, Right. So we'll try to keep this not
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necessarily succinct, but we'll do a, we'll do a, We'll work
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hard at how to keep this clear and everybody that's listening
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for this. OK why don't we go to the next
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question then? So that's awesome.
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So this is one of the things where we do have some separation
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between private and public schools.
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The next question is how many classes do we have in each?
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Let's just focus on those three, I guess.
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But how many classes do we break it up to?
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UIL has six classifications. Those are your public schools.
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TAPS also has six classifications, and SPC for
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since its inception has been a single classification.
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However, two years ago it broke off into two classifications.
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It has roughly 15 schools. So they divided it in the
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smaller 7 and the larger 8. Do we call these
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classifications? So some people call them
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division class 6A5A4A. Yeah, Class A class.
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You know, class 2A got it. And is, is it typically the 6A
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or the bigger schools enrolled? OK, does that go all the way for
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Taps as well? And then that is correct and I'm
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guessing SPC is 2A1A. Actually, they have 3A and 4A
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and I haven't been able to determine why they chose three
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and four. I'm sure there's a reason, but
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with only two classes, I'm not sure why they went 3-4.
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I know. I don't know why.
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I thought 1A and AA. That was that.
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Would have been my thought, do you know if the four or the
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three, I'm not going to guess is the bigger enrolments I think
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the. 4A is larger. OK, that would make sense, which
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makes me think we're wrong on that, to be honest with you.
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OK, so in the UIL, we've got six classes, which means six boys
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teams are going to earn and win a team championship and six
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girls teams are going to earn and win a team championship,
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Correct. Same with the taps.
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And then over on the 6:00 and 6:00 and then on the SPC, we've
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got 2SO2SPC schools will win a state title on the boys side and
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two will win on the girls side. Correct.
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OK, let's talk about how we get to win that state championship.
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Let's start with the UIL. All across the country, the
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first round of the state series is called Area Divisional.
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Sectionals, Regionals, all these different names.
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What's the name of the first round for UIL?
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District. OK now so district tell us how
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do I enter districts? And what I mean by that is do I
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get 2 athletes per event? Is there a qualifying time?
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How do I enter my kids in the district?
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You neither UIL nor Taps have qualifying standards, so as a
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coach you make that determination.
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Now you're going to be limited, obviously, in your entries.
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Usually it's 3. And so you are limited now Texas
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and UIL, it is a little bit flexible because there are three
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rounds prior to the state meet. We go from district to area,
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area is required, district is not.
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So let me let me just break that down a little bit further there
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are. 32 districts in each region or each classification.
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So if district one and two decide we don't want to have a
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district meet for whatever reason, maybe it's in the
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smaller classifications and the travel's too big, they can just
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decide to go straight to area. So district one and two would go
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to an area, meet and skip district.
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The same number of athletes would advance, which would be 4.
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So if your region has a district meet you, this comes with a
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question mark. You have to compete in it.
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You don't get to just go to areas, but if your if your
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region, your class and they're in that area does not do
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district because of participation and their programs
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such are they would just skip districts and go to area.
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Yeah. Now it has to be an agreement
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because there would be 32, there'd be 16 of them, one and
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two, three and four all the way to 31 and 32.
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So they would have to have that preset agreement that for
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whatever reason we're just going to go straight to area.
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So with those places that they do have districts, you said
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three per event. No.
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So if I have 4 stud Millers, the 4th one's got to figure out the
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two mile or the 800 or a relay or something like that.
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There's no waiver for a fourth guy, just 'cause he runs four O
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9. Sorry.
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OK. Four will advance from district,
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so let's go through the rounds. Assuming everybody has district,
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Area 4 will go from district to the area.
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Any others? Any wild cards?
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Any or just strict top not. Yet there will be a wild card
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later, but strict top four from districts to area.
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Correct, from area you would advance to regional.
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Also moving for athletes? No.
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No waivers, no time qualifier. Top.
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If you're 5th, I'm sorry, it's top 4, correct.
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Got it. Districts, areas top four go to
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regional. Right at Regionals, of which
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several of the regional meets are held on college campuses,
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which is nice. Regionals is where it gets
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narrowed down to advance from regional to state.
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So used to be the 444 yeah district area, Regionals state.
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We did top four up until regionals and now it's top 2GO
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on to state. So how many are we trying to get
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to state then? If it's two, like do you have a
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lot of regions? Yeah, There's there'll be 4
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regions, so two, that's eight kids.
