Larry: I can tell you, based on inside knowledge, that this situation is not one that the NJSIAA has chosen voluntarily. They and the Winter Track Committee know the whole scenario is unfair. But they have to deal with whatever dates Princeton gives them. Each year those dates are less and less desirable. Years ago, we had a better choice and the setup was State Relay Championships on the first Weekend in February ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - State Individual Championship Meets two weekends later, all on the same weekend ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - and the weekend after that was the Meet of Champions. It was great, but impossible to do now. Because of the number of Athletes and Spectators involved, there is no other place in the State to hold the meet. Princeton almost through out the whole program a few years ago and Boyd Sands and to do a lot of negotiating just to keep us in - and this is while we pay them $1100 an hour. I am now coaching at a Group IV school and am not happy about the situation, but I also know that the powers that be did not DO this to us. They know that no one is happy, but unless a place an be found to run that can also hold a couple of thousand people ( spectators and runners) we are stuck. One of these years Princeton is going to give us dates in December and tell the NJSIAA to take it or leave it. Guess what, we will be having State Meets in December. There just is no choice. The other thing is that is if we are out of Princeton, which can happen, there will be NO State Meets and watch as schools all over the State use that as an excuse to cancel Winter Track. You can complain all that you want, but what everyone needs is another AVAILABLE Site. The 168th Street Armory is out as they are booked every minute during the winter. And remember, it has to be available for two weekends all day Saturday & Sunday and another weekend day for half a day, all of this in February. It has to sit a few thousand people and have a 200 meter track. There is no place in New Jersey that can meet the physical requirements not to mention the dates. In South Jersey, we run ALL of our meets in Pennsylvania. I know that even in North Jersey, which does have number of tracks that some conference meets are run at the Armory in New York City ( Out of State).
If you can solve all of these problems, you will be the hero in New Jersey among the track people forever. You have no idea how many people have tried to address your concerns every year. But if you have the solution, we are willing to take it. The NJSIAA Committee has said that for years. In South Jersey we have tried to solve our smaller scale problems for years. We have no viable indoor tracks for very large scale competitions. that is the problem. What is the answer unless someone contacts Bill Gates to build and maintain one for us? Bob Kiessling New Jersey High School Track Coach
