Spencerville District

[Stirred not Shaken]

To say this meet had some controversy is an understatement. In the Boys PV the box broke, after long delay maybe 2hrs. it was decided to use the old box and "run up". Some of the vaulters had passed at lower heights and after a long delay failed to clear their "opening height". A protest has been filed but doubt if it goes anywhere, not sure why the powers to be did not wait till the running finals - 2 days later to finish the PV. Then in the girls 400 meter race a protest was filed after the race as several girls did not recognize the starting sound. They reran the race 20 mins after the meet was "over" a runner could stick with their 1st time or rerun the race and have to go with the 2nd time. 2 runners reran the race, one being the girl who finished 5th, her time ended up putting her into 4th and the regionals. To say there were a few upset fans, coaches and at least one athlete would be an understatement.

 

[psycho_dad]

To say this meet had some controversy is an understatement. In the Boys PV the box broke, after long delay maybe 2hrs. it was decided to use the old box and "run up". Some of the vaulters had passed at lower heights and after a long delay failed to clear their "opening height". A protest has been filed but doubt if it goes anywhere, not sure why the powers to be did not wait till the running finals - 2 days later to finish the PV. Then in the girls 400 meter race a protest was filed after the race as several girls did not recognize the starting sound. They reran the race 20 mins after the meet was "over" a runner could stick with their 1st time or rerun the race and have to go with the 2nd time. 2 runners reran the race, one being the girl who finished 5th, her time ended up putting her into 4th and the regionals. To say there were a few upset fans, coaches and at least one athlete would be an understatement.

Did not recognize the starting sound? They ran prelims... Then 8 guns before their race that day. Did they switch sound for that one race? Seems pretty cut and dry. Games committee decided to allow a re-run if they chose.

Not sure I understand the PV.

 

[JAVMAN83]

To say this meet had some controversy is an understatement. In the Boys PV the box broke, after long delay maybe 2hrs. it was decided to use the old box and "run up". Some of the vaulters had passed at lower heights and after a long delay failed to clear their "opening height". A protest has been filed but doubt if it goes anywhere, not sure why the powers to be did not wait till the running finals - 2 days later to finish the PV. Then in the girls 400 meter race a protest was filed after the race as several girls did not recognize the starting sound. They reran the race 20 mins after the meet was "over" a runner could stick with their 1st time or rerun the race and have to go with the 2nd time. 2 runners reran the race, one being the girl who finished 5th, her time ended up putting her into 4th and the regionals. To say there were a few upset fans, coaches and at least one athlete would be an understatement.

The PV should've been started from scratch again with the new configuration. That wasn't fair to anyone.

 

[psycho_dad]

The PV should've been started from scratch again with the new configuration. That wasn't fair to anyone.

Starting from scratch isn't any more fair to the kids that came in early. You take a calculated risk starting at higher heights, sometimes it backfires. I don't understand the "it was decided to use the old box and "run up"." I'm sure it makes sense, but I don't follow it.

What is the rule about the plant box breaking and a 2 hour delay?

 

[Stirred not Shaken]

Starting from scratch isn't any more fair to the kids that came in early. You take a calculated risk starting at higher heights, sometimes it backfires. I don't understand the "it was decided to use the old box and "run up"." I'm sure it makes sense, but I don't follow it.

What is the rule about the plant box breaking and a 2 hour delay?

Some of the athletes do more than just PV, some ran multiple events running prelims. IMO should have finished the PV on Friday, before (running finals). They moved the time up on Friday from 4pm to 3pm (because of weather). 3pm was discus finals for boys could have finished PV than with running events starting at 4pm.

 

[JAVMAN83]

Starting from scratch isn't any more fair to the kids that came in early. You take a calculated risk starting at higher heights, sometimes it backfires. I don't understand the "it was decided to use the old box and "run up"." I'm sure it makes sense, but I don't follow it.

What is the rule about the plant box breaking and a 2 hour delay?

I strongly disagree with your assessment that it isn't any more fair to the kids coming in early. Pushing the pole vault to another day and starting from scratch IS fair because it ensure that the box configuration can then be properly checked to see if it meets proper specifications, AND the kids are then put back into the same position they were at the beginning of the competition. If the "old box" didn't meet spec, the competition should've been moved to another facility.

Anyway, it sounds like the decision-making process was made by people that don't have a vaulting background. I would've raised bloody-hell if I'd been involved as a coach.

 

[Altor]

For those saying they should have started over, how do you reconcile with rule 3-2-6?

Competition, interrupted because of events beyond the control of the responsible administrative authority, shall be continued from the point of interruption unless there are conference, league, or state association rules which apply. All trials and marks, made up to the point of interruption, shall stand.

 

[psycho_dad]

Some of the athletes do more than just PV, some ran multiple events running prelims. IMO should have finished the PV on Friday, before (running finals). They moved the time up on Friday from 4pm to 3pm (because of weather). 3pm was discus finals for boys could have finished PV than with running events starting at 4pm.

I understand. Nearly every kid I have does something else. They all have to learn to manage events. I have the same gripe as at our District, they have the boys and girls vault on prelim day. My kids are all over the place typically. That's one issue.

So, there was a weather concern too?

My confusion is, how did they finish with a broken plant box?

