TRACK AND FIELD

HISTORY

In 776 B.C., the Pan Hellenic games, forerunner of our Modern Olympics, began in Athens, Greece. Athletes from all of Greece gathered to compete in contests of strength, speed, and skill. The first recorded running event was called the Staid, a race the length of the stadium (or about 200 yards). The winner was treated with respect and honored by not having to work for his living.

Track and Field has evolved into many events. The events that the Fox Valley Junior High Conference (of which Lundahl is a member) compete in are: 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, 110 meter hurdles for boys, 100 meter hurdles for girls, 1600 meter run (about a mile), 400 meter relay, 800 relay, 800 medley relay, shot put, discus, long jump, triple jump, and high jump.

SPRINTS AND RELAYS

The sprint and relay events in junior high are; the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter (4 x100 meters) relay, 800 meters (4 x 200 meters) relay, and 800 medley (100, 100, 200, 400) relay. These events have some characteristics in common.

The posture of the sprinter should be with hands and shoulders relaxed, concentrating on working the arms back and forth. The sprinter, who begins the race, should use a starting block. Starting blocks help optimize acceleration at the very beginning of the race.

A race that is run on one or more curves begins with a staggered start. The staggered start equalized the distance run by each runner. Lane one begins the furthest back, while lane six begins the furthest forward.

The race begins with the starter giving the command “Runners on your mark” (the runner then enters the starting block). “Set” (runners must stay completely still until the gun is shot), the starter then fires the gun one time (the runners begin their sprint). If a runner leaves before the gun is fired, the starter will shoot the gun again to indicate a false start. A runner who false starts twice is disqualified from the race.

During the race, if a runner runs in another runner’s lane and interferes with him, the runner in the wrong lane is disqualified. The first person to cross the finish line with any part of his torso is the winner. When running sprint or crossing the finish line the runner should never look back to see his opponent. Looking back would cause the lead runner to lose time and cut speed.

Relays consist of four runners. In the 400 and 800 relay each runner runs the same distance. Each member of the 800 medley runs a different distance. The first and second runner run 100 meters, the third runner urns a 200, the forth runner runs a 400 (one lap). The anchor person (the last runner of leg of the relay team) is usually the fastest runner of the team and receives the last hand-off. The non-visual hand-off or blind pass (used at Lundahl) is to be made from right to left then left to right. This means the first and third runners will have the baton in their right hands. The second and fourth runners carry the baton in their left hands. Runners do not change hands while running. This action would slow the runner down. If the baton is dropped in the passing zone during an exchange the runner who was passing the baton picks it up. While picking up a dropped baton, the runner may not interfere with any other runners. If there is interference, the team picking up the baton is disqualified.

LONG DISTANCE

The mile and 800 meters run are junior high long distance events. The first person to run the mile under 3:50 was John Walker. When running a long distance the runner needs to pace himself. The runner needs to have enough energy to run the entire race and be able to finish the race at a sprint (called a kick). A runner should always try to run full speed 5 to 10 yards beyond the finish line. This will ensure a faster time.

HURDLES

The hurdles are the first event in a junior high track meet. When going over the hurdle, the first leg over is called the lead leg. This leg is kept almost straight. The second leg over the hurdle is called the trail leg. This leg is kept bent and parallel to the ground. The arm on the same side as the lead leg is to be kept close to the side of the body. The arm on the trail leg side is extended forward to lean of the torso during the hurdle. A runner who knocks a hurdle over is still eligible for a win and/or a record.

FIELD

The field events consist of the shot put, discus, long jump, triple jump, and high jump. A field event competitor has three attempts in all preliminaries and finals.

SHOT PUT

The shot is held by the first three fingers with the thumb and little finger curled around the side of the shot. It is held on the shoulder and close to the jawbone. A competitor must enter and exit the ring from the rear of the shot put circle. The movement across the circle is done to gain momentum for a longer put. The curved piece of metal used at the front of the circle is called a toe board. The shot putter may touch, but not step on top of the toe board. A scratch (no score recorded) is recorded if a contestant touches the ground in front of the toe board with their hand or foot. A contestant who does not exit the rear half of the ring is also given a scratch. The shot used at Lundahl is 8 lbs.

DISCUS

The proper position of the fingers when gripping the discus is the first joint of each finger over the edge, relaxed, and spread. When releasing the discus, the hand should be towards the sky and the disc parallel to the ground. The arm should be at shoulder height. The same shot put scratch rules apply to the discus. There is no toe board for the discus. The discus must land in bounds for a throw to be measured. The discus used at Lundahl is 1 kg. (or 2.2 lbs)

LONG JUMP

When approaching the long jump pit, the jumper should be at his fastest speed. When the jumper plants his foot for the jump, his foot should be planted at the front edge (closest to the pit) of the take off board. A jumper should look up during his jump to insure maximum flight. The jumper’s knees should also be pulled up high. During the landing phase, jumpers should try to fall forward to get a better score. Jumps are measured from the mark closest to the take off board. If a jumper should fall backward and put his hand back, then the jump would be recorded from the back hand. A scratch occurs when the jumper’s foot crosses the take off board on his take off.

TRIPLE JUMP

The triple jump has three phases, which have to be executed in the proper sequence. Phase one: The Hop - take off and land on same foot. Phase two: The Skip - take off on the hop’s landing foot and land on the opposite foot. Phase three: The Jump - take off from one foot and land on both feet. The hop and step phase should be equal lengths. Scratch occurs when the jumps are executed improperly or, if the jumper’s foot crosses the take off board on his take off.

HIGH JUMP

There are three different styles of high jumping: Scissors, Western Roll, and the most popular, Fosbury Flop. The flop is the easiest technique to learn. It is also the most efficient. The approach for all styles is a curved path (making a J). Each jumper has three attempts at each height. A jumper is disqualified from competition when he misses his first height attempted three times. The jumper may hit the bar while going over as long as the bar stays on the standards. The winner is determined by the highest jump. If there is a tie, the person with the fewest misses wins.

GENERAL

Prior to participating in any track or field event, all participants should warm up, especially those muscles to be used during their event. This will help to reduce the chance of injury during participation. Flexibility exercises should be used in both warm up and conditioning exercises to help prevent muscle injury. After finishing a running event, the participant should reduce the activity (walk around), get their breath back, and reduce his heart rate before sitting down.