Decisions for 35th IHSA meet make big changes
The Illinois High School Association State Track Meet has been hosted by Eastern’s campus since 1973.
But next year’s IHSA event will be a little different.
Instead of two class sections participating in the event, next year’s meet will feature competitors from three class sections. And instead of two days’ worth of competition, the event will stretch into three days.
On Feb. 11, IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman recommended to implement a three-class state series in boys and girls track and field, boys and girls soccer, and boys wrestling.
The recommendation was based on feedback gathered from a survey and a meeting that 28 towns held in November.
The feedback from the member schools was positive regarding the expansion, Hickman said.
The IHSA Board of Directors approved the recommendation at its regular monthly meeting on April 22. But not every school will be affected by the new class system.
Class A schools have the same cut-off as before, which is at an enrollment of 754 students.
And Class 3A will resume at the cut-off from Class AA.
The new cutoff for Class AA will be at 1,652 students.
The three classes at the state meet will cause the meet to run three days instead of two.
Barrington High School’s boy’s head coach, Todd Kuklinski, dreads the outcome.
“Our meet is already very long, and if you add one more class, it is only going to make it longer,” he said.
Leonard Manley Sr., East St. Louis Senior High School’s athletic director, agrees.
He thinks it is unnecessary to add another class.
“What is the specific reason for developing the new class?” Manley said. “Will it impact all or just some?”
Hickman said the new cutoffs are almost the same as this year’s, but they will provide a better framework of classes in which teams compete.
This new class system will help aid schools in scheduling common opponents in a number of sports, according to the IHSA Web site.
The IHSA boy’s track and field meet is Friday and Saturday.
The first day comprises preliminaries, as the day is split half-and-half between Class A and Class AA.
Day two hosts the finals, with the two classes running simultaneously.
Molly Clutter can be reached at 581-7942 or mkclutter@eiu.edu.
Decisions for 35th IHSA meet make big changes
Participants of the 3200-Meter run make their way around the track at the 2008 Illinois High School Association Girls Track and Field state finals Saturday, May 17. (Erin Matheny/The Daily Eastern News)
