August 1st, 2000 Information From Dean Hirabayshi:

Here's a link to the stadium seating assignments based on order of receipt of team entry fees. We will not have canopies in the stands since we have overhead coverage and it never rains in Seattle. Yes, sun is forecasted. Highs should be in the high 70's and low 80's. The low at night should be in the high 50's. We will have the seats/rows marked off for your team when you arrive.

Team packets will be at the stadium at the USCAA booth. If you cannot make it to pick up your packet, please let me know and we can make arrangements to get it to you.

Please be sure to sign your team waiver form at the USCAA booth if you haven't already done so.

The stadium will be open from 12 to 8 on Friday, but the USCAA booth will be open from 1 until 6.

As a side note, the Blue Angels will be performing for us on both days from noon to 1pm.

Please let me know if you have any questions, preferably before Friday.

July 29th, 2000 Information From Dean Hirabayshi:

Just to clear up any misunderstanding, spikes are allowed on the track. Per USCAA rules, 1/4" spikes or less are allowed. No spikes are allowed on the AstroTurf. The warm up area is behind the north stands.

A reminder on the road race rosters. There is no moving down in age groups this year. Since I did not ask for USCAA age on your rosters please review your rosters, make necessary changes and notify me as soon as possible with any changes.  USCAA age is the age your runner is on December 31st, 2000.  Your road race numbers will show the lowest age for the age group your runner is entered in. Please advise your runners that their age may be wrong on their numbers and that there is no need to contact the people doing the scoring.

Seating for the stadium will be out soon. Stay tuned.

The protest form will be updated to show a $25 deposit is required for each protest, as required by USCAA rules.  Please make note if you use the old form.

July 28th, 2000 Information From Dean Hirabayshi:

Here's a link to the spreadsheet with Saturday's heat, lane and flight assignments.

(7/31/2000:  spreadsheet updated today)

Team seating in the stadium will be out soon.

Here's a link to the road race instructions. It is critical to a quality road race that you are familiar with the instructions.

Road race and field event rosters are due by July 28th. My cooler and cashbox is waiting for those that are late.

Here's a layout of Renton Memorial Stadium.

July 24th, 2000 Information From Dean Hirabayshi:

Here's a spreadsheet listing the heats and flights for Nationals.

July 16th, 2000 Note From Dean Hirabayshi:

Shuttle service provided by the Holiday Inn-Select, the Holiday Inn-Kent, and the Hawthorn Suites is on a limited basis. Please make sure you have other transportation available for use. Please contact Sydney Swainson at DOSRentonHI@sunstonehotels.com for the the schedule on shuttle service.

Please note that with the last Saturday schedule change, the time for the team captain's meeting and the USCAA Board meeting has also been rescheduled to 5:30pm and 6:30pm respectively.  Hopefully, we can get you all out in time to have some fun with your teams in the Seattle area. The meetings are in the Fir Room at the Holiday Inn-Select.

Please attempt to have your team's USCAA memberships in place and organized prior to arriving. The less confusion on Friday and Saturday morning, the better. The USCAA registration table will be located at the stadium.

Team banners at the stadium can be attached to the fences either above the stands or along the track. Please do not use tape on the walls.

Again, please be familiar with the road race instructions. They are critical to a quality road race.

Reminder:  Any food or drink brought into the stadium is for competitors use only. Please use the concession stands for any other needs. The Lion's Club has exclusive rights on all food and beverages in the stadium and has generously allowed us to bring carbos into the stands for competitors use only. They have agreed to have bagels, bananas, oranges, and carbo drinks available, as well as the regular concession fare, at the concessions stands.

Complimentary massage will be available during the meet. Yes, no charge.

Road race and field event rosters are due by July 28th. E-mail or snail mail are acceptable.

I would like an inventory for the throwing implements. My understanding is that last year, some people were throwing the wrong weights for their age group. As of now, we will have the 16 lb, 12 lb and 4 kilo shots and the 1 kilo discus available. Do any teams know of competitors who are bringing the missing weights, the 8 lb shot and 1.5 kilo discus that can be used at the meet? Please let me know so that we can make sure all the proper weights are available.

Showers will be available at Renton Memorial Stadium, but no towels will be provided.  Showers will also be available at the Renton Community Center after 3pm on Sunday.

