The NMAA, a member-led organization, provides leadership in interscholastic athletics & activities, promoting equitable participation and character development.
Cross Country Rules Unit IV
Sportsmanship and Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Sportsmanship: Student-athletes, coaches, administrators, spectators and all other persons connected directly or indirectly with a member school, as well as contest officials, shall adhere to the principles of “Pursuing Victory With Honor” and the ethics of competition before, during and after all contests in which they participate and/or attend.
Each participating school shall be held strictly accountable for unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of its competitors, coaches and spectators.
If contestants or people from any school are found guilty of carelessness or maliciously breaking, damaging or destroying property or equipment belonging to the host school or host organization, such school will be held responsible for costs incurred in replacing or repairing such property or equipment.
Disqualification (ejection) for Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Participant Ejection: When a participant is ejected/disqualified from any contest for unsportsmanlike conduct, the penalty shall be as follows:
First Offense: Automatic suspension from the next contest. The ejected participant may not participate again that day/evening and may not participate at any other level of contest in that sport until the game suspension has been satisfied.
Second Offense: Automatic suspension from the next contest minimally and depending upon the individual case a more restrictive penalty may be imposed as determined by the NMAA Executive Director.
Coach Ejection: A coach who is ejected from a contest is required to sit out the next contest minimally. This penalty is the responsibility of the local school district to impose. This sanction is subject to final approval by the NMAA after such violation is reported within a reasonable time frame but prior to the next contest.
Public Criticism of Officials: No coach or other school employee may publicly criticize or berate an official prior to, during or following a contest. Professional ethics require that coaches and other school employees use proper channels to report their complaints about officials rather than airing them publicly.
Crowd Control: The home school administration is responsible for the control of spectators during a contest. The presence of uniformed officers is recommended. The officials assigned to work a contest are responsible for the conduct of the contest itself. In the event, however, a spectator or group of spectators interferes with the conduct of a contest or causes an official to become distracted through continual, unrelenting verbal abuse, the official should immediately stop the action and report the spectator or group of spectators to the home school administration or the nearest uniformed security officer and ask that they be restrained or removed from the facility. If the home school administration or uniformed security officer is unwilling or unable to comply and the official does not believe the contest can be safely continued, the official must declare the contest ended at that point. Under no circumstance should an official ever confront, challenge, rebuke or threaten a spectator, or make gestures of any kind toward a spectator before, during or after a contest.
Filming, Videotaping, Photographing Contests
A visiting school may film, videotape or photograph its team or contestants’ performance in a contest. Videographers and their equipment must be positioned so that they do not block the view of any spectator. No representative of a school that is not participating in a contest may film, videotape or photograph all or any part of the contest unless permission to do so is granted by the principal of each school that is participating in the contest.
Multi-Activity Participation
The NMAA believes all interscholastic activities are an extension of the classroom. The NMAA encourages Students to take part in as many activities as possible during their years in school. Participation on non-school teams is not controlled by the NMAA, but athletes and their parents are strongly encouraged to consider participation in more than one interscholastic activity. Coaches are expected to encourage multi-sport participation. Dual participation is discouraged during the respective defined sport season.
Dual Participation: Participating in a non-school team in the same sport during the school season is discouraged. If a Student is allowed by the school coach to participate in this manner, the school’s sub-varsity/varsity event limit may not be exceeded cumulatively.
Out-of-Season Coaching During the School Year
There shall be no out-of-season coaching during the school year of current or potential athletes, including feeder-school students beginning at the 7th grade (8th grade in schools that do not allow 8th grade participation at the high school level), with the exception of an athletic class or one hour a day Monday through Friday for those sports programs that do not have an athletic class. This provision applies to all school coaches, both paid and volunteer. This rule prohibits coaching these individuals on any team (school or non-school sponsored) out-of-season during the school year.
Athletic Classes
A. During the school year, but outside a particular sport season (out-of-season), a member school may allow participation in that particular sport during an athletic period. The participation may not last longer than the allotted class time. For schools not having an athletic period/class, a block of one (1) hour time may be used each school day for sports participation. Interschool competition/scrimmages are prohibited during the off-season.
B. Out-of-season during the school year, schools with athletic classes cannot have team or individual meetings or film sessions before school, at lunch time, after school, evenings, or on weekends with student athletes enrolled in the athletic class. Contact with the student athlete enrolled in the athletic class is limited to only the in-school length of that athletic class.
Open Gym: During the school year, out-of-season coaching in a particular sport by a coach of that sport is prohibited, with the exception of one-hour per day or one sport specific athletic class, but not both, each school day. For purposes of this rule, an “open gym” does not count toward the one-hour period. An “open gym” means any school facility which is expressly made available to the general student population without any coaching, training or instruction other than in the safe use of the facilities.
