Wheelchair Events added to 2013 State Track and Field

[wch125]

They are adding the 100 200 400 and 800 and shotput no motorized wheelchairs will be allowed.

Read the article below.
http://www.jjhuddle.com/news/articles/2 ... mpionships

OHSAA Board Approves Addition of Wheelchair Track & Field Events

Eight Events to be Contested Beginning with the 2013 OHSAA State Track & Field Tournament



COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Board of Directors made a historic decision today when it approved a recommendation to add eight wheelchair championship final events – four for boys and four for girls – to the OHSAA State Track and Field Tournament beginning in 2013. Wheelchair athletes in one boys division and one girls division will compete in the 100 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and shot put, with participants wearing school uniforms and being awarded for individual honors, although they will not score points for their teams. Track and field is the first sport in which the OHSAA will include wheelchair athletes as part of a state tournament and makes Ohio one of approximately a dozen states to do so.



“This is something we have talked about for some time now and I’m thrilled that our Board of Directors has taken the formal step to make this a reality,” OHSAA Commissioner Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D., said. “The executive committee of the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) has worked diligently to finalize the details and establish the parameters, and we are excited that the OHSAA will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on this group of outstanding student-athletes and create lifetime memories for the participants along with their families, schools and communities.”



During the regular season, all fully automated timing qualifying wheelchair times in the 100, 400 and 800 and wheelchair distances in the shot put will be collected by the OATCCC, with the top eight male and top eight female times or distances in each event qualifying for championship final events at the state tournament without regard to the OHSAA divisional assignment of the participants’ schools.



To qualify for the wheelchair events, athletes must have a permanent, physical disability and must be verified by a licensed physician. Participants must also meet all OHSAA and school eligibility requirements. While participating, coaches may not assist athletes in the 100, 400 or 800, and no motorized chairs are permitted. Athletes in the shot put may be assisted by coaches in getting to the competition area and entering and leaving the circle. The coach may also hold down the chair during the throwing attempt to prevent excessive movement.



“The impact on the young athletes with physical disabilities participating in this championship will be incredible,” said Charlie Huebner, United States Olympic Committee Chief of Paralympics. “They will be representing their schools and communities in ways that have never been seen in Ohio. I commend the Ohio High School Athletic Association and the state track and field coaches association for making this dream a reality for the athletes participating in Paralympic sport.”



A tentative schedule for the OHSAA State Track and Field Tournament on Saturday, June 8, 2013, has the girls and boys wheelchair division 100 meter events taking place during the Division III tournament in the morning; the girls and boys wheelchair division 400 meter events being held during the Division II tournament in the early afternoon, and the girls and boys wheelchair division 800 meter events occurring during the Division I tournament late in the afternoon. The girls and boys wheelchair division shot put events will take place during the Division I field events that begin at either noon or 3:00 that afternoon.

[Ironman92]

Pretty cool!

The only thing not covered (or I didn't read) might be wheel-chair regulations. I assume there are some high-tech super-wheeled ones out there.


Sounds great....will be exciting to watch. The 800 sounds grueling!

[schenk11]

Nice job OHSAA!!!