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BONUS: New York State Meet featuring Justin Craddock from Williamsville North HS · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

0:00
It's bonus time here on the Gill Connections podcast.
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In an effort to increase communication, empathy and
0:06
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?
0:50
So check us out every day here in April and May of 2024 as we
0:54
run through each state with a local state expert.
0:57
So let's get started right now. OK.
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It's New York, NY time here on our 50 states.
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Actually 51 because we're including you, Washington, DC,
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as we go around the country to learn about the outdoor state
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track and field series and how they do it in every state.
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And this time we're going to head up to New York today.
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So help me welcome Justin Craddick from Williamsville, N
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Justin, thanks for being here, man.
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And thank you for stepping up and representing the great state
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of New York for us in this fun little series.
1:36
Anytime. Awesome man.
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Appreciate you. Appreciate you being here.
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Why don't we start, Justin? Why don't we start with a intro
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of you Give us kind of a a 32nd, you know how long have you
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coached in the state? Maybe some accomplishments.
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Let's give give yourself a little bit of St. cred here.
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Yeah, I've been. This is my 11th year coaching in
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New York. I was at private school for 2
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1/2 years and I was at an assistant coach for 2 1/2 years
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at Sweet Home High School. And then this is my sick going
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into my 6th year at Williamsville North.
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I've had some state champions at Sweet Home and I've had one
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state champion in pentathlon girls pentathlon at
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Williamsville North, as well as a few medalists in indoors, long
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jump and outdoor hurdles or actually flip that.
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Sorry. So yeah, I've been been at the
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state meet every year of my coaching career so far.
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So yeah, that's right. Let's keep that streak going.
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Awesome. Well, let's get into.
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I'm excited to learn about New York.
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It's actually one of the states I don't travel to all that much,
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so I'm really excited to learn about it.
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And it's also one of the, I think top five.
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If it's not five, it's number six.
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Most popular sports is in the state of New York as well.
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It's a huge, huge participation level there in New York.
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So I'm excited to learn more. Let's start with you said you
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coached at private school. You know some states, not many
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we're learning, but some states have a a separate private school
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organizing body in a separate public school overseeing
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organizing body. What do we do in New York for
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private and public? Do we all compete together
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separately? What are we doing?
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For outdoor track, our state is split into 11 sections
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geographically. And then there's two additions
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to that, the Catholic High School Athletic Association,
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which is they're considered their own section and then the
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public school of of New York City public schools are
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technically a separate section as well because they have
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different rules for recruiting. And I think New York City
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schools, a lot of people bounce around a lot in the New York
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City schools, so. I'm technically considered
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Section 6, Buffalo Area, Section 6, they're numbered.
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So Section one, Section 2 all the way up to 11 and then the
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Catholic High School Athletic Association.
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PSAL are separate entities at the state meet the they do
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compete with us but they are we actually get out separate
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medals. It's called the federation for
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overall. So you know, you have your
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divisions and we'll talk about the divisions in a few minutes,
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but. There's there's two divisions in
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New York State and then there's the federation, and the
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federation is considered everybody.
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The Catholic High schools cannot compete against us in Division
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One or two, but don't compete against us in the Federation
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championships. That seems, from an outside
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view, confusing. That's OK, you guys get it.
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So that's good. Maybe I'll hear it up here a
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little bit. When we get to the logistics of
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the state meet, I think, yeah, as I'll say, let's go, let's hop
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right into there. So you already talked about
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division. So as we look towards the state
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meet for New York, what is the, you know, all around the
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country, we call it area divisionals, sectionals,
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regionals, all these different names.
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What's the first round that we're going to work into as we
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work towards State Meet? So we typically we call them
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sectionals or state qualifier meet mostly everybody calls them
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sectionals. And our sectional meet is it's
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based geographically. So we're Section 6, we have our
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own state qualifier sectional meet that's hosted the week
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before the statement and we each section can run their meet
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pretty much any way they want. In Buffalo Section 6, we have a
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two day meet that's that that mimics the state meet.