Summer Camps/Summer Recreation Programs
Summer camps, recreation programs and other programs which are outside the conventional
school year are restricted to the period between the end of the second (spring) semester and the beginning of the first (fall) semester of the following school year, or until the official practice season for that sport begins (as stated in the NMAA Handbook for each sport), whichever comes first. (The term “semester” refers to the conventional nine-month, two-semester school year.)
Rule Requirements and Philosophical Basis: Each individual school/district is required to establish and enforce regulations which are driven educationally by the NMAA interscholastic objective. The following requirements, as well as local policy, intend to assure adherence to those rules/procedures, consistent with that objective:
Opponents
Member schools shall compete only against schools that are members of the NMAA, or out-of-state schools that are members of associations that regulate interscholastic athletic competition within their respective states. Out-of-state schools, however, must have eligibility guidelines comparable to those of the NMAA, and must have an established season of competition in the sport that is concurrent with that of the NMAA. Competition with out-of-state schools, in some cases, may require the approval of the NFHS. See www.nmact.org for NFHS regulations on interstate and international competition.
Invitational Meets
Certain Invitational Meets involving out-of-state schools may require the approval of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). See www.nmact.org for NFHS regulations on interstate and international competitions.
State Championship Meet Host Requirements
Each state championship host site is mandated to host an open regular season meet prior to the state championships so that all schools will have an opportunity to compete at the same location of the state championships. This meet must be conducted during Week #14 through Week #16. Recommended for the 2006 season, required for the 2007 season.
Inclement Weather Procedures
The safety and welfare of all concerned is of paramount importance. If a severe thunderstorm occurs in the area prior to the start or during any outdoor contest, the officials must immediately determine if the contest should be played as scheduled, delayed, suspended or postponed. A suspended contest shall be resumed from the point of interruption. Otherwise, NFHS Rules regarding the resumption of suspended contests shall apply.
Protests
Any school filing a protest or complaint may be required to submit in writing a full statement of the facts to the NMAA Executive Director. The protest or complaint shall be signed or co-signed by the school’s administrative head. The Director shall send a copy to the administrative head of the school against which the protest or complaint has been made if applicable. The NMAA Executive Director shall have the authority to investigate and take action.
Incident Reporting
If a player, coach or fan is ejected from a contest or if misbehavior and/or unsportsmanlike conduct occurs by any of these individuals, the contest official witnessing the incident is responsible for reporting it to the NMAA office.
If an official acts in an inappropriate manner or if his/her performance is adversely affecting the participants of a contest, the coach or administrator from any of the participating schools may report the incident to the NMAA office.
Incident reports must include the date and site of the contest, the level of competition and whether the contest was boys’ or girls’ (where applicable), as well as a detailed narrative of the events leading up to the ejection or other incident. Incident reports of any nature must be sent to the NMAA office within 24 hours of the occurrence by fax (505-923-3114), email (dsanchez@nmact.org) or mail (6600 Palomas NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109).
District Terms and Conditions
Districts
Alignment: Participating schools are geographically assigned to one district within a classification. A district meet shall be conducted in each district on Friday or Saturday of Week 18 (October 27-28, 2006) at the conclusion of the regular season to determine the teams and individual competitors who shall represent the district in the State Championships.
District Chairperson: One person in each district has been designated as the district chairperson for the district. The district chairperson or his/her designee shall be responsible for all aspects of the district meets including hosting, conducting and reporting to the NMAA Office the results of the district meet.
Regular season district competition: Competition between schools assigned to a district is not required during the regular season.
Meet Structure and Time Schedules
District Meets:
Dates, Time Schedule and Site.
Dates. Friday or Saturday of Week 18 (October 27-28, 2006)
Time Schedule. Each district host will individually determine the time schedule for the district meet and distribute to its participants.
Site. Each district will determine a site for its meet and distribute to its participants. Once decided, please contact the NMAA so that it can be posted on our website at www.nmact.org.
Qualifications of Teams and Individuals to State Championships:
District Meet to State Championships.
The top three (3) teams and the first 10 individuals in each district will qualify for the state championships.
Entries for State Championships: The district chairperson and/or his/her designee will be responsible for submitting the proper paperwork to the NMAA Office upon conclusion of the district meet. Results must be e-mailed using the “Official Team and Individual Entry Form” to the meet director at raragon@nmact.org by 10:00 a.m., Sunday, November 4, 2007. A $500.00 fine will be imposed to the District host who does not send in the meeting results prior to the deadline.
Junior Varsity Races during the District Meet: Each district varsity race, boys and girls, must be run separately from each other, as well as separate from a race for junior varsity runners. If there are any questions concerning this, please contact the NMAA office at (505) 923-3270.
