True team competition in track and field is an event that lives up to its name.In order to be successful, like the Luverne High School boys were by finishing third at the Class A meet in Blaine Saturday, it takes a complete team effort.Unlike run-of-the-mill meets, where points are awarded to individuals and relays based on placing in the top eight or better, everyone scores in true team competition.The teams are allowed to enter two athletes in each individual event, and one relay team in each race. Points are awarded based on how the individuals and relay teams fare against the field.If there are 18 athletes in an individual event, the event champion earns 18 points for the team. The athlete who places second scores 17 points, and so on down to the runner finishing 18th, who would record one point.The scoring for relay teams is based on increments of three. If there are nine teams entered in a relay, the winning squad tallies 27 points for the team. The relay that places ninth contributes three points to the team effort.According to LHS coach Craig Nelson, true team competition is the best way to judge the greatness of the team."True team competition started in 1987 by a group of track coaches who didn’t think awarding a team championship during the state meet was quite right," Nelson said."The coaches realized one individual could win a title for a team at the state meet, and they didn’t feel right about that. The true team concept boils down to team competition, and it gives you an opportunity to prove which team truly is the best team in the state."The LHS boys can take pride in the fact that they are one of the best teams in the state. The Cardinals missed placing second in Class A by one point, and finished 13 1/5 points shy of winning the team championship.The best thing about true team competition is the scoring system, which requires every athlete to contribute. Every team has its standout athletes that can carry a team to success in regular meets, but it’s the athletes who sometimes fly under the radar screen who can make all the difference in true team competition."Here in Minnesota, where we have two classes in track, it’s tough to qualify for the state meet," Nelson said. "True team gives an opportunity for some kids who wouldn’t qualify individually to compete at a state meet as a part of a team."Nelson had a hunch Luverne would fare well in the Class A field, and they did Saturday. A third-place finish is a strong effort, especially after a disappointing second-place finish in section competition in 2004."We were disappointed that we didn’t make it to state in true team last year. We thought we had a good chance to get there, but we didn’t because we made some mistakes at the section meet. We thought we had a legitimate chance to get to state and do well there this year, and our goals were realized Saturday," he said.
