The Simplot Games
Overview
The pinnacle meet of the indoor season is the Simplot Games at Idaho State University.
The Simplot Games at Idaho State University is one of best indoor track meets in North America. People from all across the country, and some international athletes, come to this meet to race against the best and set records.
The meet is 3 days, 2/16-18 beginning Thursday afternoon with the 1600m, 3200m, 60m, and 60H and ending Saturday evening. Thursday is trials for those 4 events, Friday is the trials for field events and all other running events, and then Saturday is the final for everything. Qualifying for finals is no easy feat (Simplot marks to make Finals), so having anyone compete on Saturday is an awesome accomplishment.
The track at ISU is banked, which makes every running event (besides the 60m/60H, which are on the straightaway, of course) much more efficient and fun. The track is constructed inside Holt Arena, which is their indoor football stadium. It is 200m around like most indoor tracks, and all "official" indoor tracks. The throwing events, HJ, and PV are competed on the infield inside the track "oval" and the Long Jump is on the end of the arena. There are tons of athletes and spectators, which makes the experience unlike any other.
Each person is allowed 1 individual running event and 1 field event, and can run in up to 2 relays. Those who are "unlikely" to make a final, would probably be put into 2 relays, and those who are likely to make a final would probably only be in 1 relay.
Here's what makes Simplot so awesome: the TEAM. We hang out together in the arena and support your teammates when they are competing. The energy in the stadium is unmatched, and a team our size makes it all the more enjoyable. The beauty of an "8-lap" mile is that you get to run by your teammates 8 times for additional support.
Because this isn't a school sponsored event, we'll need to arrange our own lodging and transportation. Therefore, we'll need parent volunteers to who would be willing to drive groups of kids up, and stay to shuttle to the meet, or return on Saturday to bring kids home.
Links
Historical marks to qualify for finals
