The True Team Series is different from Invitational and MSHSL Meets in a number of ways. Because of this, Meet Managers and members of the True Team Committee receive a number of questions dealing with procedures that are unique to the True Team Series. Following are a few of the most commonly asked questions:

SCORING: How are the points determined for a True Team Meet? Class A and AA are allowed two entries in each individual event. Class AAA is allowed three entries. In Class A and AA, where two entries are allowed in the individual events, scoring is as follows.  Individual events: First place is awarded twice the number of points as teams competing in the meet, with points awarded to subsequent placers decreasing by one point per place. In relays, first place is awarded a number of points equal to three times the number of teams competing in the meet, with subsequent places decreasing by 3 points per place. Assuming an 8-team meet as an example, individual events would be scored 16-15-14-...-1. Relays would be scored 24-21-18-...-3.  In AAA, three entries are allowed in the individual events. Scoring is as follows.  Individual events: first place is awarded three times the number of points as teams competing in the meet, with subsequent places decreasing by one point per place. In relays, first place is awarded a number of points equal to four times the number of teams competing in the meet, with subsequent places decreasing by four points per place. Again, using an 8-team meet as an example, Individual events would be scored 24-23-22-...-1, and relays would be scored 32-28-24-...-4.

BREAKING TIES: What procedures are used to break ties between two teams? The teams are scored head-to-head with scoring as follows: Class A and AA, Individual events: 4-3-2-1, Relays: 6-3. In Class AAA, Individual Events: 6-5-4-3-2-1, Relays: 8-4.

ENTRIES: Do we need to send in a lineup prior to the meet? No.   Coaches are asked to submit a team roster (not a lineup), so that names of team members can be entered into the computer and numbers assigned to the team members prior to the meet. It is the feeling of the committee that the coach should be able to alter his/her lineup during the meet, that the coach should have the option of placing his/her athletes in heats as he/she wishes, and that the host school should not have the advantage of knowing the other team’s lineups in advance.

ENTRY FEES: Where do they go? Entry fees are paid once, at the Sectional level.  The major expenses of the True Team Series include workers and meet expenses at the State Meet and the 24 Section Meets, awards for the State and Section Meets, competitor numbers, and site rental for the State Meet.

RECORDING RESULTS: How should section event results be recorded and reported? Complete Form C and return to Mark Alcorn along with complete results. These results are used in the Wild Card selection process, so they must be reported in the same manner from all Sections. Times should be reported to the hundredths place. If they are FAT’s, they will be used as is. If they are handheld, that should be indicated on the report sent in by the meet manager. They should still be sent in to the hundredths place. We will adjust to FAT equivalent as per Federation rules. Discus distances should be rounded to the lesser inch. No fractions. Long Jump, Triple Jump, and Shot Put distances should be rounded down to the lesser ¼ inch. High Jump should be rounded down to even inches (5’3 ¾” becomes 5’2”). Pole Vault should be rounded down to the lesser multiple of 3 inches (9’8” becomes 9’6”). For this reason, it is important that Section Meet Managers exercise care in determining starting heights and size of increments in the High Jump and pole Vault.

WILD CARD: How is the Wildcard team chosen?  The Saturday before the State True Team Meet, when all the Section results are in, members of the True Team Committee run off a meet on paper between the eight section runners-up, using their section performances, according to  written policies and procedures designed for that purpose. The winner of that competition becomes the Wild Card team for that class/gender. If a Section champion elects not to compete in the State Meet, the 8 section runners-up will still be scored according to Wild Card procedures, with the top TWO teams advancing to the State Championships.

AWARDS: What’s the deal with awards? At the Sectional level, the top team receives a trophy and the top three teams receive ribbons. At the State level, the top three teams receive trophies and medals, and the 4th-5th-6th place teams receive ribbons. All awards are team-oriented.  Approximately 2 weeks before the Sectional Meet, the Meet Manager will receive the Awards for the their Section.  At both the Section and State levels, allowance is made for 30 team member s in A and AA, 40 team members in AAA.

GOVERNING BODY: Who’s in charge? The idea for the True Team Series was conceived in Minnesota in 1986 by a group of 13 High School Track & Field Coaches who felt that the MSHSL Meet in June was not the best method of determining a  (True) State Team Champion in Track & Field.  That group developed the original policies and procedures.  Over the years, the True Team Committee has made an effort to maintain the integrity of their philosophy.  The True Team Series is still governed/sponsored by the True Team Committee, a group of approximately 20 High School Coaches from around the State who volunteer their time.  The Vice President of the State Track Coaches Ass’n is in charge of overseeing the True Team Series.

CLASSES/ALIGNMENT: How are classes and Section placement determined? The original committee designated the top 64 schools by enrollment as class AAA, the next 96 as AA, and the remainder as A.  This tended to be cumbersome and confusing for the committee and for teams that were near the cutoffs between the classes, as it seemed a few schools were back and forth between classes on a semi-annual basis, even though their enrollment might not change. It was the feeling of the committee that an enrollment figure that would keep the distribution between the classes at approximately the original figures in terms of teams in each class might be easier to work with. In January of 2001 these enrollment figures were set as follows: Class AAA(970 and up), Class AA(350-969), Class A(0-349).  For placement into classes, the enrollment figures used are the most recent ADM’s available. Geography is the major determining factor for placement into sections within each class, with balance between the sections being a secondary consideration. A six-member sub-committee of the True Team Committee does major realignment in June of odd-numbered years.  Their proposed alignment is then taken to the entire True Team Committee for approval in July.