One of the most significant track meets in Kansas history, both professional and high school, is coming to Leavenworth, Kansas on Saturday, May 1, 2021.
Trials of Miles is hosting the Kansas City Qualifier at the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, a meet that is designed to help national and world-class athletes achieve both Olympic qualifying standards and Olympic Trials qualifying standards. Like the Texas Qualifier hosted by Trials of Miles in late February, the meet will be live streamed for free to a national audience and draw some of the best professional runners in America and the world, potentially including Olympians and World Championships competitors and medalists.
It will also include four high school events for both boys and girls, three of which are the 1600m, 2000m steeplechase, and 100m/110m high hurdles.
It is the fourth high school event that will be historic.
Working in conjunction with the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), Trials of Miles has received approval to include a national elite high school mile race for both boys and girls that will have no geographic limitations outside of Kansas on who can attend, including athletes beyond the 500-mile restriction contained in Article XIV of the KSHSAA bylaws.
The invitational elite high school mile races should be among the best high school fields in the country this season. Trials of Miles is in contact with the fastest high school milers in the country regarding participation.
Because no Kansas athletes will participate in the invitational mile races, the 500-mile geographic limitation does not apply to that race, opening up the field to anyone in the country who is eligible under their state association rules to participate. The 500-mile restriction will apply to the remaining events (1600m, 2,000m steeplechase and 100mH/110mH), in which Kansas athletes may compete, as well as all others within the 500-mile zone. The 1600m is being run for those athletes so that it is a different event than the elite invitational mile, ensuring that the results can't be combined.
Meet information and event schedules can be found here: Trials of Miles Kansas City Qualifier
To illustrate the possible level of competition, here are the winners of the Olympic Qualifier races from the Trials of Miles Texas Qualifier in February:
WOMEN
10,000m Konstanze Klosterhalfen 31:01.71 (German National Record)
5,000m Elle Purrier 15:08.61
1500m Gabriel DeBues-Stafford 4:10.09
800m Ajee Wilson 1:58.93
MEN
10,000m Zouhair Talbi 28:12.41
5,000m Mason Ferlic 13:25.92
1500m Justyn Knight 3:36.62
800m Isaiah Harris 1:46.19
Full results of all races at the Texas Qualifier can be found here: Texas Qualifier Full Results
While fields for the Kansas City Qualifier are still being developed, it will be a historic opportunity for Kansas high school athletes to participate in the same meet with professional and world class athletes, as well as the best high school milers in the nation.
Qualifying standards and field sizes for the high school events are as follows:
1600
Boys - 4:30
Girls - 5:20
Field Size: 32 fastest under the standard (two heats of 16)
2,000m Steeplechase
Boys - 4:30 1600 or 9:45 3200
Girls - 5:20 1600 or 11:20 3200
Field Size: 36 fastest under the standards (two heats of 18)
Hurdles
Boys - 16.03 110mH
Girls - 15.95 100mH
Field Size: 32 fastest under the standard (four prelims of 8)
Decisions concerning spectator attendance are pending. The meet will be live-streamed on the Citius Mag YouTube channel here: Citius Mag YouTube Channel. Videos of the Texas Qualifier are available at the same link.
The deadline for application for the 1600m, 2000m steeplechase and 100H/110H races is April 19, 2021 at 5:00pm Central time. Accepted entries will be notified as shortly thereafter as possible. Please complete the information on this form to apply for entry in those high school races: Kansas City Qualifier High School Races Application
Questions concerning high school entries for all races, including the elite invitational, can be directed to the high school elite athlete coordinator, Rod Murrow, at rmurrow@sjakeepingfaith.org. Please include "Trials of Miles" in the subject line.