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So we're only taking 8 to the prelims, is that right?
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So, no. So eight shop putters go 8, high
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jumpers go, eight quarter Millers go.
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It is 8 and it is finals only. Finals only in Texas.
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Is that what makes it a little bit unique and kind of AI mean?
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It's a It's one of the more highly attended state meets in
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the country. Oh, it's jam packed.
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It's on the It's on Mike A Meyer.
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It's at Mike A Meyer Stadium at the University of Texas.
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Now there is a 9th Place qualifier because Mike A Meyers
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has nine lanes. Oh.
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So you've got your 8. And then in the mile, for
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example, the 9th best time overall in that classification
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will then earn him or herself a trip to Austin.
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So we take excuse me, these four regional meets hop two
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automatically going to the big dance you're going to go to
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Austin and then they take all the rest of those times put them
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in a descending order list and whoever is at the top that one
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person also and that is that every event shot put OK, not
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just the running events because of our lanes we do everybody
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then awesome. That seems ludicrous and what I
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mean by that is Texas big state lots of participation you are
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cutting. I mean, I have to think that
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there are some regions where a third place or maybe a fourth
16:18
place is like full ride college kid.
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And I'm sorry you got put in this region.
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You know you, you were you decided to live in this region.
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You're not going to stay in that event.
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It has been an A a point of contention forever, and
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understandably so, 'cause coaches are going to be like my
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third place kid who didn't get to go is, you know, seconds
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faster than a kid from another region.
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But it's like. Without prelims, what are you
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going to do? Has it always been finals only?
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No prelims? Like for as long as you can
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remember. As long as I can remember, yeah.
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And I've been here 27 years. That's forever basically too.
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Yeah, it just means I'm old. What was your name again?
17:05
I'm old. OK.
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You know, and I know we're not talking about other states, but
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this is done at a single location, Yeah.
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And so when you're doing it over three days, two classes per day,
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it's hard to do prelims without keeping them there 24/7.
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Yeah, let's talk about that state meat venue you already
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mentioned. We're at Mike Meyer Stadium
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there at the University of Texas.
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Beautiful track, beautiful stadium, hosted NCAA nationals.
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It's a great, great place. You're doing.
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So you're doing, you're really doing your you're doing 12
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championship meet, six boys and six girls all in one one venue
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same weekend over three days. Do you do that when you
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mentioned 2 divisions a day do? How is it structured?
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I guess the easiest way for me to answer ask this question is
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do all six or or 12 team titles get won and handed out on
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Saturday or do some get give out on Friday?
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You know what I'm saying? No, it's it's Thursday, Friday,
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Saturday, and when you're done Thursday, I mean you pick up
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your trophies on 3rd prelims, you can do a one day fairly,
18:20
fairly easy. Yeah.
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So on Thursday, it's classes 3A and 4A, and by the time
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Thursday, basically 10:00 rolls around, we know who our
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champions are. Yeah, I'm.
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I'm not. I'm not thinking of the single
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heat that that makes a one day meet.
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Much more doable for that. Yeah, On Friday it's classes
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2:00 and 5:00, and then Saturday it's one and six, one being your
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smallest schools and six being your largest.
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How did they pick three and four, two and five and 1/6?
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That I don't know. Yeah, I'm just kidding.
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I would have thought 12345. I mean, just, you know, my
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illogical brain would have just put those together, but OK, all
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right. How long has it been?
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Has it been Mike Myers Stadium there at Texas for?
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Is that the traditional place for like?
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Again, quote, UN quote as long as we can remember.
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Well, prior to that it was at the the stadium.
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Oh yeah, at the football. So it's always been at
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University of Texas. Yeah.
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It's been at UT for not forever. Yeah.
19:27
Gotcha. OK, to drop over to Taps now and
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figure out there. So what's the first round in
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Taps? It's a lot of the taps schools
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and regions because we're talking smaller private schools.
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Like, I actually coach at the largest Coed private school in
19:48
Texas and we only have 1000 kids and it's the largest Coed.
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Which then tells you that because of the law you know the
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private school make up, there are single gender schools, so
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which you don't find too much in the public schools.
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I guess you can, but not as much as you will in the privates.
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So TAPS allows the classes prior to the state me to determine
20:19
what is best for them. So I know in my area we didn't
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even have a district meet last year.
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We had a regional meet and then it was the state meet.