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So. Same order of events, it's the
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same schedule, you know, we try to mimic the state meet in West
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in in this area just to see if kids can handle it with the
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rounds and semis and finals and and you know we go over an hour
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and a half to Section 5 and they have a one day state meet.
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You know, we they still can send people to states the same way,
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but they they chose to make it a one day meet instead of a two
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day meet. So each section can run their
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meet differently. The Catholic League runs a one
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day meet in New York City, Same thing with Psal.
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So it just depends on where you are.
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So the first round would be the section Meet and and forgive me,
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I forgot to ask the question how many classes do we have in New
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York? Totally skipped over that.
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Forgive me. We have two classes.
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It we have Division One, which is the large schools, a
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population of 600 and up, and then the division two is school
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population of 599 and down. Currently we are in the talks to
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try to add a third division by neck by 2025 just to split up
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the the small schools because there's considerably more small
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schools than large schools in the state.
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Two boys teams are going to win a state team title and two girls
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teams are going to win a state title D1.
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D2 and that's well, we actually do not score our state meet team
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wise which is yeah, it's it's a, it's a little interesting here
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hold on let's not get there yet but that obviously you saw the
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the, the eyebrows raised on that one.
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OK. So we got two classes Division
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One, Division two. The first round we were on
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sectionals, right. So we're at sections, and each
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sectional has the autonomy to run it.
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How they won. OK, that's interesting.
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New York's coming up. Very interesting here, right in
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the middle of all 51 of these meets.
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This is interesting. So let's start with how do I get
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to sectionals first of all, meaning can I only enter two per
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event? Can I enter as many as I want?
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How do I divvy up the kids into sectionals?
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So in section 6 we have qualifying standards to get the
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sectionals but. Due to I guess you know
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logistics of not having a million kids there, we only take
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16 per event. So they're like a provisional
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standard that you have to hit and if you hit that standard you
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still have to be top 16 in that event.
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For us and for our section, I know other sections, for example
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the the Catholic League, they there is no standard, you just
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go, it's a you know you compete. They take top eight to finals
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and Section 5 has qualifying standards.
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That's the Rochester right over. So like each each meet is run a
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little. Each qualifying meet is run a
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little differently on how you get there, but the the rules of
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who gets to go is all the same, so.
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That'll be, that'll be more standard uniform.
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But for us, yeah, we have a qualifying standard to get into
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the meet and then we take 16 per event.
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So these section, how many sectional meets did you say
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there are? There's 11 sections plus the
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half, like in. So technically 13 sections.
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Got you. Yeah, I'm sorry I cut you off
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there. Yeah, 11 sections, plus the
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Catholic, plus the PSAL. So each of these 13 meets, these
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are, you know typically we're kind of standard when we start
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getting into the state meat series here.
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These are really autonomous. I don't want to call them
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Invitational meats, but they are unique.
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Each meet can be and sound like they there is some uniqueness in
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each event. How they, how many they allow
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you to intervent, how they even qualify you.
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You're saying in your sectional they're up in Buffalo, it's the
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top 16. You have a qualifying standard,
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but we're only taking 16 per event for sectionals.
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Yeah, per class too. So it's you know Division One
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gets 16, division two gets 16, so it's 30.
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OK. Now you did you hinted at some
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standardization here in regards to how many from sectionals go
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on to the next round. What is the name of that next
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round and then what is that standardization?
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But we go right from sectionals to states, there's no.
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Nulls or in between. State qualifiers or state
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qualifier? And then the next week is the
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state meet. OK.
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And so how many per event are going from sectionals to the
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state meet? So this is this is where things
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get really complicated. Now it gets complicated.
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OK, this is good. I'll start.
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Every section gets to send a minimum of 1 athlete per event,
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so you know you have your Division One and your division
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200 meter winner. Those are automatic, they get to
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go, so that's the minimum. We also have state standards, so
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we'll use the 100 as an example. If the 100, the person who wins
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the 100 meters wins it and 2nd place has a state standard, then
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heat that second place runner gets to go, but it's only one
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with the state standard. So if third place also has the
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state standard, they do not get to go, so it's the next finisher
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that has the state standard, so the the winner and then maybe
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second place if they beat the standard.
