We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Cross Country teams in Harlem and Hay/Lodge Pole began training for competition on August 11 in hopes of qualifying for the State meet in Helena October 21.
It is our hope to include team pictures and previews for the two schools in next weeks Blaine County Journal ~ News Opinion.
Both the Wildcats and Thunderbirds are expected to return a number of athletes who excelled last year at the State Tournament.
The Thunderbirds return All-State senior Isiah RunsAbove and All-State junior Gilbert Snow. RunsAbove finished second last fall and Snow twelfth.
Harlem sophomore L’Tia Lawrence was outstanding as a freshman last fall finishing fourth overall at the state meet.
Both the Thunderbirds and Wildcats are expected to be competitive again this fall and hope to field complete boys and girls teams at the state meet again this October.
Cross Country began competition as a High School Boys Varsity sport in 1964 with schools competing in either the Class A or Class B divisions.
Eventually the schools were divided into the four classes we are familiar with today to mirror the classifications used in Basketball.
Girls first began competition in 1971 and included four classes from the start, largely due to the boys already competing.
The distance ran by each competitor originally was two miles before moving to 2.5 and then three.
This year teams can expect a number of changes to the rules beginning with adjustment of course length from three miles to three kilometers. Qualifying times required to compete at the state meet followed the recommendations made by the MHSA Athletic Committee and approved by the MHSA Executive Board, for the State Cross Country Meet.
They are as follows: Boys – 30.00 minutes or faster; Girls – 35.00 minutes or faster. Athletes must achieve this time at least once during the season to be qualified for the state tournament or to be used as an alternate.
MHSA rules also state: No student shall participate in more than ten (10) meets excluding Association sponsored meets. No cross country athlete may participate in an out-of-state invitation only meet unless approved by the MHSA Executive Director. Any out-of-state participation approved under these criteria will count toward the ten-meet limit for the particular athlete.
POST SEASON COMPETITION per the MHSA
For an athlete to be eligible to compete in post-season competition he/she must compete in at least two (2) Association sanctioned meets, which can be varsity or sub varsity meets, during the regular cross country season. Only a medical waiver from a certified physician stating that an athlete has sustained an injury preventing him/her from competing until that time will be accepted as a condition to be exempt from the rule. The high school for which the student will participate must file a request with the MHSA Executive Director for consideration of a waiver of this rule.