Security: The meet director and host for the district meet is responsible for providing appropriate security if needed.
Administration and Management: All State Championships shall be conducted in accordance with the policies established by the NMAA Board of Directors and shall be under the control, direction and supervision of the NMAA Office.
Enforcement of Rules & Policies: Participating schools shall adhere to all regulations and policies governing the NMAA State Cross Country Championships.
Team Entries
Eligibility
A. Participation in the NMAA State Championships is open to any qualifying NMAA member school and/or qualifying individual provided:
1. The school sponsors a varsity sports program in cross country;
2. The school finishes in the top three at the district meet;
3. The school’s varsity team does not schedule or compete in more than the maximum number of contests.
B. A school shall enter only one (1) girls team and/or one (1) boys team.
Student-Athlete Entries
Eligibility
A. To represent a member school in the state championships, a student-athlete:
1. Must be eligible under Section VI of the NMAA Handbook and applicable administrative guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures.
2. Must be submitted to the district meet host on the school’s official entry list after placing in the top ten finishers.
3. Girls only may participate in the girls division of the state championships.Boys only may participate in the boys division of the state championships.
Official Entry Form
A. Each participating district, must submit by e-mail to raragon@nmact.org their 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships Official Entry List which lists the name of each student-athlete who will represent the school in the state championships. The official entry list must be received by 10:00 a.m. Sunday, November 4th, 2007. The Official Team and Individual Entry Form must be used when submitting this information.
B. Changes to an official team entry list once submitted to the district meet manager may be made only at the State Championship Coaches Meeting on Friday, November 9, 2007 or at least one hour prior to the start of the race.
C. The qualifying individual/teams coaches are responsible for their student-athletes submission to the NMAA office. It is recommended that all coaches contact the NMAA Office to make sure that entries have been received.
Meet Structure and Time Schedules
NMAA State Championships
A. Dates and Site - The NMAA State Cross Country Championships shall be held on Saturday of Week 19 (November 10, 2007) at Rio Rancho High School, in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Rudy Aragon, Assistant Director, NMAA Administrator for Cross Country, will be the Meet Director.
B. Time Schedule - The 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships will be run according to the following time schedule:
Mandatory Coaches Meeting: A mandatory meeting for head coaches of schools with participating teams or individuals, shall be conducted at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2007 in the Performing Arts Center at Rio Rancho High School. Each school entering a team or individual in the 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships must be represented at this meeting by a team representative. Failure to attend without proper communication to the Event Director will result in sanctions at the discretion of the Executive Director.
Spaghetti Dinner and Guest Speaker: A complimentary spaghetti dinner will be provided for all teams and individual student-athletes and qualifying coaches at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2006 in the Rio Rancho High School Cafeteria. A guest speaker will be present to discuss his or her career in the sport at 6:30 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. during the hosted dinner.
Financial Terms
NMAA State Cross Country Championships
A. Admission is $5.00.
B. Division of Receipts - No reimbursement of any kind will be paid to schools which qualify teams and/or individuals contestants to the NMAA State Cross Country Championships. Neither the NMAA nor the host will assume responsibility for any participating school or individual contestant expenses of any kind.
Meet Regulations
Teams: A team shall be composed of five (5) to seven (7) runners. Schools that enter fewer than five runners, and schools from which fewer than five runners finish the race, at any meet, shall not be eligible for team honors. Individual contestants from such schools, however, may earn individual awards.
Starting Positions: The starting position for each team at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships shall be determined based upon the teams finishing place at their district meet. Individuals will be placed with other individual qualifiers.
Meet Management Software: The chip timing system will be used at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships. There will also be three other systems in place for back up purposes only, in the case of failure. It is the responsibility of the coach to make sure that the school’s student athletes are properly wearing the chips and bib numbers assigned.
Games Committee
A. Games Committee consisting of four coaches, one from each class, from four different participating schools, shall be appointed by the event director for the state championships. The games committee will be used for all protests which are properly submitted. There can be no disqualification without three members involved in the process.
1. Example: If a protest is submitted regarding a class AAA individual and/or school, the member from the games committee that represents class AAA will not be included in the discussions or final decisions. This will be the case for all classifications.
B. Games Committee members for the 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships shall be as follows:
A-AA (Salomon Gonzales, Pecos HS)
AAA (Allan Lockridge, Pojoaque HS)
AAAA (Kathy Hipwood, Los Alamos HS)
AAAAA (Roxy Hunt, Athletic Trainer)
Protests
The head coach of a team who wishes to file a protest must do so in writing using the proper form within 10 minutes of the individual race’s conclusion.