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Or another example would be second place does not have the
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standard but third place does. 3rd place gets to go.
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Oh, not the standard at sectional.
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The standard throughout the season.
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Yeah so. So we have a we have standards
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that you have to hit. We're changing the rule right
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now. But previously it was five or
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more teams have to participate in a meet for you to be eligible
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to get the standard. Now any FAT time counts.
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So you can run your 100th standard in April, you get hurt.
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You get third place at yours, your state meet or your section.
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I'm sorry your your section meet and go get to go.
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You could be 8th place but only one time.
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Qualifier with the state standard, there's a.
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There's another complicated part of this, which is you're gonna
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like, All right, before I ask my next question, is this different
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amongst the 13 sectional meets? Like, is this how you're OK?
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So this is standard? This is.
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We have a committee, a state committee.
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I'm on the state committee and they vote on the standards.
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It's actually an average of 8th place over the course of.
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I think five years. And so that standard is uniform
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in this first place goes and then time qualifier, that's
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standard amongst the 13 sectionals as well.
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Correct. OK, perfect.
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OK, All right. So you you were saying there was
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something else. Of course there is.
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Those standards have been around for 2530 years.
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We've we've had, we've always had the ability to bring.
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That extra person, and a few years ago they added a super
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standard. So a super standard is an
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automatic. OK, how do we by time or or
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distance or height? So this is, this is a new thing,
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and it was it got complicated a couple years ago because people
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didn't understand it. But the Super standard is is a
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faster time than the state standard.
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There's a time that if you hit, you're probably meddling.
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It's like I think the average of like 4th place over the course
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of the last few years and but the caveat is that you have to
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compete the event of sexual so which pretty pretty normal.
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So if you run the Super standard and let's say you get hurt and
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you you get last place, you don't make it out of trials.
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For some reason you clip a hurdle, go down, you, you foul
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out of long jump all things that can happen.
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But you have that super standard.
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You still get to go to states. So let's let's let's use an
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example here. I like your hundred example
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because it's small numbers so let's use that.
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So let's say the state qualifying time is 1070 and the
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Super standard is 1030. Just get some separation there.
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I run 10/29 in the season. FATI go to sectionals, also
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known as the state qualifying meet and I false start or I trip
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and I get dead last long as I fit.
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Well, I don't know. Does finishing matter?
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Because false starting you wouldn't finish.
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I think tech, so this has been tricky and I know there's been
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some people at the the the higher level state.
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That are like, well, kids can just like get their friends in
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or something like that. So far it hasn't been an issue.
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So officials have had to make calls.
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We haven't no committee members have had to have conversations
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and we've had these super standards for this is the fifth
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year of having them. So in five years we've had no
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issues and part of the reason, you know, like.
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People, kids don't necessarily like one, they like to compete,
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but two, like each section give us out awards for winning your
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section. So kids don't really want to
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miss out on that stuff. So it's not like they're trying
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to most we haven't seen it yet. Nobody's really trying to
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swindle the system. So if I'm the 1029 guy, but I
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show up with the flu, that's probably a better example here.
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And so I'm just dog meat. I run 11 flat.
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I don't even make it to the finals, I'm still going because
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I ran 10/29, so hopefully I get better for my flu for next
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week's date meet. Yeah, and and we can send
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unlimited kids that have the Super standard.
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OK, so I have. I was like using the mile for
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this example. I have 4 Millers who all run 410
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or better. I'm assuming that might be
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better and I could be wrong here.
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The Super Standard's 412 all four of them as long as they
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compete at the sectionals can go on does there's no cap only two
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per team or per sectional or anything like that.
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So you're really this sounds like because this has been a
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common theme here as we're moving through the States is
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there's a real big concern And I and I think valid and I, I hear
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the same concern on the collegiate side as well even the
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elite side Olympics etcetera is how do we make sure the best
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people are at the final meet whether it's state meet in
16:20
national championship or Olympics.
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And then the cards fall where they may.
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If a guy gets sick or trips or false starts, well, you're at
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the state meet. Sorry, you don't get a a super
16:29
super standard to get into the finals.