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That was it. One single post season meet
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'cause we don't have a lot of schools.
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If we had a district meet, it would be the exact same schools
20:42
at the regional meet, simply due to the nature of the amount of
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schools you know in the in the in the district or region.
20:53
It is state for taps similar to UIL in the sense of 11 heat for
21:00
each event. Yes.
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No prelims and taps. No prelims in SPC.
21:07
Are you doing so? So what do I got to do in
21:09
regionals to make it to state top two top four?
21:14
OK. Like in 6A, which I'm obviously
21:17
most familiar with, we have 4 and the South Region has four
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and there's your eight, there's your eight.
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For the last several years we've been at a a high school stadium
21:30
in Waco and it's an 8 lane track.
21:32
So as opposed to Mike Myers, we don't get an extra extra
21:36
qualifier? So four.
21:40
That's it. You kind of said that, like
21:42
maybe you're thinking about moving stadiums or is it still
21:46
staying in that Waco? As far as I know, it's still at
21:49
Waco Midway Stadium. OK, and.
21:53
What about SPC? How are we getting to a state
21:55
meet there? SPC is a little bit different.
22:00
They actually have qualifying standards, so they have a
22:04
predetermined qualifying standard, and they're based on a
22:08
review of the prior year's Marks and times regardless.
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No school can enter more than three who qualify no standards
22:26
for the relays, however. OK, because we're dealing with
22:29
less schools. So yeah, and SPC is a little bit
22:34
different in that they have 4 by 1 4x4 and they're the only one
22:38
in Texas with the 4 by 8. Oh, wow.
22:41
UIL and UIL and Taps run four by two, OK.
22:46
What? What does SPC typically host
22:49
their state meet? They keep theirs on high school
22:55
campuses. One of the SPC schools, like the
22:59
last year it was at Fort Worth Country Day.
23:02
A beautiful facility was just, you know, redone.
23:08
And Saint Mark's has hosted it. And Saint Mark's is and has been
23:14
for a long time, I double AF certified track.
23:18
Yeah, it's it's a stunning facility.
23:21
So they've got great facilities and they hosted on their own
23:24
tracks. Awesome.
23:27
You did an excellent job of keeping us.
23:30
I really thought like, oh, there's no way I'm going to be
23:33
able to keep this great job UIL district area.
23:38
And I appreciate the simplicity too, even though you have 4
23:40
rounds of top four, top four, top two.
23:45
And then we'll jump with them all together and figure out the
23:47
number one, the number 9th to get there.
23:49
And then we're going to go knock it out.
23:50
One heat, one flight at a time, baby.
23:53
I like that. Thank you for keeping that
23:54
simplistic Texas coaches and most of the TAP schools just to
23:58
go back. Most because like I said, I was
24:00
in a 6A. But most of the TAPS
24:03
classifications do it that way. Some of them may have a district
24:08
and then a regional meet. If there's enough schools, we
24:12
may next year because with realignment we're getting a
24:15
couple more added to us. So those on the West side, you
24:22
know, which might be more towards Fort Worth and the Far
24:25
East Dallas area versus US on the east side, maybe we'll have
24:29
two districts again and then separate and go into a regional.
24:33
But last year we just didn't have enough, so we went straight
24:36
to region. Awesome.
24:38
Well, I appreciate that. Appreciate us talking about the
24:40
venues as well. You know, Stu, one of the things
24:42
that we know for a fact there's no arguments here is that track
24:45
and field is the most inclusive sport in the world.
24:49
Tall, short, big, small there is for you to achieve success in
24:54
this great sport. We found that a lot of states
24:57
are adding some type of adaptive, unified wheelchair
25:01
type of events to their state meet.
25:02
Anything like that going on in Texas right now.
25:05
UIL to their credit has been doing that for several years,
25:09
wheelchair 104 hundred shot. I know TAPS in SPC will when
25:18
it's warranted. Keeping in mind that there are
25:21
smaller populations at the TAPS schools.
25:25
Like I said, I'm the largest Coed.
25:27
We only have 1000 kids so but UIL there are schools like Allen
25:33
Allen has over 7000 kids in their school.
25:36
So the the odds that the Adaptive are are needed are
25:45
there and UIL does a great job of that.
25:47
They have been a leader nationally.
25:51
So much credit to their leadership with the Adaptive.