The appeals process will adhere to NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Book and Case Book guidelines.
The decision of the Games Committee shall be final. The Games Committee cannot set aside any decision.
Course Maps
Additional Information
Passes/Complementary List
Coaches/Administrators: Complimentary admission will only be granted to coaches/administrators that meet the following requirements:
Signs and/or Banners: The display of signs, banners, placards or similar items at the state championships is permitted, provided:
A. They are in good taste and reflect good sportsmanship in their message and use.
B. They reflect identification and encouragement to participants and their school or community, and make no reference to the opposing team, its school, players or community.
C. They are not displayed on the course, or in a manner which interferes with competition.
D. They do not obstruct the view of participants or spectators.
E. They are not safety hazards.
F. They do not represent a conflict of interest with any NMAA sponsor.
Licensing and Merchandising: The NMAA owns or controls all rights and interests in its name, logos, trademarks and service marks, whether registered or unregistered, including the official event logo for all NMAA State Championship events. The sale of items bearing any of these marks by a member school or organization without the written consent of the NMAA is prohibited.
The NMAA retains the exclusive right to produce and sell souvenir products (apparel and otherwise) at all games, tournaments and meets held as part of the state championships. Host schools/organizations are required to sell items provided by the official NMAA event souvenir merchandiser.
The official NMAA event souvenir merchandiser is Zia Graphics. Zia Graphics may be reached by phone at (505) 881-1477. Zia Graphics has been awarded exclusive souvenir merchandising rights to all state championships on the state tournament levels in all sports and activities. No other vendor shall be permitted to produce such merchandise. Zia Graphics shall have the right to go on-property and sell souvenir merchandise at the site of any state championship event. The host school/organization of a state championship event shall grant Zia Graphics access to its property for the event.
Souvenir Programs: Kukulski Brothers is the exclusive program vendor for the NMAA State Championship events. Please contact the NMAA staff for more information regarding this matter.
All-Tournament/Meet Teams: The NMAA does not have any influences regarding the selection of any all-tournament/meet team, including the selection of a most valuable player or other “player of the game or meet.”
Security: The meet director and host for the state championships is responsible for providing appropriate security.
Media Policies
Admission and Seating
A. NMAA State Championships. Media representatives planning to cover the NMAA State Cross Country Championships must secure proper credentials as instructed by the NMAA Office, according to the NMAA Policy on Media Credentials. Requests for credentials should be submitted to Robert Zayas, Assistant Director, Communications Director at the NMAA Office. Only those representatives requesting credentials by the posted deadline, will be guaranteed seating and informational materials at the meet.
B. All media representatives will be given an event program free of charge with proper identification at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships.
NMAA State Championship Awards
Team Awards: Trophies will be awarded to the team champion, runner-up and third place finisher in each classification. The team champion will also receive team medals and a banner representing their accomplishment.
Individual Awards: Medallions will be awarded to the first 10 placing individuals in each class and furnished by the NMAA office.
Awards Ceremony: A formal awards ceremony will be conducted at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships for each classification, 10 minutes following the conclusion of the final race.
Officials
The NMAA/NMOA does not register officials in the sport of Cross Country. Officials, however, are registered in the sport of Track & Field. The use of such officials is not mandatory for any district or State Championship Cross Country Meet however, strongly encouraged. Each district shall make arrangements with officials for its district meets. The NMAA office will be responsible for securing the officials for the NMAA State Cross Country Championships.
Cross Country Sports Specific Directory
Sportsmanship: Student-athletes, coaches, administrators, spectators and all other persons connected directly or indirectly with a member school, as well as contest officials, shall adhere to the principles of “Pursuing Victory With Honor” and the ethics of competition before, during and after all contests in which they participate and/or attend.
Each participating school shall be held strictly accountable for unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of its competitors, coaches and spectators.
If contestants or people from any school are found guilty of carelessness or maliciously breaking, damaging or destroying property or equipment belonging to the host school or host organization, such school will be held responsible for costs incurred in replacing or repairing such property or equipment.
Disqualification (ejection) for Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Participant Ejection: When a participant is ejected/disqualified from any contest for unsportsmanlike conduct, the penalty shall be as follows:
First Offense: Automatic suspension from the next contest. The ejected participant may not participate again that day/evening and may not participate at any other level of contest in that sport until the game suspension has been satisfied.
Second Offense: Automatic suspension from the next contest minimally and depending upon the individual case a more restrictive penalty may be imposed as determined by the NMAA Executive Director.
Coach Ejection: A coach who is ejected from a contest is required to sit out the next contest minimally. This penalty is the responsibility of the local school district to impose. This sanction is subject to final approval by the NMAA after such violation is reported within a reasonable time frame but prior to the next contest.