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Yeah, the The thing is, is these standards are they're pretty
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challenging and I'm trying to see if I can find find it, but
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they're not. They're not standards that like
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everybody's going to hit and then everybody gets into this.
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There are there are times that have meddled here we go super
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standard. So these are these upcoming
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years super standards. Like the hundred.
16:57
OK, so again, you're talking to Texas and all that.
17:00
So these are going to seem slow, but in New York.
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No, no, that's right. So it's like 11 O 4 for boys,
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100 you know and in New York State that is meddled for
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Division One. You know the the mile 41534 is
17:16
standard. So, you know, there, you know,
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like there's a lot of kids that run those times.
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But like, generally speaking, like.
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If you're hitting, we're not sending 12 kids from each
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because we're running 4:15. So you know they it does, it
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does make sure that the best kids are there, which we didn't
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have before and kids definitely got set, set like kids that
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should have been at the meet that would have meddled wouldn't
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be left behind. So I think really good addition
17:42
in the last few years. OK.
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Let's move to that state meet. Talk to us about where is it?
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Is it typically held in the same place?
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Is it a college facility, high school facility?
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Do both Division One and Division Two happen at the same
17:55
location, same weekend? Talk to us about that aspect.
17:59
Yeah. So our state meet is a 2 day
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meet and IT people can put bids in for hosting and they have to
18:06
have a certain amount of things, enough parking, hotels in the
18:09
area etcetera and it's mostly at high schools because.
18:16
These sections, or if it's easier for them to run out of
18:18
high school than it is a college, but we have had it in
18:21
the last 10 years. I think it's been at the
18:22
University of Buffalo and the University of Albany in the last
18:27
10 years, but mostly high school.
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So we we cycle between different areas, but we every other year,
18:35
we're centralized. So we may go 1/4 of the state,
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then we come back to the middle, then we go 1/4 of the state,
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then we come back to the middle. And that's been a pretty good
18:44
system. You know, there's some teams
18:45
that have to travel pretty far, but you know that's we usually
18:49
leave the day before and it's not really an issue.
18:52
But yeah, it's a it's a two day meet and it's mostly at high
18:55
schools and both boys and girls and Division One, division two
18:59
all during that two day meet. So yeah, it's Division One and
19:03
division two trials are typically day one.
19:06
And finals are typically day two as well as the Federation
19:09
championship which is the what I think you put the meat of
19:12
champions on your questions and that would the Federation
19:16
championship is technically our meat of champions.
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I think it's the Division One, the fastest from Division One,
19:23
division two and the federation all in one race.
19:26
So you get you know that's so we have, you know it's if you're
19:30
100 and 200 Sprinter you might be running.
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You're running six rounds, you know, you're, you know, you're
19:38
doing your hundred trials, your 100 semis, your 100 finals, as
19:43
well as the same thing for the 200.
19:45
And then you get your meet of champions, and some kids don't
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decide not to compete in it, even just because it's like it's
19:49
a lot that. That's not the same weekend
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though, is it? Yeah, it's it's so we we compete
19:55
so division 100 for example in division two, they will run
19:59
their trials in semis on day one.
20:03
Friday. And Saturday they'll come back
20:07
and run the Division One state championship and Division Two
20:10
state championship in the morning it goes like Division
20:13
One boys, Division One girl place for her.
20:17
And then there's about a couple hours and then we run the meet
20:21
of champions later in the day. So it you know it, it's an it's
20:27
interesting, you know, if if you're only like just 100
20:30
runner, you're doing your relays.
20:33
We you know this is for the individual events for the one,
20:36
the two, the four, the 800-1632 are all run together.
20:42
So you're not doubling up a two mile.
20:45
You know we run the the, the two mile on day one and every it's
20:49
just they seed it based on who's the fastest kids will have AD
20:52
One or D2 on their back so you know who you're kind of
20:56
competing against and. You know, but the Sprint events
21:02
and the jump events, you'll have trials and finals, you're taking
21:05
six jumps and then you have your meet of champions the next day
21:10
and you're doing it again. All right, so Sectionals states,
21:14
And then what do we call it? The Federation Championships
21:18
operation. Championships.
