Ohio Runners

Concern #1
Meets that are timed by hand who publish results in the hundreths. For example, publishing a 100m time of 10.56 rather than 10.6.

Comment: If you are using Hy-Tek you can solve this by either putting a lower case h next to the time (10.6h) or find the setting that allows you to show a time in the correct format.

Concern #2
Meets that publish only the scoring place marks.

Comment: Every kid who competes deserves their name to be published in the results. If you are using HyTek, that is a simple few clicks of the mouse.

Concern #3
Coaches fabricating seed marks.

Comment: I thought this was just an indoor thing, but for the few meets that have published heat/flight sheets shows me that it's still a big problem outdoors. I would like to think that if we simply call each other out, it would bring this long standing "tradition" to a halt, but the practice appears to be alive and well.

Concern #4
Invitationals that do not keep up with nor inform everyone of the team scores.

Comment: I've been at some meets this year in which all the teams left not knowing the score. This would never happen in the team sports, nor should it happen in ours. One such meet was being run with auto timing and HyTek Meet Manager so I'm just not sure why this could happen. Good meets who do it right have a central area upon which to post hard copies of the results for each event. If the Tiffin CC Carnival can publish results for the gazillion races they put on within minutes of each finish for all to see, I would think it should be standard fare for us to do the same for track and field.

Concern #5 Why the heck does Ohio not have the triple jump, the hammer, and the javelin yet?

Comment: The triple jump is the most perplexing omission. All you have to do is paint a white line on your runway and you can effectively run the event. I'm puzzled by the stance many have about adding time to the meets. Right now, there is only one horizontal jump and while I do understand the safety concerns about hammer and jav, I hope that the TJ goes through for next year as some have predicted.

Feel free to comment on these or add more.

@CoachWhitman

Concern #3
Coaches fabricating seed marks.

Nothing bothers me more than this. We turn in honest marks and get closed out of fast heats. Win a slower heat and place in the top 4 at an invitational.

Recently a coach from the Southeast part of Ohio entered their "seeds" with times that were (in the 4x400) 15 seconds faster than they had performed this season.

This is insulting and downright unethical. A coach is teaching their athletes that it is ok to lie because you will be rewarded with getting into the heat you want to be in rather than the one you have earned a chance to be in.

@CoachWhitman

I agree with all 5.

With #5 - we need to add the Triple Jump. It's there and it is cheap to add.

As for Hammer and Javelin - I'm a huge hammer supporter, and would love to see it added to more meets, especially Saturday Invitationals/Relays. It doesn't need to be thrown at every meet, and I am fine with it not being a state meet event, although I would like to see a Hammer State Championship the day after the state meet somewhere near Columbus (other states, like Washington, Oregon, and a hand full of others do this).

I could go either way on the Javelin, but it can't be thrown in OHSAA competition, so it is reserved for summer meets.

As for hammer, I,m not sure most could coach it. It would take some time to get everyone up to speed. As for safety, would need a beefed up net in ring, but discus and shot can be just as dangerous. The problem is the state rules to let it happen. We tried to get it part of Mehock relays, and because of points, it was abandoned. Ohio has some of the best throwers anywhere, and we should show case them. My son Bryn did just four meet last year,(somerlot only one in season) and he was contacted by schools all over nation. I could only imagine what would happen, if we could have focus more on it.

Why can't we start up a State Hammer meet? Couldn't we hire a offical that is familiar with event, and declare it for points and have it at a local college. I'm willimg to help. Where do we start?

@brynjack

I'm not entirely positive, but since it is after the season, you could run it as a USATF event for insurance reasons and hold it at a local college and not have to worry about awarding points. You would need only one or two officials. The cost to it is renting the facility, Ohio State wants a lot to rent anything, so I think they would be out, but another Columbus area college might be willing to be less pricey. Make it an all comers meet with Awards to the top 3 overall and in each division. I've thought about doing it but just never get started on it soon enough to make it a reality.

@CoachWhitman

As for febricating seed marks. Outside of the first meet of the year, most results are on mile split. If baumspage and milesplit could work together somehow so when a coach enters an athlete/relay it puts their best time of the year automatically.

I'm all for the triple jump.....but it was shot down a few months ago.

@psl1122000

MileSplit has their own entry system, which you can set to only allow seed times form the current season, personal best marks, or to have seed times generated and then allow the coach to override it.