Possible state series changes coming to cross country

[oftenrunning52]

Mike Newman (https://ilxctf.com/) gives a brief description of what the advisory committee is suggesting.
-2A and 3A goes from five sectionals to only four with seven teams qualifying
-1A stays the same as far as number of sectionals but now qualifies six teams instead of five
-regional qualifying to sectional remains the same and still only three regionals feed into a sectional (so they are eliminating three regionals)

This could effect central Illinois but it will cause some chaos in Chicago and the suburbs, especially in 3A. IHSA committee still has to approve but the proposal passed unanimously in the cross country advisory committee (typically a sign that it will make it through).

[Redbird CC Fan]

Interesting. The problem I see is weak sectionals like 3A southern Ill will qualify more teams where as traditionally harder sectional could get even harder. Wouldn't mind way for 2 more at large teams in 2A and 3A advance making an even 30 teams.

[oftenrunning52]

Interesting. The problem I see is weak sectionals like 3A southern Ill will qualify more teams where as traditionally harder sectional could get even harder. Wouldn't mind way for 2 more at large teams in 2A and 3A advance making an even 30 teams.

I'm guessing that 3A sectional will become significantly more difficult if this passes. That has been slowly happening over the past few years anyway, but this will hasten it. They have to even the numbers out when they go from five to four, which will mean sending more suburb teams south in 3A. Some of that will be true in 2A as well, but not to the extent as it will be in 3A.

[oftenrunning52]

The changes passed. Cross country in 2020 will look somewhat different than in the past.

[Redbird CC Fan]

The changes passed. Cross country in 2020 will look somewhat different than in the past.

Looks like 4 sectionals but still only 5 teams from each regional advanced to sectional. Did this change due to COVID or was that the final plan?

[MidstateFan]

The changes passed. Cross country in 2020 will look somewhat different than in the past.

Looks like 4 sectionals but still only 5 teams from each regional advanced to sectional. Did this change due to COVID or was that the final plan?

I think due to Covid. Sectionals are running three flights so need to keep the number of runners down. This is what they are doing at Elmwood, as far as I know:
10:00am- Girls Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
10:40am- Girls Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
11:20am- Girls Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.
12:00pm- Boys Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
12:40pm- Boys Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
1:20pm- Boys Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.

[oftenrunning52]

The changes passed. Cross country in 2020 will look somewhat different than in the past.

Looks like 4 sectionals but still only 5 teams from each regional advanced to sectional. Did this change due to COVID or was that the final plan?

I think due to Covid. Sectionals are running three flights so need to keep the number of runners down. This is what they are doing at Elmwood, as far as I know:
10:00am- Girls Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
10:40am- Girls Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
11:20am- Girls Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.
12:00pm- Boys Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
12:40pm- Boys Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
1:20pm- Boys Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.

I have liked no COVID format so far this year, but I like this one the least. Cross country is a team sport, not an individual one. This format believes it is an individual sport.

[Redbird CC Fan]

Looks like 4 sectionals but still only 5 teams from each regional advanced to sectional. Did this change due to COVID or was that the final plan?

I think due to Covid. Sectionals are running three flights so need to keep the number of runners down. This is what they are doing at Elmwood, as far as I know:
10:00am- Girls Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
10:40am- Girls Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
11:20am- Girls Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.
12:00pm- Boys Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
12:40pm- Boys Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
1:20pm- Boys Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.

I have liked no COVID format so far this year, but I like this one the least. Cross country is a team sport, not an individual one. This format believes it is an individual sport.

Agreed would rather they ran whole teams based on regional finish places.

[oftenrunning52]

I think due to Covid. Sectionals are running three flights so need to keep the number of runners down. This is what they are doing at Elmwood, as far as I know:
10:00am- Girls Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
10:40am- Girls Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
11:20am- Girls Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.
12:00pm- Boys Flight 1- the first 13 qualifiers from each Regional
12:40pm- Boys Flight 2- qualifiers 14-26 from each Regional
1:20pm- Boys Flight 3- all other qualifiers from each Regional.

I have liked no COVID format so far this year, but I like this one the least. Cross country is a team sport, not an individual one. This format believes it is an individual sport.

Agreed would rather they ran whole teams based on regional finish places.

Might be preferable, but still not a huge fan given the disparity in quality among regionals. For example, the fifth place team at the Metamora regional is better than the winner of the Chicago (Agricultural Sciences) regional.

[MidstateFan]

I have liked no COVID format so far this year, but I like this one the least. Cross country is a team sport, not an individual one. This format believes it is an individual sport.

Agreed would rather they ran whole teams based on regional finish places.

Might be preferable, but still not a huge fan given the disparity in quality among regionals. For example, the fifth place team at the Metamora regional is better than the winner of the Chicago (Agricultural Sciences) regional.

No matter how you do it, running flights can't duplicate the dynamics of team running. I guess the IHSA figured it would be best to have the fastest runners all together, regardless of team. The teams that can get best performances out of all their runners, without a pack, will be the ones at the top. Like everything else this year, it will be impossible to make comparisons to previous years.

[oftenrunning52]

Agreed would rather they ran whole teams based on regional finish places.

Might be preferable, but still not a huge fan given the disparity in quality among regionals. For example, the fifth place team at the Metamora regional is better than the winner of the Chicago (Agricultural Sciences) regional.

No matter how you do it, running flights can't duplicate the dynamics of team running. I guess the IHSA figured it would be best to have the fastest runners all together, regardless of team. The teams that can get best performances out of all their runners, without a pack, will be the ones at the top. Like everything else this year, it will be impossible to make comparisons to previous years.

If Elmwood is running their sectional that way, they are not following IHSA's suggestion. IHSA is suggesting that you run 4 flights with all teams #1 and most of the individual qualifiers running in the first flight, #2-3 in second flight, #4-5 in third flight, and #6-7 in fourth flight. I realize that the team dynamic is reduced greatly in any flight format which is why I've been saying that this is no longer cross country. My original comment was that the Elmwood format emphasizes the individual aspect too much, in my opinion.
BTW, I do not blame IHSA for any of this. They are in a no win situation with the state and most of these restrictions seem arbitrary and unnecessary.

[Redbird CC Fan]

I guess regardless of flights, at least the kids got most of their seasons. Why no state meet is beyond me as they could have done some sort of flights and still had the races even if over a couple days.