Revised: Spring, 2003

NJCAA REGION XVIII

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

I. Members

A. Colleges must be members of NJCAA.

B. Colleges must be members of Region XVIII Men's and Women's divisions.

C. NJCAA rules shall govern all participating member colleges.

D. League name shall be Scenic West Athletic Conference.

II. Meet Site Selection

A. The host school for the Region XVIII Cross Country championship will be established by the following rotation:

Colorado Northwestern Community College

Flathead Community College

1. A school may relinquish its right to host and the rotation would be suspended should a Region XVIII school host nationals in any year when it is not designated Region XVIII host for that year. (This could put the region and national meet on the same course the same year.)

2. Schools have the option to host. If the option is passed other than in IIA1, the rotation will be moved forward so the next school in the rotation will host the meet. The site will be confirmed at the annual track & field spring meeting.

3. If at the prior fall coaches meeting, the region coaches unanimously agree, the rotation can be suspended temporarily with the meet held at a central location on a one-year trial basis. Under the direction of the coaches’ association president, all schools participating would share in the responsibilities normally assigned to the sponsor school.

B. The site of the Region XVIII Cross Country Championship should be confirmed at the annual Region XVIII Spring meeting.

III. Meet Date

A. The Region XVIII Championship Meet will be held two weeks prior to the NJCAA Championship Meet.

IV. Sponsor's Meet Responsibilities

A. Pre-meet responsibilities

1. Secure the meet site, be responsible for promoting and advertising, and make arrangements for handling of spectators.

2. Notify, at least two weeks in advance of the Region XVIII Championship Meet, the other member schools of the time schedule for the meet, the course surface and length, publicity needs, deadline for entries, coaches' meeting, and other pertinent information.

3. Provide courtesy maps, restaurant, and motel information.

4. Include a map to the meet site and a map of the meet course.

5. Arrange for trainer, nurse, physician, or some type of medical person to be on hand before and during the meet.

6. Arrange for officials.

7. Arrange for a meet photographer to photograph the winning team(s) and the individual medal winners.

8. Arrange for awards.

9. Schedule a coaches' meeting.

B. Post-meet Responsibilities

1. Prepare a press release for immediate distribution to the news media to include the following information:

a. 1st and 2nd place teams

b. All-region teams

c. Coach-of-the-year

2. Within two weeks of the conclusion of the meet, send the above information as well as complete meet results to the following people:

a. Regional Directors

b. Sport Advisors

c. Region XVIII athletic directors

3. Send photographs of the winning team and the all-region teams to the Regional Director and the Sport Advisor.

4. Provide photographs of the all-region teams to the school whose runners were among the top fifteen finishers.

5. Prepare a financial report of the meet to be sent prior to the annual Spring meeting to the following people:

a. Regional Directors

b. Sport Advisors

c. Members of the Executive Committee

Copies of the report shall be distributed to all regional members at the meeting by the treasurer.

V. Participation Requirements

A. No contestant shall be permitted to enter the Region XVIII Championship Meet unless he/she is accompanied by his/her coach, a faculty member of their college, or a designated proxy coach.

B. All schools who are members of NJCAA Region XVIII are eligible to enter individual runners or one team in the Championship Meet.

C. The number of persons a college may enter is governed by the following rules:

1. A cross country team may enter as many individual runners as desired.

2. Runners representing colleges without a minimum of five team members shall be eligible to run as individual runners.

3. No college may run athletes as individuals if a team has also been entered.

4. Entries in the NJCAA National Championship Meet must come from the list of entries at the regional meet.

VI. Meet Procedures

A. The Region XVIII Men's Cross Country Championship should be held annually in conjunction with the Region XVIII Women's Cross Country Championship.

B. The regional meet shall follow the format of the national meet with the starting time alternating between the men and women first every other year.

C. The course lengths shall be 5 miles or 8045 meters (men and 3.1 miles or 5000 meters (women). It shall be properly measured along the shortest possible route that a runner may take; and it must be marked clearly by a method which clearly indicates the path to be run, i.e., a reasonable runner who has not run the course previously should have no question in his mind about the direction of the course. The course shall be laid out such that:

1. At least 90% of the running surface be confined to grass, dirt, forest trails or other surfaces of nature which promote safety and freedom from injury to runners.

