Middle School State Meet: Frequently Asked Questions

We get a lot of emails with a lot of questions. Some pop up over and over. So here are some answers that you want to know the answer to!

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Where are the heat sheets?

The heat sheets are now posted on the FLYRA Middle School State Meet page.

Where will live results be posted?

Our timing partner, Elite Timing, is posting live results and heat sheets here.

How much is admission? Will coaches have to pay? Will kids have to pay?

Admission is $5 for any person not competing in an event that day. We'll make obvious exceptions like if they are under the age of four, but in general every person not in a jersey should be paying.

With that said, we will give ONE coach pass per unattached athlete. And we will give ONE coach pass per ten athletes for teams. So 1-10 athletes = 1 pass, 11-20 athletes = 2 coach passes, etc.

Parking is free.

Can I get into the infield if I'm a coach/parent?

No. Only athletes, officials, and credentialed journalists will be allowed in the infield. The one exception will be for the pole vault, we will have a designated viewing area for this. The throws areas are outside the track, so you have access to that up close.

Is there some place my athletes can warm up?

Football practice field 1 which is the field immediately adjacent to the west side of the stadium is the warm up area. It has a large tent for shade and hydration station. There will be hurdles available in the warm up area.

Can we workout at the facility on Friday night?

Yes. The track will be open and we will be around until sundown. The track will be locked up after dark and the lights will likely not be on.

Where can I set up my team tent?

Team tent area should be against the west stadium fence but inside the stadium. There will be ample trash containers in place. Please use them!

Can we set up our tents on Friday?

Yes. The tent area will be open to set them up.

Where do athletes enter the track to check in for events?

The southwest gate to the track will be closed so athletes and coaches will need to walk on the path in the stadium south if the scoreboard to access the clerk of course tent.

Will concessions be sold?

Yes, IMG Academy will have a stocked concession stand with food, snacks, and drinks.

Will we be able to bring drinks/cooler into the stadium?

Yes.

Will you be selling t-shirts?

Yes. They are available in multiple colors and sizes. First come, first serve. We expect to sell out so get yours early to make sure you get the color and size you want!

They will cost $15. Athletes who were entered by last Sunday night have their names printed on the back in small font.

Sizes: Youth Medium, Youth Large, Youth X-Large, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large, Adult X-Large.

Colors: Green, Orange, Sport Gray.

 

What are the hurdle heights and spacing?

Girls 100 Hudles: 10 hurdles at 30 inches, 13 meters to first hurdle, 8 meters between each hurdle, 15 meters to finish.

Boys 100 Hurdles: 10 hurdles at 33 inches, 13 meters to first hurdle, 8.5 meters between each hurdle, 10.5 meters to finish.

Girls and Boys 200 Hurdles: 5 hurdles at 30 inches, 20 meters to first hurdle, 35 meters between hurdles, 40 meters to finish.

What are the shot put and discus weights?

The weight should be stamped on the implement and may be weighed at event check-in. Any competitor may use any implement that has been checked in.

Girls Shot Put: 6 pounds.

Boys Shot Put: 4 kilograms.

Girls/Boys Discus: 1 kilogram.

Will you be accepting any entries at the meet? What if my person did not get entered? Can I make a change?

There will be no changes at this point, sorry. No additions.

Will you have water for the athletes?

Yes, in addition to water fountains in the stadium, we will have water at the start and finish lines. And available to field athletes.

What kind of spikes are allowed on the track?

ONLY 1/4" PYRAMID SPIKES WILL BE ALLOWED ON TRACK. NO EXCEPTIONS.

What is the schedule of events? Will it run on time?

We will try to stay on schedule exactly. There is a possibility we could run behind. If we do get behind, we will try to make it up in other places and get back on schedule. We will NOT run ahead of schedule. If we are running ahead, we will pause and start at the designated time of each event. Pay attention to the schedule and listen for the calls for your event.

Here is the schedule.

Will there be a coach meeting or check in on Friday?

No. You'll be able to come into the school and set up a camp and look at the track or do a light workout in the warm up field. But we will not have a table or official meeting set up. You may be able to find us there at the facility and ask questions, but nothing formal.

On Saturday, where do athletes go to get in? Where is check-in or packet pickup?

The athlete/team/coach check-in will be at the southwest gate to the stadium. The southwest gate to the stadium will be accessible to athletes, coaches with a pass, and meet staff. The only other gate that should be open will be the main gate. 

This should hopefully keep the flow good by having separate gates for athlete check-in and general admission.

Is there actual packets to pick up?

No... there's not. We'll have a check in for athletes and teams on Saturday. We will give out our complimentary coach admission pass, verify you have paid, etc. But there isn't a literal packet.