21:19
All right, well, help. Help us understand something you
21:21
said a little bit ago. You said we don't score our
21:24
state meet. Help me understand that.
21:28
It's really just an individual. You know your you get your
21:31
relays. We don't there's has never been
21:34
A at least not since I've been coaching or been an athlete in
21:37
New York State. We have never had a team state
21:40
title and I I don't know if it's just because of how for years it
21:45
was really complicated or really hard to get to states without
21:48
the Super standards. So teams aren't sending full
21:52
teams, they're sending you know your 4 by 4 and those boys that
21:55
were on the 4 by 4 might be running individual events and.
21:58
Now you're and you're competing against another school that did
22:01
the same things and so there's not really a team like a huge
22:06
team there. You you got your teams that are
22:09
that have their distance runners in this and they could probably
22:12
win a state title at each time. But it's not scored that way for
22:14
us. And I I don't really know why it
22:16
isn't because I I there's definitely teams that could win
22:18
year after year over and over. You know there's some huge teams
22:21
in New York State but that's just how it's been and no and no
22:25
team title for the Federation championships.
22:28
That's just the the meat of champs, the the I always did air
22:32
quotes, but the the true 100 meter state champ shot, foot
22:35
champion etcetera, regardless of divisions at at that point.
22:40
Yeah, yeah, the you'll, you'll get your, your, your overall
22:43
champion later in the day. And yeah, that's, you know,
22:46
Justin, I'm only going to ask this question because this is so
22:49
radical. Is this are you being truthful
22:52
with me or now? Or did you like?
22:54
Is this like the most elaborate prank?
22:57
No, this is. This is OK, All right.
22:59
This is amazing. I love this is exactly why we're
23:02
doing this series. I love this.
23:03
OK, let's keep heading through. That's awesome.
23:06
This is amazing. It really is.
23:08
A lot of states are doing or adding adaptive, unified
23:12
wheelchair events, anything like that going on in New York.
23:16
Not at our state. Well, at our state meet we have
23:18
wheelchair events and it's really based on like what people
23:22
are trying to compete in. So we've had the hundred a
23:24
couple years ago, we had a kid doing the two mile and the 100
23:28
don't compete by themselves. They they get a separate medal
23:31
for that. But the Two Mile, I mean we had
23:33
a the kid was off to the side racing everybody in the two Mile
23:36
and it was pretty cool a couple years ago.
23:40
We've seen shot put as well. Especially indoors I saw that
23:44
outdoor I haven't seen that yet but but yeah they we those are
23:49
the three that I've seen so far and I tried to find standards to
23:53
they didn't seem to have any standards for them because I
23:55
think so few people are doing them that they're just trying to
23:57
encourage everybody. But yeah, that's we just the
24:01
just the wheelchair events at the moment.
24:03
Hey that's great. This is the most inclusive sport
24:06
in the world track and field. So love that.
24:09
The coaches of New York are recognizing that and and adding
24:11
those in there. That's awesome.
24:12
Are weary one over meet a champs.
24:14
We have that we have a federation championship.
24:16
That's very cool. I do love that.
24:18
The next question I want to ask you you know what unique events
24:21
do you do but they're not unique to you that's just what you do.
24:23
So we're going to kind of go group by group.
24:25
So we've already talked about some of these and so I know for
24:28
sure we're doing the 102 hundred, 408 hundred.
24:31
What are we doing? You kind of mentioned it, but I
24:33
want to make sure get it official here.
24:35
Are you doing the 1600 and 3200, the mile, two mile?
24:38
I didn't hear you do 1500 and 3000.
24:40
What are you doing in those two? Events, Boys run the 16 and the
24:43
32, not the mile 2 mile and then the girls run 15 and 3K, is that
24:49
right? OK, interesting.
24:51
So boys 16 and 32 which is the the more common we've seen so
24:55
far and then the girls are running the 15 and the 3000
24:58
which we've had before here in one of our previous.
25:00
States. Very cool.
25:01
Love it. All right.
