About the Relay

The 4 x 100 relay race has long been a favorite event of the LASD Junior Olympics. Each school participates by entering 6 teams per grade (3 boys’ teams and 3 girls’ teams). Each team consists of 5 members (4 runners and 1 alternate). Alternates are very important to the relay team as they must know all 4 positions in case they are needed to run in the final race. Because the relay is the only qualifying event of the Junior Olympics, it is important that all parents and students are aware of the qualifying procedures. Participating in a relay does not count as one of the three individual events a student may choose. It is an additional team opportunity.

Time Trial Overview

  • Students run a total of four 75-yard sprints.

  • The highest and lowest times are discarded.

  • The remaining two times are averaged to produce the students time trial average.

  • In the case of a tie, all four times will be averaged to determine the time trial average.

  • Students are ranked highest to lowest by their time trial average.

  • Teams are formed based on rankings as follows:

    • #1-4: Red Team

    • #5-8: White Team

    • #9-12: Blue Team

    • #13: Alternate to Red Team

    • #14: Alternate to White Team

    • #15: Alternate to Blue Team

Team Placement & Commitment

  • Qualifying students will be notified prior to posting the final relay teams.

  • Students will need to quickly, but thoughtfully, communicate their commitment to a team without knowing their team placement.

  • Teams will be finalized and posted after student commitments are made.

  • Parents and students must attend a mandatory relay kick off meeting (date, time, location determined by school)

Coach, Student & Practice expectations

TRACK USAGE

630 students will be participating in JO Relays. Your team is one of 126 relay teams (6 teams per grade x 3 grades x 7 schools) practicing between now and Junior Olympics. Local high schools and junior colleges have become concerned about the over-use of their tracks for our practices. Mountain View High School, Los Altos High School, Graham Middle School and Foothill Junior College all rent out their track and field to a number of athletic leagues. Each of these schools also has their own track and field programs.

Junior Olympics does not rent any of these tracks. Therefore, we do not have explicit permission to use them. In the past, the Junior Olympics Committee has received complaints of relay teams practicing and disrupting school track teams and/or organizations that are paying to use the space.

As a result we’ve had to implement the following guidelines:

  • LIMIT TOTAL practice time to 3-4 hours, half of which is done at your home school.

  • If your team wants to practice on a track, practice on a track closest to your school. For example:

    • Schools that feed into MVHS should practice at MVHS, Homestead HS, or Graham Middle School.

    • Schools that feed into LAHS should practice at LAHS, Gunn HS, or Foothill College.

  • Proper etiquette when using any local area track:

    • Do not attempt to use the track during a school track practice

    • Do not use the track during a game of any kind occurring on the infield

    • Share space responsibly when there are more than 3 teams on the track

    • Do not use more than one lane

    • Do not use tape, gum or any other sticky marks. At the event, only poker chips (provided) or U.S. quarters may be used as position markers

    • Team members may not cross the infield during use

    • Do not use a whistle

    • No dogs, food, or beverages (other than water) on track

    • Do not cause disruptions of any kind on the track

    • Do not litter

    • Interact politely with other relay teams

PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS

District policy for practice attendance is that a team member must show up for all practices. Relay team practice during Spring Break will not be required. When a team member misses more than two practices (a third is allowed for illness only), he/she could be replaced by the alternate.

If a coach would like to replace a team member with a non-alternate, a request must be made in writing. This request must be sent to the PE Specialist at the relevant school with subject: Urgent - Jr. Olympics Relay Team:

Official written approval must be received by the PE Specialist before any replacements on a relay team can be made.

VIOLATIONS OF THE ANY ABOVE GUIDELINES WILL SUBJECT YOUR TEAM TO DISQUALIFICATION.

Each coach will be asked to read the above guidelines and to sign an agreement that they understand these expectations.

 

The Finer Details:

Below are the very specific details for determining the relay teams.

Time Trials:

  • Students will run four 75-yard individual distances that are timed by the District PE teachers. Only times recorded by the PE teachers are valid for relay team selection

  • Recording times: Parent volunteers may not record times for their child’s gender and grade (e.g. a parent of a 5th grade girl can not record 5th grade girl times but may record 5th grade boy times).

  • Time sheets: The original copy of the time sheets must not leave campus at anytime. After copying, return the originals to the PE teacher.

  • Timing will take place over a two-week period (extendable, if necessary, due to weather) with the PE specialist at each school setting the schedule.

  • There will be no exceptions made for absence or medical issues. If the student cannot run the four individual distances during the designated timing period, they cannot be considered for a relay team because it takes additional time to gather/process commitments, and to finalize teams. The timing period includes the make-up session.

  • Make-up session: There will be one session for make-ups, which will take place the week after all four runs have been timed. If a student has not completed four times, they may run one to four times during the make-up session. Students must complete all four times by the end of the make-up session to be considered for a team. Therefore, it is possible that a student may have to run four times in one PE period if they missed all of the previous timing days due to illness or absence.

Relay Team Formation:

  • Students run four 75-yard distances.

  • Students run no more than two 75-yard distances each day of the time trials. To make the process as consistent as possible, students run only two times each day to record a “first time” and a “second time”. Running four times in one day results in different (usually lower) averages than running two times each of two days. There will be an exception made for absences (see above concerning absences and make-up times).

  • The highest and lowest times are discarded.

  • The remaining two times are averaged to produce the students “time trial average”.

  • In the case of a tie, all four times will be averaged to determine the "time trial average".

  • Students are ranked highest to lowest by their time trial average.

  • Teams are formed based on rankings as follows:

    • #1-4: Red Team

    • #5-8: White Team

    • #9-12: Blue Team

    • #13: Alternate to Red Team

    • #14: Alternate to White Team

    • #15: Alternate to Blue Team

  • At least TWO parent coordinators per school will average the times of all students; parent volunteers may not calculate the time trial averages for their child’s gender and grade.

  • Student’s time trial averages ARE NOT PUBLISHED.

  • Parents will be notified of student eligibility BUT NOT which relay team. This is because some students will decline and a shift will occur. For example, if a #4 declines then #5 will move to the Red Team, #9 will move to White Team, and so on.

  • Teams will be posted on: Friday, March 22nd, 2024 at 3:00pm before school ends.