All four Montana high school classifications utilized track and field qualifying standards for the first time in 2016.
Classes AA and A have used qualifying standards for some time now, but Class B began using them in 2015 and Class C first used them during the 2016 season. All four classes made some minor adjustments to 2016’s standards to determine the standards for the 2017 season.
The 2018 standards, though, are unchanged from 2017.
But one thing did change for 2018. The Montana High School Association executive board approved an amendment that allows individual districts to forego district meets and directly enter the divisional meet. Thus, Districts 6B and 7B will not hold district meets this spring, instead advancing qualifying athletes directly to the Western B divisional meet.
Qualifying standards, which vary from class to class, allow athletes to secure berths at their respective state meets during the regular season. If an athlete meets or exceeds the qualifying mark in a specific event at an eligible meet, they can automatically enter that event at the state meet, regardless of their placing at the district and/or divisional meets. Eligible meets require fully automatic timing for track events. All field events are considered.
Below are the qualifying standards for boys and girls in each class in each event:
100
Boys: AA – 11.3; A – 11.4; B –11.6; C – 11.43
Girls: AA – 13.0; A – 13.2; B – 13.3; C – 13.07
200
Boys: AA – 22.8; A – 23.3; B – 23.3; C – 22.98
Girls: AA – 26.7; A – 27.0; B – 27.2; C – 26.69
400
Boys: AA – 51.2; A – 51.7; B – 52.0; C – 51.53
Girls: AA – 1:01.01; A – 1:01.50; B – 1:02.00; C – 1:00.90
800
Boys: AA – 2:01.00; A – 2:02.00; B – 2:02.00; C – 2:02.01
Girls: AA – 2:24.00; A – 2:27.00; B – 2:26.00; C – 2:24.64
1,600
Boys: AA – 4:34.00; A – 4:38.00; B – 4:42.00; C – 4:40.10
Girls: AA – 5:23.00; A – 5:31.00; B – 5:33.00; C – 5:29.38
3,200
Boys: AA – 9:55.00; A – 10:15.00; B – 10:27.00; C – 10:27.58
Girls: AA – 11:56.00; A – 12:13.00; B – 12:21.00; C – 12:04.33
100/110 hurdles
Boys: AA – 15.7; A – 16.2; B – 16.3; C – 15.85
Girls: AA – 16.3; A – 16.4; B – 16.6; C – 16.59
300 hurdles
Boys: AA – 41.5; A – 41.8; B – 42.0; C – 41.59
Girls: AA – 48.0; A – 48.5; B – 48.6; C – 48.52
400 relay*
Boys: AA – 45.8; A – 44.8; B – 45.0; C – 45.45
Girls: AA – 52.8; A – 51.8; B – 52.2; C – 52.59
1,600 relay*
Boys: AA – 3:42.00; A – 3:34.00; B – 3:34.00; C – 3:35.04
Girls: AA – 4:25.00; A – 4:14.00; B – 4:19.00; C – 4:16.87
Long jump
Boys: AA – 20-09; A – 20-05; B – 20-01; C – 20-03
Girls: AA – 16-06; A – 15-10; B – 15-08; C – 15-10 ½
Triple jump
Boys: AA – 42-03; A – 41-08; B – 41-01; C – 41-11
Girls: AA – 34-00; A – 33-06; B – 33-08; C – 33-08 ½
High jump
Boys: AA – 6-03; A – 6-00; B – 6-00; C – 6-00
Girls: AA – 5-01; A – 5-00; B – 4-10: C – 5-00
Pole vault
Boys: AA – 13-06; A – 13-00; B – 12-00; C – 12-00
Girls: AA – 10-00; A – 9-06; B – 9-00; C – 8-06
Shot put
Boys: AA – 48-06; A – 46-06; B – 46-10; C – 45-07 ¾
Girls: AA – 35-03; A – 34-10; B – 34-11; C – 35-01 ¾
Discus
Boys: AA – 148-00; A – 142-00; B – 136-00; C – 135-05
Girls: AA – 113-00; A – 108-00; B – 108-00; C – 106-09
Javelin
Boys: AA – 170-00; A – 166-00; B – 165-00; C – 163-04
Girls: AA – 115-00; A – 115-00; B – 116-00; C – 116-01
*Provisional time in Class AA. Per the Montana High School Association handbook, “All Class AA relay teams will advance to the state meet if they attain a provisional time at the divisional (meet).”
