Point 1: Not every region has the same number of teams.
The more teams in a region, the higher your chances are of advancing. Now the caveat is that your chance is 50% regardless (because that is the advancement rule), but the more teams means that at some point the competition is going to drop off.
Point 2: The number of teams and individuals moving along is not a known quantity until athletes are literally on the starting line.
Let’s say a region has 12 teams. 6 will advance. But you don’t actually know if there are going to be 12 complete teams until you get to the starting line. So if only 9 full teams show up, your chance of advancing has been reduced because instead of being top 6 as a team, your team now has to be top 5.
Point 3: Regions aren’t evenly competitive.
If you’re not in 4A West, please raise your hand if you want to join 4A West. Hmmm…no takers??? Go compare 4A South and 4A West. We literally spend hours in PDs at school discussing equity. This disparity is highly inequitable.
Point 4: The 25% individual qualifying metric is virtually non existent.
From the 2023 regional championships:
4A East Girls: 2
4A East Boys: 0
3A East Girls: 3
3A East Boys: 2
4A North Girls: 5
4A North Boys: 1
3A North Girls: 1
3A North Boys: 2
4A West Boys: 2
4A West Girls: 1
4A South Boys: 0
4A South Girls: 2
The 25% rule exists to give kids a chance to qualify who wouldn’t be able to because their team won’t qualify. Shouldn’t all individuals be allowed to qualify as long as they beat the number 7 of the last school in? For example, in 4A East last year, North County was the sixth and final qualifying team on the boy’s side. Their number 7 ran 19:18. This individual got to race at the state meet, but anyone who beat him on a non-qualifying team didn’t get to go to the state meet. So you can’t say that allowing more kids in would water down the competition when, in fact, these individuals are actually raising the level of competition.
The MPSSAA must amend their qualifying procedure effective immediately.
It is so ordered.