Emerald City League 2011 Cross Country Guidelines
Mark DeJonge – Bellevue Christian – ECL XC Coordinator
mdejonge@bellevuechristian.org
425.454.4028 ext 126 – School
425.766.0603 - cell
Regular Season Meets
Regular season meets are hosted by various schools as indicated on the master Emerald City 1A and CrossTown Middle School Leagues cross country schedule.
3:15 – course previews begin; maps will be available
3:45 – MS Girls
4:05 – MS Boys
4:25 – High School Girls
5:05 – High School Boys
Number of Participants
All members of a team – varsity as well as JV – may participate in regular season meets since we do not run separate junior varsity races.
The top 7 on each team will be the scoring team – 5 scorers and 2 displacers.
The same scoring system will be used at the District and State meets.
However, at District and State, only seven runners may run in the varsity race.
(There are no JV races at District or State.)
Length of Courses
The length of Middle School courses shall be 1.5 miles.
The length of High School courses shall be 5 kilometers.
The one mile and two mile marks will be marked.
Splits will be called at the one mile mark.
Maps of Courses
Host schools will provide maps of the courses.
Meet Expectations
1. Meets will be run according to National Federation guidelines.
2. Courses will be marked in accordance with Parks Department guidelines (no spray paint).
Directional flags and cones may be used.
Courses will be marked in such a way that teams can do the walkthrough on their own.
3. A finish chute will be used; the length of the chute will be more than adequate to handle the number of competitors.
4. It is recommended, but not required, that a bicyclist lead the race.
5. Entries need to be posted on athletic.net 48 hours in advance of league meets. Ex. Entries posted on Sunday evening for a Tuesday afternoon meet!
6. The league scorer will post complete results on athletic.net within 24 hours of a meet.
7. Each school is expected to meet its obligations by providing a qualified helper who may or may not be the coach, if requested by the host school.
8. Two or more schools will join to host each meet.
9. Each school is expected to participate in the three regular-season meets. These meets are on 9/13, 9/20, and 10/13. These dates will also be the 3 dates where the middle school runners will be racing before the high school races.
Emerald City League Championships
Friday, October 21 @ Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue. League championship races will be run at the following times:
3:30 – High School Girls
4:15 – High School Boys
Awards for teams and individuals after the end of the boys race and scoring is complete.
Tri Districts
Will be held at American Lake in Lakewood, WA Saturday 10/29, time TBA
State Championships
The State Championships will be held on Saturday, November 5, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Allocations to State
2011 is the second year of the two year cycle. 5 boys teams and 6 girls teams will be allocated for State along with the top 25 boys and 30 girls from the tri district race.
Rooms at State
Schools are urged to make their reservations in the Pasco area now.
Websites
Coaches are reminded that a great deal of useful information is available at the websites of both the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and the Washington State Track and Field/Cross Country Associations. Those sites are at wiaa.com and watfxc.com, respectively.
Preseason Cross Country Meeting
We will be meeting on Thursday, August 25 for a short pre season meeting. This will be important to incorporate the new coaches we have as well as go over any questions you have as coaches. The meeting will be at BCS at 7:00pm. I will send out a reminder!
Post-Season Cross Country Meeting
We will have a post season meeting, time and place TBA.
Directory of Coaches
Coaches are asked to provide updated directory information to the league cross country coordinator by September 5. The coordinator will, in turn, mail these to participating schools’ coaches and athletic directors so that they arrive before the first meet.
All-League Awards
The Emerald City All-League awards are based, in part, on a percentage of the actual number of participants. The top 15 girls and top 15 boys finishers in the League Championships will win Emerald City League All-League honors.
Girls who run 21:30 for 5k or faster, and boys who run 18:00 for 5k or faster, at the League, District, and/or State Meets will win Emerald City League All-League honors.
If an outstanding athlete is unable to compete in the League or District meet, the coach may ask the league for All-Star consideration for that athlete.
Runners who qualify for State as individuals will also win All-League honors.
Resolution of Conflicts and Concerns
Coaches are urged to approach each other with any concerns they may have. If they feel uncomfortable approaching another coach directly, they should bring the concern to the attention of the league cross country coordinator, who will attempt to mediate. It is always our goal to resolve problems sooner rather than later.
Coaches and Athletic Directors Should Review:
1. Emerald City League Cross Country Guidelines
2. WIAA Handbook, cross country section
3. National Federation Track and Field Rulebook, cross country section
4. National Federation Track and Field Casebook, cross country section
5. Cross Country Guidelines from WIAA
Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association
Coaches are strongly encouraged to join their professional association by going to the watfxc.com website and registering with the WSCA (Washington State Coaches Association).