Public Criticism of Officials: No coach or other school employee may publicly criticize or berate an official prior to, during or following a contest. Professional ethics require that coaches and other school employees use proper channels to report their complaints about officials rather than airing them publicly.
Crowd Control: The home school administration is responsible for the control of spectators during a contest. The presence of uniformed officers is recommended. The officials assigned to work a contest are responsible for the conduct of the contest itself. In the event, however, a spectator or group of spectators interferes with the conduct of a contest or causes an official to become distracted through continual, unrelenting verbal abuse, the official should immediately stop the action and report the spectator or group of spectators to the home school administration or the nearest uniformed security officer and ask that they be restrained or removed from the facility. If the home school administration or uniformed security officer is unwilling or unable to comply and the official does not believe the contest can be safely continued, the official must declare the contest ended at that point. Under no circumstance should an official ever confront, challenge, rebuke or threaten a spectator, or make gestures of any kind toward a spectator before, during or after a contest.
Filming, Videotaping, Photographing Contests
A visiting school may film, videotape or photograph its team or contestants’ performance in a contest. Videographers and their equipment must be positioned so that they do not block the view of any spectator. No representative of a school that is not participating in a contest may film, videotape or photograph all or any part of the contest unless permission to do so is granted by the principal of each school that is participating in the contest.
Multi-Activity Participation
The NMAA believes all interscholastic activities are an extension of the classroom. The NMAA encourages Students to take part in as many activities as possible during their years in school. Participation on non-school teams is not controlled by the NMAA, but athletes and their parents are strongly encouraged to consider participation in more than one interscholastic activity. Coaches are expected to encourage multi-sport participation. Dual participation is discouraged during the respective defined sport season.
Dual Participation: Participating in a non-school team in the same sport during the school season is discouraged. If a Student is allowed by the school coach to participate in this manner, the school’s sub-varsity/varsity event limit may not be exceeded cumulatively.
Out-of-Season Coaching During the School Year
There shall be no out-of-season coaching during the school year of current or potential athletes, including feeder-school students beginning at the 7th grade (8th grade in schools that do not allow 8th grade participation at the high school level), with the exception of an athletic class or one hour a day Monday through Friday for those sports programs that do not have an athletic class. This provision applies to all school coaches, both paid and volunteer. This rule prohibits coaching these individuals on any team (school or non-school sponsored) out-of-season during the school year.
Athletic Classes
A. During the school year, but outside a particular sport season (out-of-season), a member school may allow participation in that particular sport during an athletic period. The participation may not last longer than the allotted class time. For schools not having an athletic period/class, a block of one (1) hour time may be used each school day for sports participation. Interschool competition/scrimmages are prohibited during the off-season.
B. Out-of-season during the school year, schools with athletic classes cannot have team or individual meetings or film sessions before school, at lunch time, after school, evenings, or on weekends with student athletes enrolled in the athletic class. Contact with the student athlete enrolled in the athletic class is limited to only the in-school length of that athletic class.
Open Gym: During the school year, out-of-season coaching in a particular sport by a coach of that sport is prohibited, with the exception of one-hour per day or one sport specific athletic class, but not both, each school day. For purposes of this rule, an “open gym” does not count toward the one-hour period. An “open gym” means any school facility which is expressly made available to the general student population without any coaching, training or instruction other than in the safe use of the facilities.
Summer Camps/Summer Recreation Programs
Summer camps, recreation programs and other programs which are outside the conventional
school year are restricted to the period between the end of the second (spring) semester and the beginning of the first (fall) semester of the following school year, or until the official practice season for that sport begins (as stated in the NMAA Handbook for each sport), whichever comes first. (The term “semester” refers to the conventional nine-month, two-semester school year.) Rule Requirements and Philosophical Basis: Each individual school/district is required to establish and enforce regulations which are driven educationally by the NMAA interscholastic objective. The following requirements, as well as local policy, intend to assure adherence to those rules/procedures, consistent with that objective:
- Educational value: Educational goals that are encompassed by the NMAA objective must be incorporated.
- Students must be given the opportunity to participate in multiple activities (sports, family, recreational, etc.). It is the responsibility of the local school district to provide time for students to participate in family activities.
- Promote physical fitness.
- Participation must not be restricted by financial status of the student.
- Participation in a camp or recreation program outside the conventional school year and/or during the summer cannot be a requirement for participation in the regular sports season.
- State generated funds or gate receipt monies cannot be used to finance tuition, fees, meals and lodging, or fuel costs for such programs (camps and/or recreation programs during the summer or outside the conventional school year) for coaches who are, have been or will be employed by the school and/or for players or prospective players.