25:02
We're doing the 110 high hurdles and the 100 high hurdles for
25:05
boys and girls, yes. Yep, we have those.
25:07
Yep. Are we doing 3 or 400 hurdles?
25:10
We have 400 hurdles here. You do.
25:12
Is that new or is that been? We've had it since I was in high
25:15
school, you know, years ago. So 400 hurdles, That is not the
25:19
common one. I love that.
25:21
That's great. Let's look at the relay so we
25:23
know you're doing the four by one and the four by four,
25:25
because if you're not, you're not really doing track and field
25:27
any other relays. We have the four by eight as
25:29
well. Yeah, nice.
25:31
Any Sprint medleys. Not, not at Yeah.
25:34
Not not at our state meet, no. We're doing 4 by 8, which is not
25:37
every state, so that's good. Our talks to add, it's been
25:42
tabled for this year, but we are in the talks to add the mixed
25:44
4x4 as well. Oh, interesting.
25:47
We've had not, that's also not very common, but we've had,
25:51
we've had one other state that's talked about that.
25:52
So I love that. Very cool.
25:56
I'm sorry, say it again. That'll be a couple years
25:58
because it was tabled for this year, but it's it's still in the
26:00
talks. So yeah, very cool.
26:02
Love it. All right, let's go to our field
26:03
bits. We got long jump and triple jump
26:05
for boys and girls. Yep, shot put and discus.
26:08
Yep, high jump pole vault. Yep.
26:11
Any Javelin steeple hammer multis?
26:16
We do not have javelin or hammer throw.
26:19
They did try to push it a lot through last year and it just
26:22
didn't really take traction. Nobody really wanted it.
26:25
So but we do have steeplechase. We have two case steeplechase
26:29
for girls. Our national record was set last
26:31
year by a girl actually from our section, Angelina Napoleon and
26:36
Three Case Steeple for Boys. I don't know of any other state.
26:41
I love that. That is so cool.
26:42
That's been an event in New York for quite a while that I know
26:45
of, right? Yeah, yeah.
26:46
And it's it's exciting. Our area actually has a really
26:49
good history of having some pretty talented people do it.
26:52
So people are really excited to do it and the kids will line up
26:55
next to the thing to watch everybody fall over.
26:58
It's everybody loves watching it and doing it and it's, it's
27:01
we've had it for a while. It's great.
27:02
I'm a big fan of the Steeple. I technically think it should be
27:05
the longest distance race we do on the track.
27:08
But I would love for, you know, you, everybody who's listening
27:10
from other states. If New York can do it, you can
27:14
as well, like Steeple isn't. Don't be afraid that that's only
27:16
a college event. You can do this.
27:19
I know at least one other state that does it as an exhibition at
27:23
some of their meets, but not at the state meets.
27:24
I love that you do the steeplechase.
27:26
Some states after their state meet or federation championship
27:31
will do unofficial state meets. Usually this is the hammer,
27:35
Javelin or a multi, anything like that going on in New York.
27:38
Not really. I mean, we have a lot of USATF
27:41
and the National, but even to qualify for nationals for like
27:45
some of the events we don't do, you have to travel to a
27:47
different state, You know, So we're not, you know, there's not
27:50
a whole lot of opportunities to do that And at least at the
27:53
sanctioned high school level here.
27:55
OK, awesome. Justin, before we go to a couple
27:57
of fun questions, anything that we're missing from New York that
28:00
I didn't ask or you know, you've never heard of it and some of
28:03
your buddies from other states, anything we missed?
28:07
Not really. So I the only thing that is, you
28:09
know, that I think isn't really unique.
28:11
Everybody kind of experiences it, but weather can be a pretty
28:14
limiting factor in New York State early on with just trying
28:17
to hit, you know, the state standards and super standards
28:20
like we really. Don't get consistently nice
28:23
weather until mid-May and then you only have three weeks before
28:25
the season's over. So you know, I, you know, we've
28:29
come to meets. It's, you know, I live in
28:30
Buffalo, NY It's it's not as bad as everybody makes it out to be.