I strongly disagree with your assessment that it isn't any more fair to the kids coming in early. Pushing the pole vault to another day and starting from scratch IS fair because it ensure that the box configuration can then be properly checked to see if it meets proper specifications, AND the kids are then put back into the same position they were at the beginning of the competition. If the "old box" didn't meet spec, the competition should've been moved to another facility.

Anyway, it sounds like the decision-making process was made by people that don't have a vaulting background. I would've raised bloody-hell if I'd been involved as a coach.

I disagree that starting from scratch is fair. It's not. It's not fair to the kids that already have marks. They planned everything for that time and day and other events etc... They made a good decision to start early and get marks in ahead of weather or any other unanticipated delays or cancelations. They still give you warm ups. You are still coming in at the height you chose to come in at. If the bar has not gone up, you can still choose to come it at a lower height. You can pass to 13'-0" and then change and come in for a jump at 11'-0" if you need to.

There are rules too as Altor pointed out.

Did they fix the box? Replace it somehow? Move the pits to a different box at the other end of the runway? I'm still confused as to how they just started jumping again.

 

[Stirred not Shaken]

I understand. Nearly every kid I have does something else. They all have to learn to manage events. I have the same gripe as at our District, they have the boys and girls vault on prelim day. My kids are all over the place typically. That's one issue.

So, there was a weather concern too?

My confusion is, how did they finish with a broken plant box?


I disagree that starting from scratch is fair. It's not. It's not fair to the kids that already have marks. They planned everything for that time and day and other events etc... They made a good decision to start early and get marks in ahead of weather or any other unanticipated delays or cancelations. They still give you warm ups. You are still coming in at the height you chose to come in at. If the bar has not gone up, you can still choose to come it at a lower height. You can pass to 13'-0" and then change and come in for a jump at 11'-0" if you need to.

There are rules too as Altor pointed out.

Did they fix the box? Replace it somehow? Move the pits to a different box at the other end of the runway? I'm still confused as to how they just started jumping again.

This is my understanding; I was not their Wed. night but was Friday. The weather concern (rain) which never materialized was for Friday. No reason not to just pick up the PV competition on Friday (instead of waiting for 2 hrs.) not sure if vaulters who passed at earlier heights were allowed to vault at starting height. If you can rerun the 400 race over because one coach complained (this is what a competing track coach told me, newspaper said several athletes) because his athlete did not recognize the starting gun, they could have started the PV where they left off on Friday.
Edit: The girls PV was on Friday, so my guess is that an old runway and box was used on Wed. during the boys PV.

 

[SLWT]

This is my understanding; I was not their Wed. night but was Friday. The weather concern (rain) which never materialized was for Friday. No reason not to just pick up the PV competition on Friday (instead of waiting for 2 hrs.) not sure if vaulters who passed at earlier heights were allowed to vault at starting height. If you can rerun the 400 race over because one coach complained (this is what a competing track coach told me, newspaper said several athletes) because his athlete did not recognize the starting gun, they could have started the PV where they left off on Friday.
Edit: The girls PV was on Friday, so my guess is that an old runway and box was used on Wed. during the boys PV.

The issue arose with the box at the end of warmups before competition started.
Longtime to make decision to move to
another runway already equipped to
vault (shorter runway, older pit, standards lower quality) . Everyone needed to rewarmup and get accustomed to new conditions, causing long delay, and causing competition to crossover into other events. Unfortunately this probably affected multiple event athletes more than holding the event at its appointed time. In the end all vaulters competed under the same set of conditions, you can point fingers all you want but everyone made their own decisions and everyone must live with the outcome.

 

[JAVMAN83]

The issue arose with the box at the end of warmups before competition started.
Longtime to make decision to move to
another runway already equipped to
vault (shorter runway, older pit, standards lower quality) . Everyone needed to rewarmup and get accustomed to new conditions, causing long delay, and causing competition to crossover into other events. Unfortunately this probably affected multiple event athletes more than holding the event at its appointed time. In the end all vaulters competed under the same set of conditions, you can point fingers all you want but everyone made their own decisions and everyone must live with the outcome.

Thank you for the update. While hindsight is always best, I hope that such a conundrum is not repeated in the future. May I ask what exactly was wrong or went wrong with the box? Was it a fiberglass box that cracked and created issues? In my day, they were almost always metal boxes. My HS vault box was stainless set in concrete, and even though box collars weren't even invented yet in the late 70s-early 80s, they wouldn't have done a bit of good with such a configuration.

 

[SLWT]

Fiberglass box with a hole in the back not anchored in the concrete, vaulters complaining about it being loose eventually coming out when vaulter planted to early and caught the front lip. They tried to anchor it down with tapcons but that only buckled the front of the box and made it more dangerous. I have installed four vault boxes all have been stainless steel with anchors mounted to them. They are only coming out with demo equipment.

 

[JAVMAN83]

Thank

Fiberglass box with a hole in the back not anchored in the concrete, vaulters complaining about it being loose eventually coming out when vaulter planted to early and caught the front lip. They tried to anchor it down with tapcons but that only buckled the front of the box and made it more dangerous. I have installed four vault boxes all have been stainless steel with anchors mounted to them. They are only coming out with demo equipment.

Thank you for that information. I'd be FURIOUS as a coach of a vaulter if I saw that situation. What in the world is ANY SCHOOL doing hosting a meet and allowing that to pass as acceptable going into hosting any meet, let alone a freaking REGIONAL??? I hope someone writes up the host school with OHSAA about this. Somebody dropped the ball big-time on this one.