- Equipment such as, but not confined to football helmets, pads, etc. in any sport is prohibited in the out-of-season, summer camps or summer recreation programs. See each individual sport for specific requirements.
Opponents
Member schools shall compete only against schools that are members of the NMAA, or out-of-state schools that are members of associations that regulate interscholastic athletic competition within their respective states. Out-of-state schools, however, must have eligibility guidelines comparable to those of the NMAA, and must have an established season of competition in the sport that is concurrent with that of the NMAA. Competition with out-of-state schools, in some cases, may require the approval of the NFHS. See www.nmact.org for NFHS regulations on interstate and international competition.
Invitational Meets
Certain Invitational Meets involving out-of-state schools may require the approval of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). See www.nmact.org for NFHS regulations on interstate and international competitions.
State Championship Meet Host Requirements
Each state championship host site is mandated to host an open regular season meet prior to the state championships so that all schools will have an opportunity to compete at the same location of the state championships. This meet must be conducted during Week #14 through Week #16. Recommended for the 2006 season, required for the 2007 season.
Inclement Weather Procedures
The safety and welfare of all concerned is of paramount importance. If a severe thunderstorm occurs in the area prior to the start or during any outdoor contest, the officials must immediately determine if the contest should be played as scheduled, delayed, suspended or postponed. A suspended contest shall be resumed from the point of interruption. Otherwise, NFHS Rules regarding the resumption of suspended contests shall apply.
Protests
Any school filing a protest or complaint may be required to submit in writing a full statement of the facts to the NMAA Executive Director. The protest or complaint shall be signed or co-signed by the school’s administrative head. The Director shall send a copy to the administrative head of the school against which the protest or complaint has been made if applicable. The NMAA Executive Director shall have the authority to investigate and take action.
Incident Reporting
If a player, coach or fan is ejected from a contest or if misbehavior and/or unsportsmanlike conduct occurs by any of these individuals, the contest official witnessing the incident is responsible for reporting it to the NMAA office.
If an official acts in an inappropriate manner or if his/her performance is adversely affecting the participants of a contest, the coach or administrator from any of the participating schools may report the incident to the NMAA office.
Incident reports must include the date and site of the contest, the level of competition and whether the contest was boys’ or girls’ (where applicable), as well as a detailed narrative of the events leading up to the ejection or other incident. Incident reports of any nature must be sent to the NMAA office within 24 hours of the occurrence by fax (505-923-3114), email (dsanchez@nmact.org) or mail (6600 Palomas NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109).
District Terms and Conditions
Districts
Alignment: Participating schools are geographically assigned to one district within a classification. A district meet shall be conducted in each district on Friday or Saturday of Week 18 (October 27-28, 2006) at the conclusion of the regular season to determine the teams and individual competitors who shall represent the district in the State Championships.
District Chairperson: One person in each district has been designated as the district chairperson for the district. The district chairperson or his/her designee shall be responsible for all aspects of the district meets including hosting, conducting and reporting to the NMAA Office the results of the district meet.
Regular season district competition: Competition between schools assigned to a district is not required during the regular season.
Meet Structure and Time Schedules
District Meets:
Dates, Time Schedule and Site.
Dates. Friday or Saturday of Week 18 (October 27-28, 2006)
Time Schedule. Each district host will individually determine the time schedule for the district meet and distribute to its participants.
Site. Each district will determine a site for its meet and distribute to its participants. Once decided, please contact the NMAA so that it can be posted on our website at www.nmact.org.
Qualifications of Teams and Individuals to State Championships:
District Meet to State Championships.
The top three (3) teams and the first 10 individuals in each district will qualify for the state championships.
Entries for State Championships: The district chairperson and/or his/her designee will be responsible for submitting the proper paperwork to the NMAA Office upon conclusion of the district meet. Results must be e-mailed using the “Official Team and Individual Entry Form” to the meet director at raragon@nmact.org by 10:00 a.m., Sunday, November 4, 2007. A $500.00 fine will be imposed to the District host who does not send in the meeting results prior to the deadline.
Junior Varsity Races during the District Meet: Each district varsity race, boys and girls, must be run separately from each other, as well as separate from a race for junior varsity runners. If there are any questions concerning this, please contact the NMAA office at (505) 923-3270.
Security: The meet director and host for the district meet is responsible for providing appropriate security if needed.
State Championship Information
State Championship PoliciesAdministration and Management: All State Championships shall be conducted in accordance with the policies established by the NMAA Board of Directors and shall be under the control, direction and supervision of the NMAA Office.
Enforcement of Rules & Policies: Participating schools shall adhere to all regulations and policies governing the NMAA State Cross Country Championships.
