THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610230192
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WALT GREEN, SPECIAL TO THE CLIPPER
LENGTH: 75 lines
EDITORS NOTE: Each week, Maury cross country coach Walt Green ranks area runners for The Virginian-Pilot. Recently, we asked Walt to explain his ranking procedure and what it takes to evaluate the South Hampton Roads area's best. The following column explains his philosophy and criteria for rating these teams and runners.
IN THE FALL of 1992, I approached then Virginian-Pilot sports editor Chic Riebel with the idea of ranking the cross country runners each week for the newspaper. I gave him a ``top 10'' list for the boys and girls. Chic then asked me a couple of questions, i.e., ``Wouldn't it be better if we had a poll using other coaches?'' and what I thought other coaches would say.
I answered his questions and Chic told me that he'd look into my poll, but he wasn't sure if they'd use it. Three days later, while reading the sports page, I ran across ``cross country rankings.'' I then called Chic and he told me that they had decided to use my rankings and for me to fax them every Monday.
The reason for the rankings was to bring more exposure to high school cross country. It has! Coaches and runners always approach me and say, `I should be ranked or ranked higher.'
Well, maybe. Here's how I do it:
Head-to-head matchups take priority. They are skewed toward larger races, i.e. invitationals.
I do not compare times run on different courses, i.e. Newport News Park versus Mount Trashmore times. However, I compare times that are run on the same course. Sometimes, this can be a problem when you have ``A,'' ``B,'' and ``C'' races. A runner who wins the ``C'' race with a time of 16:43 will get the nod over a runner who finishes 25th in the ``A'' race with a time of 16:40. There are other variables - course conditions, race pace, etc., that are used when comparing times run on the same course in different races.
Early season rankings (the first two weeks) are the most difficult due to the fact that they're being ranked on what they did (conditioning) during the summer.
Private schools - Norfolk Academy, Catholic - also are hard because they usually only race twice (in big invitationals, not Norfolk Academy All-Comers) against public schools. However, I look closely at what they do against each other and other ``strong'' cross country programs (private schools like Paul VI, Peninsula Catholic, etc.).
A runner usually will not drop in the rankings after a win, regardless if it's a dual, tri or quad meet.
If a runner does not compete for two weeks (even though their team is competing) they will drop completely out of the rankings. That's what happened this week to Catholic's Jennifer Jellig and last week to Kempsville's Sally Harrison.
Like any other ranking, just because the No. 10 runner upsets the No. 3 runner, that doesn't mean that runner will be ranked No. 3. Each runner will rise or fall according to a) how impressive their performance was and b) what the other ranked performers did.
The ``bubble'' runners (usually about 10-15 deep) are considered every week also. This group also is difficult, because they have their own separate ranking.
Lots and lots of time spent pouring over results also is involved.
Miscellaneous ranking information:
This is my fifth year ranking runners for The Virginian-Pilot.
Other coaches are helpful.
I added the team ranking this year after a number of coaches, especially Kellam's Coach Bill Bernard, suggested it.
Team rankings are according to a ``top 10'' scenario. However, I also look closely at dual matches.
Finally, I use about 10 percent of my ``gut reaction, intuition, etc.'' with the other items mentioned earlier when ranking runners and teams. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Brian Walsh of Great Bridge and Emily Thomas of Western Branch are
two of the top cross country runners in the district.
KEYWORDS: HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY by CNB