July 11th, 2000 Information From Andrea Austin:

Just a reminder to bring out your team banners to this year's Nationals.  We distributed them at the team captain meeting last year, so you should have them floating around somewhere.  If you can't find your banner (and what would Nationals be, if we can't identify you???!), please alert me no later than Monday, July 24th.  We will have a new banner made up for you, at your cost, or you can pull out the crayons and get busy with some butcher paper ...

July 9th, 2000 Note From Dean Hirabayshi:

Please be advised that the Saturday schedule has been updated and is now posted on the web site.

Please take careful note of the road race instructions that were sent out in Andrea's last note. It is very important that you are familiar with the procedures so that we can have a quality road race.

Road race and field event rosters are due by July 28th. The address is on the forms which are posted on the web site.

See you all in August.

July 5th, 2000 Information From Andrea Austin:

Based on feedback received from many quarters, this is how we will proceed: prelims in 4x100, 3-lap sprint, 4x200, and sprint relay.  No prelims for host event, women's relay (it is listed in the schedule), or pyramid relay.  No points will be awarded for prelims not run, otherwise points are awarded as noted in the rules and regulations.

Unless anyone has an extreme apoplectic seizure or comes down with a screaming meamie fit by 2pm EST, this should be considered final for all of you selecting teams today.  Thank you all for your input, your gracious acceptance of compromise, your understanding of other viewpoints, and your willingness to reach consensus on this issue.

July 4th, 2000 Note From Dean Hirabayshi:

The team entry deadline has been extended to July 21st and the deadline for road race and field event rosters is July 28th.

June 12th, 2000 Information From Andrea Austin:

As August 5-6 approaches, the USCAA is working hard to finalize details, nail down logistics, and ensure that all preparations are made for another spectacular Championship event.  In that spirit, the USCAA Nationals Implementation Team (NITpickers) will be sending out a series of messages via e-mail to bring you up to speed on issues you need to be aware of, to answer frequently asked questions, and to remind you of key details prior to the meet. Issues in this first briefing:

1) Canopies.  Because the Renton Stadium offers covered stands, you will stay dry and shaded without need of canopies.  We repeat: no canopies are required, and none will be permitted in the stands.  Team areas in the stands will still be designated on a first-come, first-served basis, based on order of registration.  So get those team registrations in, if you haven't yet done so!

2) Food/coolers.  A service organization has the contract for all food concessions at the stadium, and people are generally not allowed to bring in their own food.  Thanks to the expert negotiating skills of Qwest's Dean Hirabayashi, however, teams can bring in coolers with sustenance for their athletes only.  Friends, family, and wildlife who attend will be encouraged to visit the well-stocked snack stands.  If your team has specific requests for food items they'd like to purchase at the snack stands, please let us know - we'll see what we can do.

3) Spikes.  No spikes are allowed on the Astroturf, so please ask your athletes to warm up in the unused discus area behind the north stands, or in the pole vault area northeast of the track.  We will ask nicely first, then get progressively more pointed in our requests that you and your teams observe this commandment.

4) Party tunes.  In a break with the tradition of recent years, we will be dancing to the tunes of a DJ this year rather than a live band.  For those of you kept up to date by a USCAA Board member, you will know that we've made this decision for several reasons. First, we recognize that bands are more limited in the type and genre of music than can possibly accommodate the tastes of all our athletes, and bands in recent years have not been universally appealing to the diverse populations of our teams.  To provide music that nearly everyone can find enjoyable, a DJ seemed the right choice. In that vein, if there are specific tunes your team would like to hear, please let us know specific song titles/recording artists so we can get them on the play list.   Second, money.  Many of you may not realize that the USCAA typically loses several thousand dollars on the party every year.  While in years past our sponsorship levels allowed us to provide this subsidy, financial times are much, much tighter and we simply can't afford it any longer. We need to break even on the party.  Bands in the Seattle region were way out of our price range, except for an accordion/kazoo duo, so in the interests of financial solvency, a DJ offered a great solution.  If you can keep an open mind and give us the benefit of the doubt, we are confident that a good time will be had by all - so please give us your support by talking up the party and encouraging your teammates to give the party their usual fervor.

That wraps up this first briefing.  If you have any feedback, questions, etc., be sure to let us know.  We want this year's Nationals to continue the tradition of excellence, and will do whatever we can to provide the quality we've all come to expect.

Happy training.  Andrea Austin, on behalf of the USCAA NIT.