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Nike announces new selection procedures for 2007 cross country meet, the 4th year of NTN
Are You Ready???
"The Race For Number One!"
BEAVERTON, Ore. (June 29, 2007) -- Nike Inc. today announced a revamped qualifying process into the fourth annual Nike Team Nationals cross-country event, slated for Saturday, December 1st, 2007 at the Portland Meadows facility.
The newly unveiled format more clearly defines how club teams will earn either automatic berths or at-large invitations into the popular year-end event, which last year crowned Manlius of New York's girls team and Bridgetown of Pennsylvania's boys team as champions. The updated qualifying procedure is more objective than previous versions of entry into the event, deferring to a distinct formula which allows prospective NTN teams a clear understanding of the process to qualify.
There are 22 berths per gender into the championship race at NTN, with 16 of those spots dictated by a top-two team placing in the Championship Division race at any of the eight new regional championships being contested at various sites in early to mid-November. Two additional automatic berths are to be awarded to California while four wild-card berths will be granted by an NTN committee. "We're very excited about the new format which allows spots to be determined right on the course, not on a conference call," said NTN co-founder Josh Rowe of Nike. "The regional championships will be huge toward further increasing the popularity of the sport to the younger masses."
The new system requires all potential NTN teams in the 8 regions with Regional Championship meets to compete in their Regional Championship.
three ways to qualify
Below is a breakdown of the various means of qualifying to NTN:
AUTOMATIC QUALIFYING FROM REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (2 berths from each of 8 regions)
The top two placing teams at each regional championship will secure bids to NTN. This will be based on the two lowest team scores solely from the "championship division" race. Only conventional five-runner scoring (using a sixth-runner tiebreaker, if needed) will be utilized. Applies to Northeast, New York, Southeast, South, Midwest, Heartland, Southwest, and Northwest regions.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFYING FROM CALIFORNIA (2 berths) -- CA clubs are invited based on regional rankings, which are derived from a combination of performances at USATF events, affiliate high school competitions and other non-sanctioned events.
AT-LARGE DETERMINATIONS (4 at large berths - taken from any of the nine regions). Selected by a committee.
About Nike Team Nationals
The Nike Team Nationals is a part of the larger Nike Nationals championship series which includes the Nike Outdoor Nationals and Nike Indoor Nationals. The series of events was established in 2004 to help strengthen the national circuit for high school cross country and track and field competition.
Following in the tradition of European cross country meets, the event will again feature a multiple loop race course with man-made obstacles built on the inside of the horse race track. Spectators will be able to enjoy a continuous live view of the race from the venue’s enclosed 3,000-seat grandstand. Again this year the Nike Team Nationals event is providing coaches handheld computer devices, utilizing FinishLynx tracking technology (created specifically for Nike Team Nationals), to see team scores posted to a live leader board every kilometer. The technology was first introduced in the race's inaugural year and provides instant feedback on a team's position in the race allowing coaches to adjust strategy in the midst of the event. In addition to real-time race tracking, event data is then transferred live to dyestat.com and to www.niketeamnationals.com following the completion of the race so spectators, participants and coach can replay the race and see how select teams and/or individuals ran.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc based in Beaverton, Oregon is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide varied of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse, Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan®, which designs, markets and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories.
"Every Teammate Counts"
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