The world of high school track and field has started these last couple weeks, so be ready for info on that in the near future of ‘The Inside Lane’.

This was just a quick update on the world of track and field. More is to come within the next couple days as I settle myself into this whole world of blogging. Please stay tuned… I am not missing, I am only warming up to this ‘new’ site and dethawing my mind.

Thats right, I truly believe this world/nation needs greater education and appreciation for a sport that is timeless and has contributed much more than I will ever comprehend.  It founded the Olympics, it gave us the modern sneaker and it contributes to the lives of millions of people by helping them to stay active.

Competitive running has stayed strong the past decades, but recently it has been threatened by what has previously been known to be some of its top supporters.  Top schools in college athletics.  One by one schools all over the country have been cutting their programs to make room for its much larger, much more powerful, much more costly, and easily much more money earner predecessor… football.  Several large universities that have been nationally known for their programs in track and field such as Oregon State and the University of Ohio have cut their programs in the past few years.  Seven schools from the Mid Atlantic Conference have cut their programs and two have cut their cross country programs.

The story for the University of Ohio goes as follows.  “With the football team making it to the bowl game, which was in Mobile (flying required), Solich was to receive some $$ for bonuses. Furthermore, the athletic department is scrambling to not only cover those costs, but the costs of flying all of the football players, redshirted freshman included who were not going to play in the game. As a result, they cut Women’s Lacrosse - their operating budget was much more significant than the track and swimming teams. Because they cut the Lacrosse team, in order to pay the bonuses of Solich, they were out of compliance with Title IX, which is why track and swimming are gone.”  (This quote was taken from a post that discuss OU’s track program at the ever-so famous LetsRun.com message board.)

The University of Ohio’s track program was basically cut to support one of the lowest football teams in the NCAA DI football sphere.  Yes they made it to a bowl game, but they have no chance in the recent future to make it further to an honoring BCS bowl; much less a championship.  This is the same with most of these MAC teams.

Ohio’s track program was home for Elmore Banton, the first African American to win a cross country national championship.  He went on to coach at OU for over ten years.

In conclusion, the sport is being down sized due to money issues.  I shall come quickly to my next post which will come in the next few days… it will describe the money issues found in college programs throughout the nation.

Leave some comments with your opinions on this subject!  Let me know what you think, please…

This weekend the Big East, America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, MAAC, MEAC, Patriot League and Southland conferences will look to crown indoor champions.

The indoor track and field season is usually a time when the athletes can get used to the track again.  For distance runners it has been six months since most have raced on a track.  Some use it as a ‘warm-up’ for the outdoor season where they take things more serious; some sieze the oppertunity and train for a championship.

The US Track and Field College Coaching Association (wow, long name) recently came out with their weekly rankings, they can be found here… Men’s Rankings and Women’s Rankings. 

I will work to provide you with my views on what is currently happening in the sport of competitive running. My email is prestarr@gmail.com if anyone would like to contact me.