Team Entries
Eligibility
A. Participation in the NMAA State Championships is open to any qualifying NMAA member school and/or qualifying individual provided:
1. The school sponsors a varsity sports program in cross country;
2. The school finishes in the top three at the district meet;
3. The school’s varsity team does not schedule or compete in more than the maximum number of contests.
B. A school shall enter only one (1) girls team and/or one (1) boys team.
Student-Athlete Entries
Eligibility
A. To represent a member school in the state championships, a student-athlete:
1. Must be eligible under Section VI of the NMAA Handbook and applicable administrative guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures.
2. Must be submitted to the district meet host on the school’s official entry list after placing in the top ten finishers.
3. Girls only may participate in the girls division of the state championships.Boys only may participate in the boys division of the state championships.
Official Entry Form
A. Each participating district, must submit by e-mail to raragon@nmact.org their 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships Official Entry List which lists the name of each student-athlete who will represent the school in the state championships. The official entry list must be received by 10:00 a.m. Sunday, November 4th, 2007. The Official Team and Individual Entry Form must be used when submitting this information.
B. Changes to an official team entry list once submitted to the district meet manager may be made only at the State Championship Coaches Meeting on Friday, November 9, 2007 or at least one hour prior to the start of the race.
C. The qualifying individual/teams coaches are responsible for their student-athletes submission to the NMAA office. It is recommended that all coaches contact the NMAA Office to make sure that entries have been received.
Meet Structure and Time Schedules
NMAA State Championships
A. Dates and Site - The NMAA State Cross Country Championships shall be held on Saturday of Week 19 (November 10, 2007) at Rio Rancho High School, in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Rudy Aragon, Assistant Director, NMAA Administrator for Cross Country, will be the Meet Director.
B. Time Schedule - The 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships will be run according to the following time schedule:
| Time |
2007 |
| 9:15 AM |
Opening Ceremonies |
| 9:30 AM |
A-AA Girls |
| 10:00 AM |
AAA Girls |
| 10:30 AM |
AAAA Girls |
| 11:00 AM |
AAAAA Girls |
| 11:30 AM |
A-AA Boys |
| 12:00 PM |
AAA Boys |
| 12:30 PM |
AAAA Boys |
| 1:00 PM |
AAAAA Boys |
| 1:40 PM |
Awards Presentation |
Mandatory Coaches Meeting: A mandatory meeting for head coaches of schools with participating teams or individuals, shall be conducted at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2007 in the Performing Arts Center at Rio Rancho High School. Each school entering a team or individual in the 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships must be represented at this meeting by a team representative. Failure to attend without proper communication to the Event Director will result in sanctions at the discretion of the Executive Director.
Spaghetti Dinner and Guest Speaker: A complimentary spaghetti dinner will be provided for all teams and individual student-athletes and qualifying coaches at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2006 in the Rio Rancho High School Cafeteria. A guest speaker will be present to discuss his or her career in the sport at 6:30 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. during the hosted dinner.
Financial Terms
NMAA State Cross Country Championships
A. Admission is $5.00.
B. Division of Receipts - No reimbursement of any kind will be paid to schools which qualify teams and/or individuals contestants to the NMAA State Cross Country Championships. Neither the NMAA nor the host will assume responsibility for any participating school or individual contestant expenses of any kind.
Meet Regulations
Teams: A team shall be composed of five (5) to seven (7) runners. Schools that enter fewer than five runners, and schools from which fewer than five runners finish the race, at any meet, shall not be eligible for team honors. Individual contestants from such schools, however, may earn individual awards.
Starting Positions: The starting position for each team at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships shall be determined based upon the teams finishing place at their district meet. Individuals will be placed with other individual qualifiers.
Meet Management Software: The chip timing system will be used at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships. There will also be three other systems in place for back up purposes only, in the case of failure. It is the responsibility of the coach to make sure that the school’s student athletes are properly wearing the chips and bib numbers assigned.
Games Committee
A. Games Committee consisting of four coaches, one from each class, from four different participating schools, shall be appointed by the event director for the state championships. The games committee will be used for all protests which are properly submitted. There can be no disqualification without three members involved in the process.
1. Example: If a protest is submitted regarding a class AAA individual and/or school, the member from the games committee that represents class AAA will not be included in the discussions or final decisions. This will be the case for all classifications.
B. Games Committee members for the 2007 NMAA State Cross Country Championships shall be as follows:
A-AA (Salomon Gonzales, Pecos HS)
AAA (Allan Lockridge, Pojoaque HS)
AAAA (Kathy Hipwood, Los Alamos HS)
AAAAA (Roxy Hunt, Athletic Trainer)
Protests
The head coach of a team who wishes to file a protest must do so in writing using the proper form within 10 minutes of the individual race’s conclusion.
The appeals process will adhere to NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Book and Case Book guidelines.
