Track & Field Postseason Information

The track & field postseason process is arguably the most confusing of all high school sports. Hopefully this explanation will bring some clarity about advancement and qualification.

GEL Championship Meet
To advance past the league championship meet athletes must place in the TOP FIVE at the varsity level. Leagues may also bring one alternate per event. This means than any varsity finisher after six as well as any athlete competing in the Frosh/Soph division will not advance. The only exception to this is the 4x800 relay where the top THREE teams advance.

Overall winners of each event will determine the All-League Team Selection.

Division IV Trials Meet
The Division IV Trials meet is on May 9th.

In laned running events: (100, 200, 400, 110/100H, 300H, 4x1, and 4x4) The winner of each heat plus the next fastest times will advance to the divisional finals at Hughes on 5/16. Because different divisions will have different numbers of heats at their trials, there may be 2 or 3 heat winners to advance. Regardless of numbers of heats, each divisional trials meet will advance 9 runners in these events.

The 1600, 3200, and 4 x 800 relay will be contested as finals only events. The 3200 and 4x800 will be contested on the day of divisional trials. In the 3200 and 4 x 800 Relay, divisional finals will be held during the divisional trials meet and the top 24 times across all divisions will advance to Masters finals on May 23. The 1600 will be contested on May 16th at Hughes Stadium. The 800 will be contested at the divisional trials meet and the top 12 athletes will advance to the divisional finals at Hughes Stadium on May 16th.

In the vertical jumps, the top 9 athletes will advance from the divisional trials meet to the divisional finals at Hughes Stadium. Due to the need to seed athletes at the divisional finals meet, athletes in the vertical jumps will need to go through a full competition at the divisional trials meet. This means that the competition will NOT stop when the 9 qualifiers to divisional finals have been determined.

In the throws and horizontal jumps, athletes will have 4 attempts at the divisional trials meet. The top 9 athletes after 4 attempts in these events will advance to divisional finals on 5/16.

Division IV Finals Meet
The Division IV Finals meet is on May 16th

The laned races will proceed as described above. The top 10 fastest times from all 5 divisions will advance to Masters Finals.

In the 800m, the top 12 total times from all 5 divisional finals will advance to the Masters Meet.

In the 1600, the top 24 total times from the Divisional finals will advance to the masters meet

In the Throws and Horizontal Jumps (LJ, TJ, SP, DT): The top 12 competitors from all 5 divisional finals will advance to the Masters Meet.

In the Vertical Jumps (PV, HJ) the top 12 athletes at the divisional finals meet will advance to the Masters Finals. However, because of the format at the Divisional finals meet, there may be multiple athletes tied for the 12th qualifying spot. We will take up to 15 athletes to the Masters finals in these events, rather than breaking ties through a jump off at the divisional finals meet. If, due to ties, there are more than 15 athletes tied for the top 12 places, a jump off will be needed to determine who advances to the Masters Meet.

Masters Meet
The Masters Meet is the State Meet Qualifying Meet. The Masters meet also has trials and finals for running events and finalists will be determined by the WINNER OF EACH HEAT and the next fastest times to get EIGHT. The only exception is the 800 which has twelve finalists.

The TOP THREE placers in each final will qualify to the State Meet. The fourth place qualifier is the section alternate.