28:33
But you know I've been to meets where kids are trying to hit 100
28:35
times in 30 degree weather and it's I think, you know, that's
28:40
that's not just our area. It's across the board.
28:42
You know there's girls. There's a girl that just went to
28:44
NC State from Syracuse area. And she, you know, she's a
28:49
4/30/15 hundred girl and she was running 5 minutes in April
28:53
because the weather, you know, there's 40 mile an hour winds in
28:56
your face and weather is a factor everywhere.
28:58
But in New York, it can be a pretty limiting factor early on
29:01
for national qualifiers and state qualifiers students.
29:04
That's what I love about New York being one of the more
29:07
participatory states for track and field because the weather is
29:09
so bad. That means they're just some
29:11
tough hombres and and women out there just running, man.
29:14
So I I love it. I love it.
29:16
All right, Justin, let's settle an argument.
29:18
I've actually heard you say this a couple of different ways.
29:20
So I'm going to be interesting how you answer this, at least in
29:24
your area, your culture, your team all around the country.
29:27
We say we're we're qualifying for the state meet in different
29:30
ways. We say we're going to state,
29:31
we're going to states, we're going to the state meet.
29:35
What about you? How are you saying that?
29:37
They qualify for states or they try to qualify for states.
29:40
Like, you know, I not state, I know a lot of people don't have
29:45
the S on it too. They say we're going to state
29:46
and at least say states. So at least I heard you say it
29:50
plural. But I also heard you say state
29:52
meet too. So I was like, all right, let me
29:53
see how you it was trying. To be like very cohesive for
29:57
like that, you understood what I was saying.
30:00
All right, Justin, you've been great.
30:01
You've been awesome representing the great state of New York
30:04
here. So I'm going to give you a magic
30:05
wand, my friend. If you could change one thing
30:08
and only one thing for the Outdoor State Meet series,
30:11
whether it's an an event or maybe you think it should be a
30:14
four day meet instead of a two day meet, what would that one
30:17
thing that you would change to help make make it even better in
30:20
your opinion? I, you know, I actually really
30:22
like how we qualify because I think it gives the best kids an
30:25
option to hit standards and go. The only thing that I think
30:28
there'd be a slightly different is if that that super standard
30:32
that we have if you didn't have to compete the event at sexuals
30:36
and only because you have kids. Like, I have a girl right now
30:39
who's a great 404 hundred curdler and she she she she was
30:43
a 9th grader last year. And wanted to run the eight.
30:46
She was a great 800 runner too like really high level for her
30:49
age and she was afraid that it would affect her 400 hurdle race
30:53
and that that would like and we didn't want her to just fall
30:55
start the 400 hurdle race because and take advantage of
30:57
the rule. You know you still have to be
31:00
able to do the event at states. But I you know I I think that if
31:04
you qualified and you're like you know what I I qualify in the
31:06
400 hurdles. I have my super standard it's
31:09
insurance and you can go try a different event you're like you
31:11
know what I ran well in the eight.
31:12
I'm not going to run 400 hurdles or something like that, so.
31:16
I think that, you know, it's not really a limiting factor, you
31:18
know, because I think it does still get the best kids there
31:20
and we do get you do have the option to get everybody there.
31:23
But if we didn't have to compete the event at our state qualifier
31:26
meet, I think it would open up some kids to try different
31:30
events with a little less fear that they're not going, they're
31:32
not going to be able to qualify. So, so you've got Winter
31:35
Qualifier qualifier by time in a super standard and you'd like to
31:39
add because it's New York, so we want to add another layer here,
31:42
an auto qualifier. Yeah, I mean if the Super
31:45
standard was the auto and instead of just, you know,
31:48
instead of having to compete the event.
31:50
So it doesn't have to be an additional thing, just yeah,
31:54
Justin my man. So far, New York takes the cake
31:59
on the most unique, unique events.
32:03
It's amazing what you guys and gals do up there as coaches in
32:06
New York. So bravo to you.
32:08
Appreciate you again for being here and part of our really fun
32:11
series. This has been awesome and I'm
32:13
just so grateful for you. It's a day.
32:15
Yeah, awesome. It was awesome to be part of it.