Are there bib numbers for athletes?

No. For certain events they will be given hip numbers when they check in to their event. But no bib numbers or anything like that at main check in.

Why is so-and-so not listed? Why was my athlete rejected?

If you review your entries and your athlete/relay is not shown as either accepted or rejected... you did not enter them. And we will not make any exceptions.

If your athlete is rejeced... most likely they didn't meet the standards of qualification. It's possible we missed something (like if you just qualified at a meet on 5/7), but make darn sure they hit the qualifying standard legit before you contact us about it. We are getting lots of emails right now. We have a lot of people entering athletes who did not qualify.

If your athlete is listed on your entries and not rejected... but did not appear on the published performance list, let us know.

Here are the qualification standards

What is the address for IMG Academy for my GPS?

5500 34th St W, Bradenton, FL

However, please have buses enter through the back entrance off of Bolletari Blvd from 53rd Ave.

Here is the Google Maps link for directions.

Who do I make the check or money order out to?

Again... no personal checks please. But if you're doing a money order or school check, it should be made out to: Florida Youth Running Association or FLYRA. This is a non-profit organization that is not directly affiliated with flrunners.com so please don't make the check out to flrunners.com or MileSplit. Thanks!

We would like if as many of you pay online with credit card as possible to speed up the check in process on Saturday.

What are the awards and trophies?

Individual and relay awards will be given out on an OVERALL basis--not separated by club vs school divisions. However, team awards for middle school will be scored separated by school vs club divisions. There are no elementary team awards.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Top 8 Individual Medals (Overall)
Top 2 Team Trophies (Schools)
Top 2 Team Trophies (Clubs)

ELEMENTARY
Top 8 Ribbons (Overall)
No Team Awards

When will awards be given out?

We will be giving them out on a rolling awards schedule within 30 minutes to an hour of each event. So just keep your ears open. Listen for announcement as to the location and time for the presentation.

Where will the awards be given out?

We are going to carve out an area on the outside of the track for awards. Listen for announcements. We'll have a presentation a few events at a time.

Will you mail awards?

Nope. You must collect them or have someone collect them on your behalf at the meet.

Will there be a live webcast?

No, sorry there will be no webcast this year. But there will be media coverage provided by multiple media outlets, including this one. That coverage will include race videos, video interviews, articles, results, and photos (lots of photos).

How is the weather looking?

It is looking great! High of 86 degrees, low of 72 for Saturday. Only a 10% chance of rain. Don't forget the sunscreen!

What rules are you going by?

We use USATF 13-14 age group rules, unless otherwise stated. We are sanctioned by the USATF.

Will you have certified officials?

Yes, we will probably have more certified officials than any other meet you've seen all year with the possible exception of the high school state meet. Each event will have at least two certified officials, along with a host of volunteers.

What is the heat order?

Fast to slow.

Will there be a scratch meeting? What if an athlete needs to scratch? Will you re-seed?

No. We will not do any scratching or re-seeding. If the athlete doesn't show up, they forfeit that race and that race only. No crazy rules like you must start or anything like that. You will not forfeit the other events.

How many attempts for long jump, triple jump, throws?

Four.

Are there prelims?

No... it's all finals against time/mark.

What are the uniform rules?

We are not here to be the fashion police. So try to wear team colors or jerseys, but we're not going to be crazy picky about it. We could care less what color undergarmet or tights you have on. If you're on a relay team then the jerseys should try to match. If your shorts don't match... I don't care. If you have multiple jersey styles for kids in non relay events, I don't care.

What about jewlery?

Bottom line is don't be stupid. Don't wear anything that dangles or can cut people. If an official stays take it off, take it off. But basically don't wear anything that dangles or is sharp. But headbands, livestrong type bracelets, watches, etc are fine.

How many events can each athelte participate in?

Up to four events.... regardless of if it's a relay, individual race, or field events.

What are the opening heights for pole vault and high jump?

Girls High Jump 4’4”

Girls Pole Vault 6’0”

Boys High Jump 5’0”

Boys Pole Vault 7’0”

What are the age, grade, school, and residency requirements?

Middle school athletes must be currently enrolled in a state-recognized Florida public, private, or home school and between the 5th and 8th grades, aged between 10 years and 15 years and 9 months based on the date of the meet. Proof of age may be requested if there is a protest lodged.

Will you enforce the shot put technique?

Yes. Proper shot put technique must be used. Shot must be put from the shoulder with one hand only. The shot should touch or remain in close proximity with the neck or chin. The hand shall not be dropped from this position during the act of putting. The shot must not at any time be brought behind the line of the shoulders. Cartwheeling techniques are not permitted.

What if I need to race while my field event is going on?

