DCSAA Cross Country Championships 2024

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. NFHS cross country rules will apply to the regular season, postseason and DCSAA  championships, unless otherwise noted. 

B. Schools choosing to enter the DCSAA Cross Country Championship are responsible for  reading and adhering to the rules and regulations of the Bulletin and the DCSAA  Handbook. 

C. Eligibility rules for all participants can be found in the new 5A DCMR, Chapter 27 at  dcsaasports.org. 

D. A CONTESTANT, in order to qualify, must be on the active Cross Country roster of the  school team by October 16, 2023, and must have participated in a minimum of one  cross country meet with the school team this season. 

E. A TEAM, in order to qualify, must have officially participated in at least one regular  season cross country race this season. 

F. Rosters of participating student-athletes need to be submitted to the DCSAA office  (desmond.stewart@dc.gov) no later than Monday, October 28, 2024. 

II. STATE MEET 

A. Meet Organization 

1. Entry Deadline: Monday, October 28, 2024. NO EXCEPTIONS 

a. Directions for entry: 

Log on to dc.Milesplit.com, the site hosting the online process. MileSplit  is an official partner of the DCSAA. 

Create a log in 

Choose the Varsity, JV or Middle School race. 

2. The 2024 DCSAA Cross Country Championships will be held at Kenilworth Park  on Saturday, November 2. Middle School and JV races will precede the State  Championship races. 

3. The Games Committee, comprised of members of the State Cross Country  Committee present at the meet, will rule on any questions and/or protests that  arise. Meet officials will handle the finish chute and ensure that athletes start  and finish properly and ensure that the meet is run according to NFHS rules. 

4. Athletes should come dressed for participation. No locker room access on site. 5. A maximum of seven athletes per school will be permitted to participate in the  varsity races. 

a. There is no maximum number of student-athletes from a school for the JV  race. 

6. A school may run fewer than five athletes, but a school must finish at least five  to be considered for the team title. 

7. On arrival at the course, the coach or school representative should report to the  registration table for the teams packet containing numbers and course maps. 8. Tentative Schedule: 

1. 9:30 am: Walk of course 

2. 11 am: Middle School Girls Race 

3. 11:35 am: Middle School Boys Race 

4. 12:10 pm: JV Girls Race  (9th and 10th grade only)

5. 12:45 pm: JV Boys Race (9th and 10th grade only)

6. 1:20 pm: Varsity B Girls Race (11th and 12th grade only) 

7. 1:55 pm: Varsity B Boys Race (11th and 12th grade only)

8. 2:30 pm Girls State Championship

9. 3:05 pm Boys State Championship   

B. Meet Rules 

1. It is the coach's responsibility to instruct the competitors concerning the  courses official markings. 

2. Athletes are permitted to walk the course before the race. 

3. Only participants and credentialed attendants are allowed in starting area. 4. Any coach observed running with their student athletes will disqualify their  team from the race. 

5. Runners have a maximum of 30 minutes to complete the race before the  course is cleared for the next race. 

6. Following the start of the race, coaches MAY NOT move closer to the finish  line. The finish line is a restricted area for race participants and officials only C. Scoring 

1. Scoring shall be as shown on the following table: 

Place:     First     Second     Third     Fourth     Fifth     etc. 

Points:     1             2              3            4             5         etc. 

2. All competitors who finish the race shall be ranked and tallied in accordance with  the above table. Seven team members retain the order of finish. The team score  then shall be determined by totaling the point scores by the first five finishers of each team. The team which scores the fewest points is the team champion. 

3. If fewer than five competitors of a team finish, the places of all members of the  team shall be disregarded in the team scores.

4. Ties in team scoring shall be resolved by comparing the sixth-place finishers from  the tying teams. The team with the best sixth-place finisher shall prevail. 5. If only five competitors of tying teams finish, the tie shall be resolved by totaling the  scores of the first four finishers, with the lower score prevailing. 

6. Top 15 varsity runners receive awards and top two teams receive awards.  

D. Start/Conclusion 

1. The start of the race begins when competitors uniforms are checked and they  are called to the starting line for final instructions. The race is considered to be  official and concluded when places have been determined and the results have  been recorded. 

2. A competitor finishes the race when the torso of the runner breaks the plane of  the finish line. 

E. First Aid/Medical 

1. Certified Athletic Trainers will be at the event to assist with any medical  emergencies. 

F. Disqualification 

1. Undesirable behavior on the part of the school participants or non-participants  shall be grounds for disqualification, at the determination of the State Cross  Country Committee. Failure to comply with appropriate behavior will result in  disciplinary action. 

2. Course cutting will result in automatic disqualification from the race.