17 mph winds at state high school meet in Nebraska today

I would think nearly everywhere in the US it gets to be 100+ at some point. My question is how much does it affect people in track races 2 miles or less? More than 16MPH wind? Which of the two scenarios would you prefer? I don't consider there to be a right or wrong answer, it is most likely based on which you have more experience dealing with.

If it has been hot for a couple weeks going into the race I don't think temp is an issue for 2 miles or less. If it is the first 100 degree day in a while it can be tough.

North Texas weather.

I think cross country conditions by the end of the season end up pretty much ideal. There is generally little wind, the temperature has started dropping by the end of the season (so you go from training in really hot temps to racing in not so bad temps), and with the clay soils, unless it rains (which turns things into a mud bath because the water doesn't drain--and you better have spikes because trainers will be pulled off) you have a couple inches of grass over a pretty hard surface. So generally flat and fast with no wind and good temps.

Part of it might be from short courses and such, but the Texas often has some great cross country times.

For track, on the other hand, it is the opposite. A persistent, pretty stiff, south wind generally starts about the start of track season, and instead of getting cool races at the end of the hot summer you can get hot races after training in the cool all spring.

The direction of the wind is important because most stadiums are north south with bleachers on the east and west sides, an open south and an open north with the exception of the scoreboard. So the south wind is essentially funneled along the track and the home stretch is pretty brutal.

Sprints can be pretty slow if those running the meet don't feel like moving the finish line. Blazing otherwise.

At UT, where the state meet is, track is on a hill with an open south entrance, but the north end is essentially blocked off. So you can get still stiff winds but it usually isn't as bad on the track as the flags would imply. (and I don't think Austin is as windy as North Texas)

How long ago is some time back? I could have raced against you.

Fall 1980 - Spring 1984

It was over 100 degrees this year during the first day of Arcadia, my weather app said the high that Friday was 105. The solution was to push the 3200s back a little later into the evening and the temp dropped down into the 80s or low 90s and the kids ran great. With the 3200 you can often run it first thing in the morning at Saturday Invitationals or you can run it later in the evening to avoid the heat, there are options. The problem in states like Colorado is getting wind legal state qualifying marks for the horizontal jumps and sprints, it can be extremely frustrating throughout the season trying to get a wind legal mark for an athlete who is in the mix and in some ways sprinting or jumping into the wind is even worse, it just kills their performance. The wind has a terrible effect on the horizontal jumps and I've had a few jumpers over the years who's season were basically ruined because of the crap spring weather we've come to expect in Colorado.

4 of the top 5 fastest non-senior 5K times in NE are from Millard West:

RANKTIMEATHLETE/TEAMGRADE1
14:58.58
CARSON NOECKER
Hartington High School
2023
2
15:37.06
PIERCZE MARSHALL
Millard West High School
2023
3
15:42.21
JACK WITTE
Millard West High School
2024
4
15:49.12
PORTER BICKLEY
Millard West High School
2024
5
16:01.40
JOEY HARTNETT
Millard West High School
2023

I did a few gals from Millard West. Much better situation that at my nearby HS.

Crazy

I think the fact that MW missed out on the state title 2 years in a row will motivate them to really find a 5th man. I heard one guy on the team say in an interview that they need a 5th, 6th, and a 7th man, but that will be very hard to do, since their 5th returning guy was in the 18s last year.

Another strategy for Millard West to find a 5th man is to get some fastest soccer players out for the XC team. Soccer is actually in the spring at Nebraska

Soccer is in the spring for Nebraska. So maybe some of those guys should join CC. Maybe one of them will become their #5. If that happens Millard West will be top 20 or 30 in the nation.

Wayzata is the only boys HL team ranked nationally

Millard west is gonna have to get ready for Fremont again
https://results.dakotatiming.com/display.html?event_id=1016&res=220902F004

millard west better have their 4/5 to step up