ccrunner906
New member
I recently read an article in regard to a Div II girl's swim team who won their 14th straight Ohio State Championship. Someone tried to compare them to St. Ed's Div. I record in wrestling and the debate was on. It was suggested that they couldn't be compared to St. Ed's because it would be like comparing apples to oranges since some of their girls wouldn't even have qualified for state in Div. I let alone score as high as they did if you put their times in with the D1 races at State.
I know actual racing is important in individually timed sports but as we still debate the competitive balance issue in Football at the Div. 1 level what about all other sports? What about timed sports where individual competition is involved. For example last years SW regional boy's cross country meet lacked competitive balance by division without a doubt. The final qualifiers (16th place) in the D2 and D3 races probably would have finished somewhere in the mid 60 - 70th place range in the D1 race. That's not taking away from the best runner of the day being from a D3 school but what about a runner from D1 Vandalia finishing 24th in the D1 race who didn't even sniff a qualifying spot. The eight runners ahead of him were from schools with 600-700 more boys than his school. If he was running in the D2 race he finishes 3rd and is off to state. He would have beat boys from schools around 100-150 boy's smaller than his in that 21 place difference.
I totally understand the need for divisions in team sports but he was running as an idividual and I will be the first to admit that I don't have the answer to this situation. It just doesn't seem right that he is either 3rd or 24th depending on where he lives, in a sport which is timed from point A to point B. If you finish 16th do you still pump your fist because you are on your way to state even though there were 50 guys that ran in the race after yours that beat your time and their season is over. I assume that doesn't matter to whoever makes it and it probably shouldn't.
I've been in DIII college gyms where they hang banners that proclaim them NCAA CHAMPIONS – they don't state Div III and they look just like the Div. 1 banners. I know there are intramural teams at OSU, BGSU, Miami etc... that would probably give a lot of top tier Div III college teams a run for their money in some sports. I guess once you are in that pool if you come out on top it doesn't matter what the bigger schools do you are only thinking of your journey.
This is a bit of a ramble but what can be done in sports other than football to balance the competition so a 16th isn't a 68th or a 24th could have been a 3rd in individually timed sports?
I know actual racing is important in individually timed sports but as we still debate the competitive balance issue in Football at the Div. 1 level what about all other sports? What about timed sports where individual competition is involved. For example last years SW regional boy's cross country meet lacked competitive balance by division without a doubt. The final qualifiers (16th place) in the D2 and D3 races probably would have finished somewhere in the mid 60 - 70th place range in the D1 race. That's not taking away from the best runner of the day being from a D3 school but what about a runner from D1 Vandalia finishing 24th in the D1 race who didn't even sniff a qualifying spot. The eight runners ahead of him were from schools with 600-700 more boys than his school. If he was running in the D2 race he finishes 3rd and is off to state. He would have beat boys from schools around 100-150 boy's smaller than his in that 21 place difference.
I totally understand the need for divisions in team sports but he was running as an idividual and I will be the first to admit that I don't have the answer to this situation. It just doesn't seem right that he is either 3rd or 24th depending on where he lives, in a sport which is timed from point A to point B. If you finish 16th do you still pump your fist because you are on your way to state even though there were 50 guys that ran in the race after yours that beat your time and their season is over. I assume that doesn't matter to whoever makes it and it probably shouldn't.
I've been in DIII college gyms where they hang banners that proclaim them NCAA CHAMPIONS – they don't state Div III and they look just like the Div. 1 banners. I know there are intramural teams at OSU, BGSU, Miami etc... that would probably give a lot of top tier Div III college teams a run for their money in some sports. I guess once you are in that pool if you come out on top it doesn't matter what the bigger schools do you are only thinking of your journey.
This is a bit of a ramble but what can be done in sports other than football to balance the competition so a 16th isn't a 68th or a 24th could have been a 3rd in individually timed sports?