25:57
Cosign Absolutely. So proud of all of Texas, Texas
26:00
high school coaches that are continuing the inclusivity of
26:03
our great sports. Appreciate hearing that added to
26:08
in in the Arlington area. If I could just add it, with GA,
26:12
you know University of Texas at Arlington and a lot of the
26:16
schools in the Arlington area, they've really been on the
26:21
forefront and proponent of the adaptive of the wheelchair.
26:26
And given these athletes, who are wonderful athletes and
26:29
giving them the opportunity to compete and UIL has, to their
26:34
credit, really done a great job. Awesome.
26:37
I love that. OK, Stu, so we've got Justin,
26:41
UIL. We have 6 individuals that are
26:45
going to be. Pardon me?
26:46
That are going to be named earn the discus state champions.
26:51
There's be 6 boys state champions in the discus and then
26:54
six of course on the girl side and now we go to taps and
26:57
there's six more state champions in the discus.
27:01
To do more, some states, whether it's officially through an
27:04
Athletic Association, which that does not seem like that'd be
27:07
able to work at all, or unofficially through like a
27:09
coach association, like, I don't know, TTFCA.
27:12
They'll host a meet of champions where we take the the winner of
27:17
each one or top two or the top marks.
27:19
We put them all together, let them race and we do.
27:21
And we find out the air quotes here, the true state champion.
27:24
Anything like that going on in Texas, honey, you mentioned
27:29
that. Yes Sir, we are hosting our 8th
27:33
Annual Meet of Champions this year, obviously missing a couple
27:38
years for COVID, but it was designed with that exactly in
27:43
mind. And you know, we talked with
27:45
Coach Hart, Clyde Hart, the legend, because he had a big
27:48
hand in that in Arkansas several years ago.
27:52
But like you said, a lot of states, their own state
27:55
association takes care of it, but the to get eight of them to
28:00
get together and make them, no, not going to happen.
28:02
So we stepped in and saw that need 8810 years ago and that's
28:07
what we do. So we have qualifying standards
28:10
from the moment you hit that qualifying standard in that
28:13
calendar year. So that could be easily starting
28:16
in a couple of weeks with some indoor events and then any state
28:21
champion, regardless of time or mark.
28:25
If you're a state champion, you're automatically qualified.
28:29
I don't care if it took you 20 minutes to run the mile you're
28:33
in. You know Stu, I feel a little
28:34
attacked that you would name my mile PR.
28:37
That you would also be be a little kinder to your host here.
28:41
Please keep going. Well, I remember because you
28:43
lapped me. You know, it's not fair that we
28:49
get friends together to do this. This makes for a long.
28:51
So sorry, listener. Thanks for bearing with us.
28:54
We are learning a lot. So keep listening.
28:56
Please, please, please. All right.
28:58
So yeah. So you guys started the meet a
29:00
chance, the TTFCA did. We, We did.
29:03
It's our baby. Our first one was at Baylor
29:06
University and we're trying to move it around the state.
29:10
I mean because Texas is just that huge.
29:13
We've had it at Lovejoy High School up here in North Texas
29:18
inside Collin County and they, Lovejoy did an amazing job.
29:23
The the booster club and the parents is like we didn't have
29:27
to do anything. It was absolutely fantastic.
29:30
Last year we were at Texas State University and Coach Frazier
29:34
wants us back. So it's like, OK, the
29:38
opportunity to get back on a college campus is not only
29:41
exciting for us, but Coach Frazier and his staff just
29:46
jumped at it's like, so you're going to bring 2 to 300 of the
29:50
top quality kids, OK, so we can look at the underclassmen up
29:54
front. Sure.
29:57
And so it's just worked out well as a really good relationship.
30:00
You know the major, the number one, the first reason we started
30:04
this. Project of going to all 51
30:08
including you Washington DC was to create conversation and so I
30:12
love that not only does Texas have a meet a champs that it's
30:17
fairly new meaning you know last 8-9 ten years not a 40 year
30:21
tradition but we also have one of the main players that helped
30:24
start that. So other states that might be
30:26
considering wow what would it look like if we did a meet a
30:30
champs how would we even do that?
30:31
Well, here we have one of the people that has done and created
30:35
a very successful one in. Texas, so you know the
30:37
conversation can can begin here and can continue between you and
30:42
your state and then here what Texas would Stew as well.
30:44
So I love that and I'm really grateful for your expertise and
30:48
and really stick to it in this. It is not easy to start a meet,
30:51
especially like the meat of champs.