The decision of the Games Committee shall be final. The Games Committee cannot set aside any decision.
Course Maps
Additional Information
Passes/Complementary List
Coaches/Administrators: Complimentary admission will only be granted to coaches/administrators that meet the following requirements:
- Coaches and administrators of member schools must present two forms of identification (drivers license and school ID) at the complimentary entrance. They must also sign in on the VIP list provided at the complimentary entrance.
- Coaches will only permitted complimentary admission to the sport(s) that they coach.
- Coaches and administrators will only be permitted complimentary admission if they have an MVP account on the NMAA website. This account must be created prior to the first contest of the season.
- Complimentary admission will not be granted to spouses, children, guests, etc. of coaches and administrators.
Signs and/or Banners: The display of signs, banners, placards or similar items at the state championships is permitted, provided:
A. They are in good taste and reflect good sportsmanship in their message and use.
B. They reflect identification and encouragement to participants and their school or community, and make no reference to the opposing team, its school, players or community.
C. They are not displayed on the course, or in a manner which interferes with competition.
D. They do not obstruct the view of participants or spectators.
E. They are not safety hazards.
F. They do not represent a conflict of interest with any NMAA sponsor.
Licensing and Merchandising: The NMAA owns or controls all rights and interests in its name, logos, trademarks and service marks, whether registered or unregistered, including the official event logo for all NMAA State Championship events. The sale of items bearing any of these marks by a member school or organization without the written consent of the NMAA is prohibited.
The NMAA retains the exclusive right to produce and sell souvenir products (apparel and otherwise) at all games, tournaments and meets held as part of the state championships. Host schools/organizations are required to sell items provided by the official NMAA event souvenir merchandiser.
The official NMAA event souvenir merchandiser is Zia Graphics. Zia Graphics may be reached by phone at (505) 881-1477. Zia Graphics has been awarded exclusive souvenir merchandising rights to all state championships on the state tournament levels in all sports and activities. No other vendor shall be permitted to produce such merchandise. Zia Graphics shall have the right to go on-property and sell souvenir merchandise at the site of any state championship event. The host school/organization of a state championship event shall grant Zia Graphics access to its property for the event.
Souvenir Programs: Kukulski Brothers is the exclusive program vendor for the NMAA State Championship events. Please contact the NMAA staff for more information regarding this matter.
All-Tournament/Meet Teams: The NMAA does not have any influences regarding the selection of any all-tournament/meet team, including the selection of a most valuable player or other “player of the game or meet.”
Security: The meet director and host for the state championships is responsible for providing appropriate security.
Media Policies
Admission and Seating
A. NMAA State Championships. Media representatives planning to cover the NMAA State Cross Country Championships must secure proper credentials as instructed by the NMAA Office, according to the NMAA Policy on Media Credentials. Requests for credentials should be submitted to Robert Zayas, Assistant Director, Communications Director at the NMAA Office. Only those representatives requesting credentials by the posted deadline, will be guaranteed seating and informational materials at the meet.
B. All media representatives will be given an event program free of charge with proper identification at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships.
NMAA State Championship Awards
Team Awards: Trophies will be awarded to the team champion, runner-up and third place finisher in each classification. The team champion will also receive team medals and a banner representing their accomplishment.
Individual Awards: Medallions will be awarded to the first 10 placing individuals in each class and furnished by the NMAA office.
Awards Ceremony: A formal awards ceremony will be conducted at the NMAA State Cross Country Championships for each classification, 10 minutes following the conclusion of the final race.
Officials
The NMAA/NMOA does not register officials in the sport of Cross Country. Officials, however, are registered in the sport of Track & Field. The use of such officials is not mandatory for any district or State Championship Cross Country Meet however, strongly encouraged. Each district shall make arrangements with officials for its district meets. The NMAA office will be responsible for securing the officials for the NMAA State Cross Country Championships.
Cross Country Sports Specific Directory
| Class |
Name |
School |
| A-AA Boys |
Daniel Chinana | Jemez Valley |
| A-AA Girls |
Salomon Gonzales |
Pecos |
| AAA Boys |
Allan Lockridge |
Pojoaque |
| AAA Girls |
Kelly Osuna |
Cobre |
| AAAA Boys |
Rob Hipwood |
Los Alamos |
| AAAA Girls |
Kathy Hipwood |
Los Alamos |
| AAAAA Boys |
Larry Chavez |
Rio Rancho |
| AAAAA Girls |
Doc Helm |
Alamogordo |
| Athletic Director |
Gary Schuster |
Gallup |
| Trainer | Roxy Hunt | Rio Rancho |
| NMAA | Rudy Aragon |
| PROCEED TO UNIT V |