2. Narrow gaps shall be no less than two meters wide.

3. It is basically flat.

4. The starting line shall be at least wide enough to provide a 20" space for five front-line starters on each team.

5. Lane positions shall be numbered from left to right facing the running area and shall be drawn by lot.

6. The first turn shall be no less than 200 meters from the start.

7. Each completion of a mile is marked clearly visible to runners and split times are read to all runners at the one-mile mark.

8. It includes a straight-away finish of at least 200 meters.

9. The finish line shall be marked brightly and be visible from a distance.

10. The finish chute begins at the width of the finish line and narrows to a width of approximately 30 inches between 10 and 25 meters from the finish line.

D. The deadline for entries shall be ten days prior to the day of the meet.

1. All possible entrants from each school should be listed. No additions will be allowed after that time.

2. Confirmation of entries (scratches) shall be made to the meet director at the coaches’ meeting the night prior to the meet.

E. All runners who finish a race will be given an overall-finish place. However, only the first seven runners on any one team may be used in scoring places. An order for team-finish placing is established by removing all runners behind the top seven finishers on each team. Individuals on teams not finishing at least five runners likewise will not be included in the order of team finish.

F. The team with the lowest total points shall be declared as the team winner.

G. Two or more teams with the lowest score shall be called a tie.

VII. Officials

A. The sponsor college will be responsible for securing the services of all necessary officials, judges, etc., to satisfactorily conduct the meet as determined by the NJCAA Committee on Cross Country.

B. These officials shall not be drawn from coaches who have runners participating in the meet.

VIII. Awards

A. The first and second place teams shall receive Region XVIII trophies, provided by the region and paid for by the sponsor school.

B. Region XVIII medals, supplied by the region, shall be awarded to the 1st-7th place finishers.

C. All-region certificates supplied by the region.

1. A single All-region 1st team certificate shall be awarded to 1st-7th place finishers.

2. Single all-region 2nd team certificates shall be awarded to 8th-15th place finishers.

D. The Coach-of-the-Year shall be voted on by the head coaches of each school following the region meet and prior to the awards ceremony. Head coaches cast their votes with the meet director. The coach receiving the most votes shall receive a Region XVIII plaque, provided by the region and paid for by the sponsor school. In the event of a tie, the coach whose team placed highest in the region meet would be recognized and given the award.

E. All awards, except certificates, shall be presented at the conclusion of the meet. All-region certificates will be given to coaches of the recipients at the conclusion of the meet for local awarding.

F. The meet director must work with the Regional Directors to insure that all awards, plaques, and certificates are prepared and ready for presentation at the completion of the Regional Championship Meet.

IX. Finances

A. The sponsor school shall be responsible for the management of costs of the Region XVIII Championship Meet, including the cost of officials.

B. The sponsor school shall be responsible for the cost of the following awards provided by the region but billed to the school:

1. 1st and 2nd place team trophies

2. Coach-of-the-Year award

C. The sponsor school shall not be responsible for the cost of the following awards supplied by the region:

1. Seven medals for 1st-7th place

2. Seven all-region 1st team certificates in duplicate

3. Eight all-region 2nd team certificates

D. The region shall be responsible for the expenses incurred by the Regional Director or regional representative in attending the tournament.

X. Region XVIII Men's and Women's Cross Country Coaches' Association

A. The Cross Country Coaches' Association shall conduct a business meeting on the evening prior to the championship meet.

B. The sponsor school of the meet will make arrangements for a place to meet.

C. The president of the cross country coaches’ association shall conduct the coaches’ meeting. The sponsor school will supply a secretary to take minutes and send them out to the participating schools in the region.

D. The coaches’ association president shall represent the region cross country coaches in addressing region issues.

E. The coaches’ association president shall serve a three-year term. The election shall take place at the fall coaches’ meeting. The term begins at the conclusion of the cross country season, approximately two weeks following the election. (Note: The next election would take place in 1997.)