By Rich Gonzalez
PORTLAND 8/8/04 --
As the inaugural Nike Team Nationals cross-country event is now less than
four months away, the finalized rankings and selection process will utilize
every bit of available information in order to identify the most successful
cross-country squads throughout the fall campaign. The process will range
from the systematic exchange of weekly information by nearly 20 internal
sources to the careful analysis of year-end performances by teams across
the national landscape.
National and regional rankings experts will work
in concert with regional editors and the Nike Team Nationals management
committee in combing through leading highlights and results from literally
hundreds of meets during the season in order to track those previously
projected outstanding teams, as well as those newly developing squads
on the regional scenes.
"The lines of communication are being
blown open, with the flow of information on a non-stop level once the
season hits, affording much more analysis than has ever been achieved
in our sport," said A.J. Holzherr of the National Scholastic Sports
Foundation, which will manage the December 4 event at Portland Meadows.
"With the cooperation of all resources involved, no team will escape
the radar for even the shortest period of time."
The primary goal of the entire process
will be to identify the two leading cross-country teams per gender that
will be eligible for the Nike Team Nationals from each of the eight regions,
while also determining any leading squads deserving of further consideration
for each of the four at-large berths that are being awarded per gender.
Once the analysis has been completed, 20
boys teams and 20 girls teams from across the nation will be invited to
participate in the year-end event, which will be contested
in a club-team setting under the auspices of USA Track and Field.
The whole rankings process has already
begun for the NTN rankings committee, as leading cross-country teams are
currently being identified based on results from the 2003 cross-country
campaign, as well as making close notation of any key roster additions
or losses for the fast-approaching season. In addition, any notable performance
developments by runners and squads during the 2004 track and field season
are being noted.
A preliminary list of the top squads in
each region will be released internally by the NTN rankings committee
by mid-August, with the NTN regionals editors and the NTN management committee
then moving into the process by analyzing these initial rankings recommendations
and their corresponding data. These groups will then offer additional
input on the rankings, offering up their suggestions for possible order
revision and the inclusion of other teams. The revised list of regional
rankings will then be forwarded back to the NTN rankings committee for
a final fine-tuning before its release.
The preseason set of the Nike Team Nationals
Regionals Rankings will be released in late August, being disseminated
through the soon-to-be-activated Nike Team Nationals website and through
the DyeStat website. In addition, national expert Marc Bloom will continue
to release his exclusive national rankings through The Harrier magazine,
with the preseason poll being mailed to subscribers later this month.
Soon after the high-school season officially
gets underway (some states officially kick off their competition calendar
in the final weekend of August), a weekly process similar to that employed
in the determination of the preseason rankings will be implemented:
- Results will be collected from leading meets across the nation, with
NTN regional editors spearheading the process.
- A preliminary list of revised regional rankings will be formulated
the Wednesday morning of each week, with this listing then disseminated
to the regional editors and management committee for analysis and input.
- Any suggested changes are then forwarded to the NTN rankings committee,
which then works together to finalize the weekly NTN regional rankings
by late Thursday afternoon.
- The official weekly NTN regional rankings will then be released each
Friday morning through an "e-mail blast" to all individuals
on the NTN Newsletter list (details coming), as well as on
the official Nike Team Nationals website. A list of the four highest-ranked
teams (in position for automatic or at-large consideration to the NTN
meet) in each region also will be posted on DyeStat that day, with the
full list posted Monday.
The weekly rankings will be determined
using several criteria, with strongest consideration being given to head-to-head
competition between leading programs and to strong team showings on well-established
courses. Local experts will determine the pecking order of teams within
each state, with the NTN regional editors then lending their expertise
in prioritizing a Top 10 list within their respective regions.
Teams can obviously help their own cause
with notable statewide in-season performances, as well as strong showings
at their state meet. Another excellent means of establishing oneself as
a regional power is through inter-state competition at high-level meets
where teams can demonstrate their comparative strength with those of other
states in their region. Late-season performances will carry much greater
significance than early- or mid-season showings, with greater emphasis
placed on meets that host multiple squads on the NTN regional rankings
listings. Here
is a press release listing of such inter-state competitions as well
as the detailed DyeStat
list of leading inter-state and intra-state competitions.
While national and regional experts will
be immersed in the weekly determination of rankings, the public will have
a strong voice in the process as well. Mailboxes have been established
for each of the eight NTN regional editors (which also automatically default
to the NTN rankings committee members) so that team members, media members,
and additional local experts can email any additional results and information
for consideration.
The actual invitation of teams to the Nike
Team Nationals will be announced on an ongoing basis throughout November,
coinciding with the conclusion of in-state competition within each of
the eight regions. Of primary importance is making prompt determinations
and notifications of the at-large berths so teams can be made aware as
soon as possible as to their inclusion in the event.
Notifications will be made each Sunday
in November as NTN regional captains (being appointed by Nike) will make
phone contact with a representative from each club team to inform them
of their selection. At this point, teams will need to register through
the NTN website, as will be explained to these club teams by the regional
captains. Additionally, the final NTN regional rankings will be posted
on Sundays at 5 p.m. (EST), in according with the following schedule:
- Sunday, November 7 -- Midwest Region; Heartland Region
- Sunday, November 14 -- Southeast Region; Southwest Region; Northwest
Region
- Sunday, November 14 -- Two at-large berths per gender from the combined
five regions above
- Sunday, November 21 -- South Region; Northeast Region
- Sunday, November 28 -- California Region
- Sunday, November 28 -- Two at-large berths per gender from the combined
scope of all eight regions above
A final list of registered teams will be posted
at both the NTN and DyeStat websites in the days leading up to the competition,
keeping the entire nation abreast of the latest tidbits of information
on participating teams as well.
Then... get ready for a very enjoyable weekend!!!
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