We tried to schedule it so that this situation is unlikely. However, a fifteen-minute time limit will be granted to field event athletes to check-out to compete in another event. Athletes must sign-out with the head official of that event.

Why is the event order altered from the norm?

The idea is to run the longest race (3000) under cooler conditions earlier in the morning. Because of that, we needed to flip the 4x400 and 4x800.

Why do you run 1500 and 3000 instead of 1600 and 3200?

High schoolers and many middle schools usually run the 1600/3200. However, outside of that realm pretty much everyone in the world runs the 1500/3000: USATF, AAU, NCAA, Olympics, and Elite. We decided to be more progressive and international than just sticking to 1600/3200 because of tradition.

Who is on the jury of appeals?

Jason Byrne (co-meet director/founder), Laura Fredrickson (FLYRA), Dan Epstein (head official, co-meet director), Mike Hill (Elite Timing) and Tammy King Foster (Alpha Omega Track Club).

What is the appeal process?

A head coach must first consult with the meet referee to discuss all potential appeals. If the coach feels the rules have been misapplied or misinterpreted after consulting the referee, a written appeal shall be made to the jury.

What is subject to appeal?

1) Misapplication of the rules. 2) Clerical correction or scoring error. 3) Correction of meet results. 4) Athlete eligibility issues. 5) Failure to follow procedure or rules as published and announced by meet director.

What is not subject to appeal?

1) Any judgment decision pertaining to violation of the rules. 2) Decision made by a timer that does not involve the application of the rules. 3) Whether a start is fair and/or legal. 4) Disqualifications for violence, language, or unsportsmanlike behavior.

What qualifies as unsportsmanlike behavior?

Absolutely no acts of poor sportsmanship will be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to: profanity; fighting; aggressive and intentional physical contact; being rude to any meet official, athlete, coach, or fan; and throwing of a relay baton.

Respectable celebration is perfectly acceptable. Any celebration should be excessive and should not last more than 30 seconds. It must not interfere or impede any athlete or official, and should not even border on taunting. The definition of what is unsportsmanlike will be solely at the discretion of meet officials. At the official's discretion athletes and teams may be disqualified from the current (or just completed) event or even ejected from the meet causing forfeit of all remaining events.

The behavior of coaches and parents shall be considered the same as that of the athlete themselves. So any unsportsmanlike behavior by these adults may require the same consequences outlined above.

How long has this meet been going on?

Many people are surprised to know how long we’ve been doing this meet for. It has evolved over the years, but started back in 2002 and has seen some of the state’s greatest talent get their big start at this state championship! The original goal was to fill a void for the middle school track community and give those athletes/teams a goal and climax to their season, as well as to enhance competition. 
 
Jason Byrne-the founder of MileSplit and flrunners.com--is the founder of the meet and continues to serve as meet director to this day. In 2012, flrunners.com LLC gave the meet as a gift to the Florida Youth Running Association (FLYRA), a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote and grow the sport on the middle school and elementary level. Byrne now sits a member of FLYRA's Board of Directors and contracts as the meet organizer. The meet is no longer directly affiliated with flrunners.com, MileSplit, or Flocasts... though obviously the cooperation and cross-promotion is tight due to the long-standing relationship and history.
 
What are the key goals of the meet?
 
1. To give these kids, most often ignored and over-shadowed, a chance to shine. 
2. To reward them for hard work and provide a culmination point and goal for their season, beyond just in-county. 
3. To instill a love of track & field in the next generation of athletes. 
4. To provide some unity and standards on the diverse and unorganized system that is middle school track in Florida! 
 
What are the key goals of FLYRA?
 
These are the core mission goals, adopted by the board of directors in 2012.
 
1. Put on quality middle school championships for cross country and track & field seasons. We feel mission accomplished on this one. 
2. Encourage more opportunities for this age level by inspiring or organizing more meets. This has been a big success, but we continue to try to get more meets to start up, those meets to improve their quality, and we are also encouraging more high school meets to add middle school races (especially in cross country). 
3. Encourage more middle school programs to start in schools and when possible fund seed grants to help start new middle school programs. Our first such grant was to Polk County schools in the summer of 2013; we purchased the uniforms for 13 new middle school cross country teams the county started.
 
Though not an officially stated goal, we also hope to evolve the thinking about middle school athletics to county school systems, who often have stood in the way of such programs being viewed as much more than a PE class or have banned inter-county competitions, forcing teams to go underground as clubs or simply not participate. We also hope to see more counties start middle school track & field programs and to potentially work with the FHSAA to put their blessing on our mission. We are also exploring the concept of supporting elementary track & field. Though it is not in our immediate plan to add championships at this level, we certainly encourage more school teams and county championships to spring up!