common thread for regional comments

[VTechVaulter]

just thought id start this so people can make generalized comments about the regional system without sorting through 4 different lists.

think ill start it out by saying his will probably be the year that causes some significant changes in the regional system. when your ncaa champion doesn't make it back it should send up flags. granted he was hurt and even with an auto qualifying he wouldn't have made it due to that surgery, i just think it will raise question

also, a big congrats to john russel, got his second 18 foot jump almos 15 months after his first. way to stick it out through tough times, couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

[achtungpv]

So, now that the top 2 contenders are out...how do you think it'll shake out?

Pratt?
Russell?
Scotten?
Baldwin?
???

[jomrus]

Of course I'm going to say I like the system, because I made it out okay. I like it because it's just like the Olympic Trials. Nerve-Racking to say the least, but that's what makes it so great. Who's to say that anybody will jump high on any given day. Let competitors be competitors. Anyway, I was wondering... did the weather suck something awful in the west and mid-west, because those guys jumped like crap with a few exceptions. I was so surprised to see some of those results. I thought for sure Gable and Ray would have jumped around 18' like they do so often. I don't know. I hope that it was bad weather, because those regions didn't really put up the marks I expected...

[jomrus]

Oh and as far as nationals go, I don't have a clue after seeing the way guys jump at Regionals. This'll be my third time going to outdoors, but I have yet to make the finals. Whoops. First time for everything.

[bjvando]

I wasn't at either regionals ( should have been in the west one, but due to injury i wasn't able to compete- long story) but i heard from people at BOTH west and midwest reionals.

at the west regionals meet i was told that there were head winds 10-15 mph. Within a half hour after the vault ended, there was pooring rain and a thunder storm.

I heard at the midwest region there was some descent conditions. Just nobody jumped their best. ( except for the winner who PR'ed, GO MAKISI!!)

i'm sure there are people on this forum who were there and know better than i would.... but yes, NCAA's should be interesting....

AS FOR THE REGIONALS STYSTEM:
Although a few big guys are out, i still AGREE with this system, It makes sure that the big guys still have to jump "average" to make it. It protects them somewhat because they can jump a good amount under thier best and still go on.

As for bad weather, Hey, we're in athletics, we're going to run into bad luck and conditions all the time. those are just my 2 cents..

[uconnvaulta]

I think the regional system is a good thing. granted there should be births for athletes, but it makes the event and sport that more exciting. it makes competitors compete and put pressure on people, i think it also makes people step it up too at times. i have yet to get there, last year i suked a** outdoors, and redshirted all year this year, but ill be there next year for sure, helpin this east coast out and gettin those higher heights up there,

id like to say congrats to all the guys who qualified for NCAAs and especially the east region, (since im in it) but kick some a** and good luck

[andrej]

Can somebody explain why some that got 9, 10, 11 and 12 on regionals are in the list of eligible athletes for nationals? There's only one like that in pole vault but there's more in other events.

[jomrus]

Where did you find this information about the eligible athletes??

[Lax PV]

the regional system is alright I think, but they should also take in some extra qualifiers. I am not in D1 so I might be wrong, but I think they take the top 4, after that, they should rank all the regional place winners, and pick like the 8th highest height, and anyone, in any other regional that made that height, but didnt make the top 4 should be able to go I think.

The 4th place finisher in the West region was at 17'5", as was the fifth place, in the mideast it was only 16'6.75".

[andrej]

jomrus: on NCAA site, direct link to their list is here:
http://members.aol.com/rpodkam/events.html
They have a list of eligible athletes.

[decadeac]

The only thing I can think of is that those athletes qualified in other events and would not count against the overall numbers entered into the meet. This hurts the pole vault, because very few vaulters compete in other events. I'm not sure how these athletes will be included, however.

[andrej]

I checked, some of those athletes compete in only that event. For example there are a lot of high jumpers which do not compete in any other events..