Summit v NDSU next year (Men's)

[tony]

Here's a comparison between the range of Summit League times and distances in this year's championships with NDSU's best effort in the same events at this year's independent championships. Both meets were at low altitudes.

100 10.61-11.14 (10.89)
200 21.44-22.77 (21.99)
400 46.75-50.77 (48.80)
800 1:52.03-1:56.52 (1:51.42)
1500 3:51.79-4:02.01 (3:51.51)
3000 Steeplechase 9:32.66-10:03.75 (9:13.06)
5000 14:43.83-15:58.99 (15:17.85)
10000 33:25.91-34:37.75 (30:16.05)
110H 14.38-15.89 (15.65)
400H 52.62-57.24 (54.15)
4x100 40.92-48.36 (42.12)
4x400 3:14.50-3:33.77 (3:15.47)
High Jump 6'10-5'8 (6-04.57)
Pole Vault 16-10 (15-11.00)
Long Jump 23-20 (21-11.50)
Triple Jump 47-42 (46-01.25)
Shot Put 50-42 (50-10.25)
Discus 173-138 (149-08)
Hammer 195-145 (166-11)
Javelin 183-124 (183-04)
Decathlon 6782-4163 (6492)

Looks like NDSU could have win six events... which is pretty darn good but I noticed the Summit League guys really put up some good numbers (16+ in the pole vault, 6782 in the decathlon, 46 in the 400). Looks like with the addition on NDSU and SDSU our new league is going to have some very competitive meets. If USD were to join up (perhaps as an auxiliary member), the championships would be a real dog fight.

Anyway, Southern Utah is the team to beat next year (they've won four straight) with Oral Roberts being the next best.

I'll compare the NDSU women to Summit teams next.

[sambini]

Thanks for the info Tony. Knowing Lars his guys will be right in the hunt.

[semobison]

Talked to Lars for a bit at the State meet in Bismarck last weekend. He is excited about conference membership next year, and said the new conference will be tougher from top to bottom than the old NCC ever was. That being said, my bet is on Lars and the NDSU Bison! Anyone know off hand where next springs Summit League Track Championships are going to be held?

[Bisonguy]

Hopefully the decathlon domination will continue to the Summit League, allowing NDSU a great chance at the crown.

[sambini]

With Stevie Keller coaching those Decathletes they will be fine. His record for coaching them speaks for itself.

[tony]

That was probably the most surprising thing about the Summit League. NDSU's winning decathlon score would have placed 3rd in this year's conference meet. If NDSU does continue to dominate in the decathlon, they'll be doing it against much stiffer competition.

[mn-bison]

How does one qualify for Nationals in T&F? Will winning your conference title give you an autobirth? Or can you only qualify by beeting time standards?

[tony]

How does one qualify for Nationals in T&F? Will winning your conference title give you an autobirth? Or can you only qualify by beeting time standards?

Those are really good questions. Hehe, unfortunately, I don't have definitive answers for any of them.

Here's how I think it works. There are three-tiers: Conference meets, the four regional meets, and the national meet. If you win your event at your conference meet or meet a qualifying standard, you can go to your regional meet. If you finish in the top 5 at the regional, you get to go to nationals (top 3 relay teams go too). In addition, the NCAA caps the number of participants at an arbitrary number (544?) and the NCAA fills this number with "at-large" athletes - the ones with the best times and distances who did not qualify in regionals.

The four regionals are really part of the national championships and just getting to them is a major accomplishment.

http://www1.ncaa.org/main/membership..._STANDARDS.pdf

[mn-bison]

Thanks Tony. Not nearly as cut and dry as other sports...

[airwaveslave]

I would like to point out that some of those times that won the midcon meet are nowhere near the seasonal bests for those individuals. And i realize that the independent champs were considered the "conference" meet for the bison, but that was the last meet of the season for them whereas the midcon athletes still possibly had regionals and nationals to prepare for so they may run to win and not to set any personal records. for instance, in the 800, the winning time was 1:52. I now that oral roberts, by themselves, has a few athletes capable of running sub 1:50. The 1:51 ran by whoever won the independent champs for the bison, is very good, but probably a personal best or at least very close. I think being in this conference will help our athletes develop and reveal their full potential because the overall quality of this conference is by far better than the old NCC. it is a D1 conference afterall. i'm looking forward to watching what happens next year...