With the CIF State track and field championships being bumped up a week next year to Memorial Day weekend, it could signal the end of the Monterey Bay League's Master Meet.
The meet - which brings qualifiers from the Gabilan and Pacific Division finals together on Friday at Gilroy High for a spot in the Central Coast Section Trials - may be deemed unnecessary.
Particularly since not every league in the CCS uses a Master Meet formula to determine who goes to the CCS Trials in two weeks.
"We do not have an answer yet,'' Palma track coach Jason Smith said. "But we are going to run out of weeks."
Adding to the dilemma is next year the MBL and Mission Trail Athletic League are merging into the Pacific Coast Athletic League, creating at least one more division, if not two for track.
The Gabilan and Pacific Divisions currently host their league finals at the same time on the same facility to determine spots in the Masters Meet. It would be next to impossible to hold three divisions finals at the same venue.
"I don't mind the Masters Meet,'' Smith said. "It's the best practice they get all week because they get to compete. And as long as it's in Gilroy, we get one more time on that track."
The CCS trials and finals are run at Gilroy High.
One of the advantages of the Master Meet is it allows teams chasing league titles to use their athletes in multiple events at the league finals, without fear of them not advancing in their specialty.
"You get kids that quadruple at the league finals," Salinas coach Roger Chagnon said. "That could effect how they compete in their best event. The Masters allows them to focus on their best events."
In part, because the two leagues get a combined nine qualifiers to the Masters Meet, creating one heat. The number of qualifiers would have to increase if another division is brought in.
If the Masters Meet is eliminated, determining qualifiers for the section trials will come down to the number each division gets -- which isn't necessary the best marks.
The MTAL has continued to just take its top two qualifiers from its league finals to the CCS trials. The same holds true for the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, who gets three qualifiers.
"The problem with all this is the track coaches are not involved in the decisions for the divisions,'' Smith said. "It's all being done by athletic directors. We don't know who is going to be where."
A possible solution could be creating automatic qualifying marks during the course of the season to advance to the section trials, plus league final finishes.
It would take a vote from the CCS committee. But it's how swimming does it.
"My only issue with qualifying times is we can do it for the running events with electric timing,'' Chagnon said. "But what about field events? Sometimes it's parents and kids running field events."
Yet, it may be the only solution if the Masters Meet seizes to exist. Otherwise, athletes may have to make a choice for themselves instead of the betterment of the team at the league finals.
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