The news is out the the STATE Track meet will not be held at UK but Dunbar High School. The reason? UK is hosting the regional NCAA baseball tournament. I wonder how long KHSAA knew UK was going to be hosting? Poor forethought if you ask me. :fight:

The news is out the the STATE Track meet will not be held at UK but Dunbar High School. The reason? UK is hosting the regional NCAA baseball tournament. I wonder how long KHSAA knew UK was going to be hosting? Poor forethought if you ask me. :fight:

 

 

Since the UK coach just this week told the press that UK has submitted a "request" to host a regional - I would guess KHSAA hasnt known long. I don't even think it's been announced to the press????????

 

Woody Jr

According to the the College World Series website, regional sites and host schools will not be anounced until May 28th.

 

I doubt that many people going into this season had any idea that UK was going to be this good, and therefore eligible to play in and host a regional.

The news is out the the STATE Track meet will not be held at UK but Dunbar High School. The reason? UK is hosting the regional NCAA baseball tournament. I wonder how long KHSAA knew UK was going to be hosting? Poor forethought if you ask me. :fight:

 

Im feelin you on this one.! Dunbar is a great high school facility but I think someone should have looked at one of the other College tracks, WKU or UL. i dont think the argument about throwing facilities is a good one. Im sure everyone is going to make the best of the decision(including trying to defeat the defending State Champs on their own track) But im not looking forward to jumping (TJ, LJ or HJ) at this venue. I think they could have done better with a little thought.

Im feelin you on this one.! Dunbar is a great high school facility but I think someone should have looked at one of the other College tracks, WKU or UL. i dont think the argument about throwing facilities is a good one. Im sure everyone is going to make the best of the decision(including trying to defeat the defending State Champs on their own track) But im not looking forward to jumping (TJ, LJ or HJ) at this venue. I think they could have done better with a little thought.

Normally, I agree with your thoughts and posts on track Ltrack. But you couldn't be further off on this one. U of L is simply not an option. 1) field event venues and the number of teams whose coaches coach both field and track events that might be going on simultaneous; and 2) the parking is horrendous. There is just no other way to put it. WKU is not an option now as their field event venues are even more remote and involve crossing a US Highway. At least the Dunbar location gives people who already have housing, etc. (and a great many do) the chance to not change their plans. The newest, latest and greatest facility is about the be started in Bowling green which will be the "end all" for track, if the original plans don't get changed. Or maybe, UK will finally build a new one, or U of L will move I-65. Something tells me that the people who plans these events could care less who is "home" and who is not, as far as competition.

Dunbar has a very nice facility that should from an "infrastructure" standpoint be able to host the state meet quite well, with some distinct advantages over the UK facility.

 

The only real drawback is the high jump venue. Kids that have jumped multiple times at Dunbar will have a huge advantage - most kids have never high jumped off of artificial turf. It takes some getting used to.

 

It would have been nice to have a little more advance warning; we would have tried to enter a meet or two at Dunbar had we been forewarned.

Dunbar has a very nice facility that should from an "infrastructure" standpoint be able to host the state meet quite well, with some distinct advantages over the UK facility.

 

The only real drawback is the high jump venue. Kids that have jumped multiple times at Dunbar will have a huge advantage - most kids have never high jumped off of artificial turf. It takes some getting used to.

 

It would have been nice to have a little more advance warning; we would have tried to enter a meet or two at Dunbar had we been forewarned.

From what the news accounts said, no one had any warning. As woody points out, who 1) thought UK baseball would have this kind of year or 2) would have been able to wait until late May to move a meet of this size? I am just glad we got three weeks notice. Dunbar has an invite, and Tates Creek has invited people to their track meet (which has same infield surface).

They could have taken the meet up to EKU. U of L would have been fine. Not at a high school, unacceptable if you ask me.

They could have taken the meet up to EKU. U of L would have been fine. Not at a high school, unacceptable if you ask me.

How in the world could it have gone to EKU? That place really shouldn't hold a region and is satisfactory only because a couple of very good, enthusiastic high school coaches in Richmond keep it running (no pun intended)? And how many high school coaches have specialist coaches dealing with their field events so they could be separated from them at U of L? Right now, unlike any other sport except probably swimming, there are no good alternatives that meet ALL of the needs and wants of the high school community. So you minimize the damage for the meet that it less than a month away and is bigger than any meet any high school ever holds (or college in this state), and you work on an even better site for 13 months from now. Will that work?

I wonder how long KHSAA knew UK was going to be hosting?

 

NCAA baseball regional host sites aren't determined several years in advance (unlike basketball) until the end of the college baseball season, because (unlike basketball) it's not a big moneymaker and (also unlike basketball) in order to host a region, a team must first be good enough to make the tournament.

There is talk now that, if UK hosts a baseball regional, it could be moved to Applebee's Park to accommodate the crowds. Would that prompt another change in plans, or would it be too late to move it back to UK?

I know this isn't comparing apples to apples, but can you imagine the uproar if the Sweet 16 basketball tournament got moved to a high school?!

Listen, to even be considered for hosting a regional is a tremendous honor to the UK baseball team. You should all be congratulatory towards the team for their unbelievable successes. They are ranked #4 in the nation! And after their win tonight improve their record to 41-11! They are about to win the SEC Regular Season title for the first time ever, so let's cut them a break.

 

I competed in the state track meet when I was in high school, and moving it to another venue shouldn't be a problem, especially one as nice as Dunbar. I know competing in the state meet is a big deal, but this thing that is happening with Kentucky baseball is unprecedented at this school. Let's embrace them and support them rather than put them down.

I don't see a problem at all. If UK can host the baseball regional. More power to them. Go UK!