For the next two weeks, we will have a different weekly pattern to our articles, as we are focusing on weekday meets instead of Saturdays. So don't freak out when you see preview articles in the first half of the week, and features like the Senior Spotlight toward the end of the week. We will return to our normal schedule in week 11, for the NCISAA State Championship.
The Meet: United Way Invitational
With over 30 teams attending, the United Way Invitational has become one of the biggest meets of the year. It is also the last major invitational before conference meets, and gives teams a chance to springboard into the championship season. Here's a history of the meet from John Hall, the meet director and founder:
The United Way Invitational has become one of the largest high school athletic events in Western North Carolina. This unique event, which unites high-level competition, a strong message for youth, and lots of fun, has come a long way since its beginning 17 years ago.
The meet was started in 1993, the brainchild of Hickory businessman John Hall. Hall's sons ran cross country for Hickory High School at the time, and he wanted to create a first-class event for local youngsters. A longtime United Way Volunteer, he was also interested in sharing United Way values with young people. The first meet was held on an unusually cold October afternoon and used a course that ran around the softball fields of Stanford Park in Hickory. Eleven schools from three counties competed in the inaugural event and just over 100 athletes ran. In 1994 the meet expanded and was moved to the newly-created Southside Park in Newton. Since that time it has exploded in popularity and now draws some 1,000 runners from all across the Tarheel State. Its winners include several state champions, and the meet has always delivered a powerful message to runners and fans.
The 2011 Invitational will carry on the tradition, featuring outstanding runners and a special message for participants. In addition, runners will receive a complimentary t-shirt, a meal, and a packet of gifts provided by the many sponsors of the event. The United Way Invitational is a highly competitive athletic event that showcases some of the best runners in North Carolina, but even more importantly it seeks to instill wholesome values in the thousands of youngsters who participate.
Meet Records
Boys | Girls
(Drawn from the MileSplit database)
The Course: Southside Park, Newton
Let's not beat around the bush here: Southside Park is ridiculously fast. The MileSplit cross country course speed rating lists it as being 36 seconds faster than Tanglewood, making it 20 seconds faster than McAlpine. For girls, the statistics say it might be as much as 30 seconds faster. However, surprisingly few runners from last season had their best time on this course. Still, the idea of Darby Middlebrook and Brooke Gordon dueling on this course is intriguing, to say the least.
Course Records
Boys | Girls
(Drawn from the MileSplit database)