30:53
It's not, especially when you have conferences that don't all
30:59
have their state meet on the same weekend too.
31:02
So you're asking some kids, hey, hold on, just just stay with us
31:05
another weekend and you'll be fine.
31:07
And just the fact that the state is just logistically huge so it
31:14
doesn't. It's not easy.
31:16
But we've had top quality athletes.
31:20
You know, Aaliyah Miller, Olympic trialist, Adrian
31:22
Pippery, Will London. We've had great athletes there.
31:29
And that's what I love about it. On the outside, it may seem
31:33
easier because, Oh well, Texas is so big.
31:35
They'll have so many athletes. Well, Texas is so big.
31:37
That makes it harder. You already heard about the
31:39
eight different organizing bodies.
31:42
How do you do this? So trust me, if Texas can pull
31:45
it off with all of this complexity, some of our other
31:49
states, you know, if this is something you're interested, I
31:51
would highly encourage you to pick Stu's brain and his team
31:54
there as well. We'll be we'll be happy to
31:57
answer any questions you have and, you know, consult with
32:00
whatever you need. All right, let's talk about some
32:02
events. Let's go kind of group by group
32:04
here, Stu. And we can assume you're doing
32:06
the 1-2, the four and the eight for boys and girls.
32:09
Yes, Sir. The next two, are you doing the
32:12
1632, the fifteen 3000, the mile, two mile.
32:15
What are we doing in those next two 1632?
32:18
All right, that's the most common we're doing the 110 highs
32:20
and the 100 highs for boys and girls, yes.
32:23
We're doing the 300 hurdles. Correct.
32:26
We know we're going to the relays now.
32:28
We know you're doing the four by one and four by four because if
32:30
you weren't you wouldn't be doing track and field and you
32:32
wouldn't be on this podcast. Help us out because I know you
32:35
said a little bit what other relays and there was a little
32:37
bit of difference on who actually does some of the relays
32:39
or not. UIL and TAPS both do the four by
32:44
two. OK SPC does 4 by 8.
32:49
And taps in UIL does not do 4 by 8, correct?
32:52
Not as a scored event, no. OK.
32:54
And that and that's been, we've learned that as we've journeyed
32:56
here through the states is I thought I assumed all states had
33:00
4 by 8 and that's not true. In fact several have added yeah,
33:04
a lot have and a lot of added about five or six so far have
33:07
added it within the last five or six years.
33:09
But it's still not the, you know like a four by one 4x4 where
33:13
everybody has it. Not not, not everybody.
33:15
Any other relays? Any Sprint Medley Shuttle
33:18
hurdles, DM, Rs? Anything else?
33:20
Not as scored Events at the state meet?
33:22
No. Perfect.
33:23
Let's go to the field events. You're doing long jump and
33:25
triple jump for boys and girls. Yes, you're doing shot put and
33:28
discus, boys and girls, Correct. You're doing pole ball and high
33:31
jump for boys and girls, correct?
33:33
Any other events? Javelin, Hammer, Multi events
33:36
5000 Steeplechase? Anything else at the state meet
33:39
for any of these bodies? At the state meet of these three
33:43
major bodies? No.
33:45
Now we are in talks, very early talks and I know this is going
33:50
to light up your faith. You already know where I'm going
33:53
with this because we're in very early discussions with one of
33:58
the associations to bring in the javelin.
34:04
The reason being is several. One, Texas in the summer often
34:12
times hosts either AAU or USATF Junior Olympics.
34:17
In fact, I think it's going to be in Houston in 252729.
34:23
So kids whether it's a little turbo or whatever, they're
34:26
already used to throwing it that we don't have it at any state
34:30
association. I think the home school throws
34:33
it. But of the big three that they
34:36
don't really doesn't make a lot of sense because with our
34:41
population we can easily make it happen Now UIL did, but you'd
34:48
have to go back into about the 1930s.
34:52
Is that right? In 40s?
34:54
It's a long time ago, yeah, When they had actually a rural
34:59
pentathlon as well, many, many years ago, but within the last
35:05
60-70, no, none of them throw the jab.
35:08
But like I said, we are in conversation and when we get to
35:13
that point, I know you and Gil will be major supporters because
35:19
it's picking up steam across the country.
35:21
I mean a few more of that Idaho is added, Alabama, Florida,
35:25
we're up to like 2223 across the country now so.
35:29
I I think we've tipped over the halfway point.
