Full Speed Ahead for the TCA Polar Bear


The weather forecast for next Saturday is positively grand. Game on!

The inaugural TCA Polar Bear looks like a go for 10 AM Saturday morning, February 20, at the TCA track (975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, 80921).

Meet events will include shot put, discus, 1000, 600, 2000, and Distance Medley Relay (1200-400-800-1600). Track events will be run in the order listed, girls first, boys second.

If you intend to come, I do need to hear from you in advance. We have to have some idea of how many people we are anticipating. Please notify me by e-mail at versawa @ msn.com. Coaches, if you are bringing athletes, please plan to help with holding a stopwatch, marking, or some such thing. It's a low-key meet, and it doesn't happen without folks pitching in.

Entry is $10 per athlete and must be paid in cash. Every athlete participating must turn in a signed waiver form (blank form attached below) either in advance as a scanned document or as a physical document on Saturday morning before 10 AM. All four relay members must turn in a signed form. There will be no charge for the relay if at least three team members are entered as individuals. If two or fewer relay members are entered as individuals, there will be a $10 additional charge for the relay.

I will announce late in the week if we will take any day-of-meet registrations, but heats and flights will be seeded before Saturday morning. So, if day-of-meet entries are taken, they will not have seeding priority.

For the most part, 600s will be seeded by 800 times from the MileSplit database, 1000s will be seeded by 1600 times, and 2000s will be seeded by 3200 times. Shot put and discus are more straight-forward. Bring your own implements. Bring your own baton(s) if you plan to run one or more relays.

Minimally, the 600s will be run with each runner having his or her own lane and a one-turn stagger off the start. We will try to do that with 1000s as well, but we may have to modify that if numbers get large.

The plan is to start the DMR with one competitor to a lane and a one-turn stagger as well.

Hand timing will be used throughout.

If you are a coach and planning to bring several athletes, please fill out and submit the spreadsheet entry form below. Send that to me not later than 5 PM Friday via e-mail. The spreadsheet is much easier for us than taking all of your entries separately. Please collect and turn in the waivers and fees together as well as that will help us be efficient with time before 10 AM on Saturday.

Waiver Form

Team Entry Form