4A Lower State XC Qualifier 2018 - Updated meet information

Due to the amount of rain we have received today, we have decided to make some changes to tomorrow's schedule. Unfortunately the schedule change will eliminate the Open Race. Our course handles the rain fairly well, but we want to maintain the integrity of the course as much as possible for the teams trying to qualify for state. We have also decided to delay the meet 1 hour. We would like a little additional time to be able to check the course and be able to fix any major issues. I apologize for this inconvenience, but we ended up getting more rain than we expected. The weather in the morning looks to be clear of rain, so hopefully the course will dry out fairly quick. I'm confident 90% of the course will be good to go!!!

With that in mind, here is the new schedule.

8:30 AM - We will open DMS to teams.

10:00 - 4A Girls

10:40 - 4A Boys

11:30 - 3A Girls

12:10 - 3A Boys

I sent this out earlier this morning, but wanted make sure everybody received this as a new message. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause teams that were planning on traveling a day early to preview the course. Since we started hosting the Lower State meet, we have always been very accommodating to teams wanting to do this. However, this year the weather forecast is not cooperating. I was also told yesterday that our middle school has something going on tomorrow afternoon/evening from 3:00-9:00 PM that will be utilizing the parking area we normally use. While our course has changed some from last year, the elevations really haven't changed that much. There is a video on SCMilesplit that previews our course as well.

Good Morning,

We are only two days away now! Hope your final training preparations are going well. Unfortunately due to the forecast tomorrow and another activity going on at DMS(I just found out about it yesterday), the course will not be open to preview. The course is in great condition, and we want to keep it ready for Saturday morning. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Here are a few reminders for you as you arrive at Darlington Middle School.

1. Enter using the 2nd driveway on Pinedale Rd.

2. Please remind your parents that we will be charging $5 per car. Having exact change ready will expedite parking!

3. We will be selling Lower State Qualifier T-shirts (Long and Short Sleeve) CASH ONLY (no cards or checks-please let your parent and kids know)

4. Nobody is allowed in the school building (the locker rooms being the only exception) We will have Port-a-Johns too.

5. All changes must be turned in 20 minutes prior to each meet (not race) 4A-8:40 3A-10:40

6. We will follow SCHSL/NFHS Uniform rules. Please make sure your team is in compliance prior to getting to the line. Shorts do not have to match exactly, but should be the same color and similar. Anything under the uniform is considered and undergarment and does not have to match. No GPS or GPS enabled watches are allowed. Headbands must be a soft material, no ties, and a single solid color with only one logo.

7. We already have 53 people signed up for the Open Race. If you are still interested, we will accept registration through tomorrow at 5:00PM. Here is the link. https://goo.gl/forms/dEeQ8bLoLP89RRhq2 . You can pick up Open Race bibs where you pick up your team packet.

8. Please ask your athletes not to rip the hip chips off of the pins at any point. We will have people at the end of the chute to assist with removal.

9. Parents, athletes, and coaches need to stay out of the timing area at all times. If there is a question regarding something of this nature, please see me, Coach Wideman and I will relay that info to them. Coaches are allowed in this area prior to races to turn in substitution forms.

10. Please place your teams trash in the trash dumpsters on your way out of our complex. We ask that you not leave trash bags sitting next to our trash cans.

11. Substitution Forms will be in your packet, but here is a link for you to print one too. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kDkQN6hX2tNSaJFAyF4n_7vwg98L3nWKta6Itd3MlGs/edit?usp=sharing

We are excited for you to come to Darlington Middle School and run our course. We have done a lot of work over the last few weeks to make our course the best it can be. We have been able to widen our trails in many areas as well as fix the dip. Our course has been measured by 3 different people and it is somewhere between 4991m-5003m, well within the parameters to be called a 5k. Your team will have plenty of room on the starting line with boxes that will be approximately 8 feet wide. Each team will be assigned a box number that will be in your packet. We wish you all safe travels. If you have any other questions over the next couple days, please let me know.

Thanks,

Coach Wideman