35:31
I think we're in the 262728 range now.
35:34
Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, that'd be amazing to give
35:37
kids in the state of Texas that opportunity for the next level
35:40
in a great event here. Let's let's be real.
35:42
This is a fun event, yeah. And you mentioned the
35:45
steeplechase. The steeplechase has gained a
35:49
lot of traction in the state of Texas.
35:53
Several of our high schools in fact, and Tony and in San
35:57
Antonio, Lucas, Lovejoy, Hockaday.
36:00
Here in Dallas, St. Mark's.
36:02
There's a lot of them within the last 10 years that have a
36:05
steeple on their own high school campus now.
36:08
So, so OK, so that goes right into my next question.
36:11
So let's put this together because.
36:12
You know, after the state meet, some states, much like a meet of
36:15
Champions, will take some of these unique events and they'll
36:19
do an unofficial state meet, whether it's a multis or
36:21
steeple, etcetera. You're alluding to this.
36:25
There's a culture of Steeple in Texas, but it's not in the state
36:28
meet. It's not a scored event yet.
36:30
Hopefully it will be in a lot of credit.
36:32
I'm going to just name drop. If you don't mind, we'll go to a
36:37
former Texas coach. He's now retired.
36:40
He coached at Highland Park and Lucas Lovejoy guy, but I know
36:43
you know him, Greg Christensen. He put in a lot of effort to
36:48
help promote and. Publicize and hold clinics on
36:52
the steeple. And in the last 10 years, it's
36:54
really gained a lot of popularity.
36:56
Texas Relays runs this steeple for the high school and with our
37:00
help, they actually do the javelin.
37:03
So we're hoping that will gain his popularity as well.
37:07
But no, it's not a state scored event yet.
37:13
Hopefully it will be. You mentioned the multis, that's
37:16
not part of it. I know several states do sponsor
37:20
the hep and deck. Afterwards we have what's known
37:24
as Texas greatest athlete, that John Turek, head coach at Saint
37:30
Mark's, an amazing coach, better human being, and he's been doing
37:35
it for a long time with Richie Mercado out of, you know,
37:38
Houston's St. John's and Sue Humphrey has
37:40
helped and they host a hep and deck for high school kids, post
37:47
collegians and even some professionals have been there.
37:52
You know Trey Hardy has competed and they do this like the first
37:55
weekend in June, so the ability to compete happened.
38:02
Deck is there, it's just not state sponsored.
38:04
Yeah, absolutely. Perfect.
38:05
Awesome. Stu, before we get to a couple
38:07
of fun questions here, anything that we missed Anything I didn't
38:11
ask anything. I don't know.
38:13
You double your relay points, you only score 6 at state, you
38:16
you run the four by four at midnight, 'cause that's a Texas
38:18
tradition. I don't know anything that we
38:19
missed that we should know uniquely about Texas high school
38:22
track and field. Sure, like you mentioned,
38:25
scoring Taps and SPC both score 8 places.
38:32
UIL score 6. Really, we have had many
38:39
conversations and we, the TTFCA, are in the process of
38:46
representing a proposal after you know, we got to go garner
38:51
more support, obviously to ask UIL to consider going to 8
38:57
places now. You you you took the extra step,
39:01
I say you'd be in Texas of adding the 9th person because
39:05
you're at a track that has a 9th lane, but you only score 6 for
39:10
the UIL, correct? I had no idea about that, that
39:16
that is very unique in my opinion and it really when you
39:19
when you think about it, you know you go down to 8 places, it
39:22
doesn't. It may change if you rescored
39:25
what has happened in the past, it may change some places, but
39:30
moving forward, there's zero financial obligation just to say
39:34
you came in 7th or 8th. Now you're not handing out any
39:38
more medals, but you are recognizing more kids and it
39:42
does follow the collegiate model and most states.
39:47
I don't have an exact number on me, but most states do score
39:50
more than six, whether it's 7 or whatever.
39:54
And you also mentioned relays and this is another major point
39:59
of contention, which is why we also would like to add an A a
40:04
distance medley or a four by eight.
40:08
If there's time to do it in a meet without prelims is because
40:13
we do have double relay points. Oh, so if you we learned that
40:17
recently about Oklahoma. Yes, Texas, you also double
40:21
your. We're the only two states, four
40:23
by two 4x4, and over on the tap side the four by 8.
40:29
The SPC side would be the four by 8 SPC.
