Low Country Invitational is Saturday at Mullet Hull on Johns Island. Meet director Dave Lee talks about the event.
How did the Low Country Invitational start and when and where?
Shane Sutherland (Stratford HS) and I started the meet together. The goal was to have a quality XC invitational in the low country that was also affordable for many of our local smaller schools/teams. The meet has always been at Mullet Hall Equestrian Center. We started in 2006.
How long does it take to prepare the course and what is involved?
I spend 4-6 hours on Friday marking the woods and setting up the finish chute. Our coaches and athletes help with painting roots in the woods, flagging the start/finish field, moving picnic tables, setting up sponsor signs, and other tasks.
How many volunteers are involved with the meet?
We will have anywhere from 15 to 30 volunteers on Saturday. They are extremely important! Without our volunteers, the meet couldn't happen.
Leading up to meet day, what kind of work is required and about how many hours and people are involved?
Registration closes Wednesday night. On Thursday, I download the entries and set up the meet in Hytek. Then we have coaches, athletes, and some student volunteers label numbers, organize packets, count/sort pins, etc.
How many course monitors are used?
The majority of the course is on the horse trails in the woods. At a few critical points, we have people stationed, but it doesn't require many.
How has timing the races changed over the years?
We are still "old school.” With the costs involved with using a chip timing system, I would have to increase our entry fees tremendously just to break even. So, in order to keep the meet costs low, we still use the pull-tag bibs and enter numbers by hand. Coach Lisa Enfinger spends the day tucked away in an office, while a volunteer reads numbers to her. We HAVE stepped our timing up so that we can link directly to Hytek. So entering times only takes a few seconds.
How has the meet grown?
Our first year, we had 10 full boys teams and only three full girls teams. Last year, we had 48 school represented!
What challenges have occurred?
The park changes their landscaping and fences some times. THIS YEAR, I have had to re-design the course start and finish, due to a new fence that was installed during the year. The NEW course will start/finish in a different location, but the majority of the course will remain the same. It will actually be run in the reverse direction from what we have done in the past few years.
What future plans do you have for the meet?
I would like to add some music/sound, but the weather always gives me issues with that. Again, I would love to, eventually, begin using chip timing, but I want to try to keep costs low.
Has the meet changed directors hands over time?
We took over full control several years ago, but the coaches from Stratford still help out tremendously with awards, timing, etc!
What else should we know?
DO NOT JUMP ANY FENCE!! There is private property VERY close to the park.
What's unique about this meet?
The horse trails are amazing! Athletes love running on our course because of the unique setting. Many years, schools will bring picnic lunches and enjoy the park area after our awards are over.