Just a few questions about and observations from that big meet in south Denver on Saturday...
1. Lutheran uniforms. It seems like every time I see this team, it's in a new set of unis. Maybe, though, they're just following the lead of the Denver Nuggets and Air Force football, two other teams that either can not or will not settle on a single uniform. My favorites were the white ones from state two years ago, but I can think of any number of reasons why white speed suits might be a problem. I'd put on poll on the Lutheran uniforms here, but I can see problems there, too.
2. Right idea, wrong timing. Just in time for the start of the 4x400 relays, boxes of piping hot, fresh pizza arrived for the winning teams of each heat. Unfortunately, the delivery was accompanied by a single strike of lightning. Things weren't likely to be piping hot for the boys invitational heat as it was, but one little drop of lightning really took the steam out of that idea. Personally, I didn't mind cold pizza back in the day when I could still eat it, and I hope the winning teams took the same perspective, but the timing of the lightning delay could not have been worse in that respect.
3. How low can you go? For the record, the barometric pressure was about as low as it gets for the afternoon 3200s. The times of the boys race more or less reflect that. It is, however, a little scary to think what Anna Shults and Quinn McConnell might be capable of with a few more oxygen molecules.
4. Warm-up areas. As far as warm-up and cool-down areas go, there are few meets better than the Mullen Runners Roost. And, the meet does an exceptional job of keeping stray athletes off the infield. Those two items do have a way of going together.
5. Meet composition. When we first started sending athletes to Mullen about ten years ago now, the meet was much more of an even mix of 4A and 5A programs than it is now. Some 5A schools remain, but the meet has shifted--and perhaps not even purposely--more toward the 4A clientele. In fact, it has become more and more of a 4A All-Star meet in recent years. Think about the 4A teams in attendance this year--Mountain View, Thompson Valley, Longmont, Valor, Vista Ridge, Palmer Ridge (albeit a little depleted this year), Battle Mountain, Durango, Air Academy, Green Mountain, and more. These teams don't have many secrets left to hide from one another.
6. High high jumps. I'm not sure what it is, but this meet does have a way of bringing out the best in the high jumpers. Rylee Anderson and Morgan Barone both go 5-6 this year. Just a couple years back and you have Colt Sessions going 7-0. And, that is even in spite of the fact the jumpers even have to deal with a change of surface on their approach.
7. Mullen Track jackets. I sort of miss the days when every adult in the infield area was wearing a neatly-emblazoned "Mullen Track" jacket.
8. The blue track. It cost Mullen one year of hosting this meet at their own facility (trivia question: where was the Mullen meet held the one year they couldn't host at Mullen?), but the blue track they had installed is one of the most visually attractive tracks in the entire state. It may be the most attractive. And, the track is a serious upgrade over what they had before.
9. Trash cans and bags everywhere. The folks at Mullen almost make it difficult not to properly dispose of your trash. There are bags all over in the stands and cans at the ready all around the stadium. I'd bet the clean-up here is much easier than after most track meets.
10. Relays. Due to the nature and scheduling of the meet, relays tend to get offloaded a little at Mullen. But, enough teams load their relays and the atmosphere of the meet is such that whenever we've loaded a relay at Mullen, we've had little difficulty in attaining a high-level performance.