40:31
Do do they also double? Everyone in Texas double S so as
40:37
much as you know and you're the historian here for Texas, so I'm
40:40
pretty sure I'm asking the right guy.
40:41
Do you know? Is there like a 62nd history of
40:45
why? How did that start?
40:47
Why did it start? I don't remember the exact year
40:52
that it started and I I have an idea, but I don't want to
40:58
misquote the history, so I'm going to just leave that answer
41:06
alone for the moment. My apologies.
41:08
But I don't want to say something that is factually
41:11
incorrect that it came in along with this, as you know, sort of
41:17
acquiescing to, well, if we do this, we'll give you this, just
41:22
don't recall the exact circumstances.
41:26
But like you said, we are one of only two states that double.
41:30
But the issue then becomes when you look at UIL and taps 4 by 1,
41:35
four by two 4x4. You're doubling Sprint relays,
41:41
so if you load up on the relays you can get 60 points.
41:44
If you win them all, which almost can give you a state
41:47
title, you get none of those kids at the same time get an
41:52
open event and you know if you got a really fast kid, I
41:59
understand you putting them on 3 relays because your goal is to
42:03
win yet. You know, because you've been at
42:08
the collegiate level, are we really going to recruit off
42:11
splits? So it becomes a dilemma and
42:17
which is why we're if there is space in a revised schedule,
42:25
because all of the state meets are at a single location as
42:28
well. If there were to be a, you know,
42:32
space available, we'd love to see ADMR.
42:35
And sort of even out the playing ground or a four by 8.
42:39
Can you tell us, appreciate your candor there in regards to not
42:43
want to get that wrong on the history.
42:45
Has it been this way, doubling up of the relay points for a
42:49
long time, like as long as you can remember, a type of thing
42:52
like this is not something that started in 2000 and now here we
42:55
are in 23, going well, wait a minute.
42:57
Or has this been dead? Yeah, it's it's 20 plus years.
43:01
Easy. Awesome.
43:03
Stu, man, that's great. Let's get to a couple of fun
43:05
questions here, man. At least in your culture, your
43:08
bus ride to the meat, when we're talking about the state meat,
43:12
when you're talking to your kids or when the kids say it did, are
43:15
you, are you qualified for state, for states, for the state
43:19
meat? How has this debate?
43:22
Most of my kids will go state no SI didn't hear an S there.
43:26
No, not plural. Not plural.
43:28
All right, that's good. This is a very passionate topic
43:31
so we had to make sure we included in our series here.
43:34
OK, so you've been amazing. We've learned a lot.
43:37
And I'll tell you what I I so much props and kudos to you.
43:40
You took a very convoluted confusing at time.
43:44
It's crazy situation and you made it very succinct, my
43:48
friend. It's almost like you're a
43:50
teacher or something. So bravo.
43:52
You did an amazing job. You win the magic wand and if
43:56
someone in your seat you've you have the ability to actually do
44:00
some of the magic wand stuff here.
44:01
If you could one thing and only one thing to make the outdoor
44:07
track and field I I should just say track and field for high
44:09
school in Texas better in your opinion, What might that be?
44:14
If I can change one thing, wow. 'Cause there's so much I'd love
44:23
to do, I'd love to narrow the list down for one I know.
44:27
But thinking for the greater population of the athletes and
44:33
to allow more athletes in a in a state where you know the
44:39
athletes are literally phenomenal, I would add prelims.
44:46
So instead of eight, you would take maybe 16.
44:49
Yeah, get more athletes involved.
44:54
It may change a little bit of the logistics getting there of
44:58
course, but I. Mean there's such good athletes
45:04
as, you know, we talked about earlier, you know what my third
45:07
place guy in my region is, you know, this year, you know, so
45:12
much faster or throws so much further, whatever, Let's let
45:18
more kids, you know. Get involved.
45:22
I think that's an excellent use of the magic wand my friend.
45:25
I love it. I would, I would Co sign on to
45:27
that 100%. Stu, thank you so much.
45:32
As we continue, you know we started April 2nd with Alabama.
45:35
We're going all the way to the end of May with Wyoming.
45:38
So we're right kind of just past the middle here with Texas and
45:41
learning so much about each state.
45:43
We learned so much here today. We're so grateful for you being
45:45
with us today. And just thank you from the
45:46
bottom of our heart. Thank you for hearing more about
45:49
Texas High school track and field.
45:51
Appreciate it. Thank you for your time Sir.