There won't be an outdoor season, or at least as we planned for, but that won't stop us from listing off the top ten meets we are going to miss the most.
10. University of Richmond's Fred Hardy Invitational
UR just resurfaced their track and for the first time in over a decade was going to allow high school events at their season opening meet. Take a look at their new track and you'll know exactly why we miss this one.
9. Opening Weekend Polar Bear Meets
C'mon who doesn't love those mid-March meets that are either snowing or raining... really no in between. They are usually cold but also a lot of fun. The hardest part for us is always remembering which event comes next after being stuck in indoor mode for so long.
8. Lake Braddock H.O.F.
The Lake Braddock Hall of Fame meet is a staple for the NOVA crews. Some of the fastest distance times ever run in the state were run there. Not to forget they also inducted athletes into their hall of fame at this meet and that meant each year there being some pretty big name athletes/coaches/supporters which just raised the level of the meet even more.
7. Milestat Elite Track Classic
It was coming back this year and of course it was our luck that COVID hit. This meet should be back again in 2021 so be on the lookout the final weekend in April.
6. William & Mary Invitational
Ok, here we are a little biased. This meet was awesome because it was just a few high school races and events spaced into a college meet. That allowed us (MileStat) to cover the high school races with video, interviews, and photos and also actually enjoy the meet. Plus with cool restaurants right across the street and W&M's historic looking campus this meet was a nice meet to cover every year.
5. State Championships
Kinda goes without saying... Though these aren't technically invitationals, they still have to be mentioned.
4. Lee-Davis Invitational
The largest meet in the state actually held at a high school is the Lee-Davis Invitational which highlights action from around the Richmond area plus some hurdlers from Western Branch. Year after year this meet brought great competition together for a nice long Saturday. Recently though they have had the 200's and some distance races on Friday night making it a two-day meet... who are we kidding though, this meet has always been the size of a two-day meet just some years it was only held on one day.
3. Cosmopolitan Invitational
The largest meet in SW Virginia and the only meet with elite middle school competition at the center of it. This meet was a staple for all SW schools and schools up and down interstate 81. Name one other meet that would have trials for the middle school 1600... this meet was a beast and a blast to cover.
2. The Southern Track Classic
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum is the Southern Track Classic. This meet annually has produced more state leading and national leading times than any other meet in the state of Virginia. The best part about it though is that it is a meet of just single-section finals. This meet is for the big dogs and those ready for competition under the lights.
1. Dogwood track Classic
These past few years of Dogwood have been a resurgence of this meet and hopefully just a taste of what is to come. We've had epic 800s, multiple state records, and a whole lot of great performances in between. This meet is the largest single meet in VA outdoors and also the one producing the best times. Put it all in the beautiful campus (grounds) of UVA and you got yourself the number one meet we are missing this year.
The best part of all of this is these meets will be back and so will our coverage of them.