Last week, 25 runners, jumpers, and throwers represented Lansing at the Section IV State Qualifier meet. It's an accomplishment to get to this meet, with athletes being admitted in one of three ways: competitors must have finished in the top three at the Section IV Class A/B/C/D meets OR earned an automatic time/mark during the season OR earned a provisional mark and been high enough in the rankings to fill in one of the remaining 18 or 24 positions after all the automatic qualifiers were admitted.
Over two days, the best track and field athletes of Section IV compete against each other for a coveted entry into the NYSPHSAA championships. The State Qualifier meet, held at Union-Endicott High School, serves not only as a true sectional championship for the individuals competing, pitting large and small school athletes against each other in events, but also as the required point of entry to the state meet. To advance to "states," athletes must be the top finisher in his/her division in the event – or be the next highest finisher who has the state standard. A maximum of two athletes/relay teams per event per division may advance. In other words: the pressure is on and the competition is fierce.