Kentucky Invitational Entries

On Monday, February 16 all remaining on-time and paid entries will be processed. Based upon previously processed on-time entries, we have a nearly full meet.

Since I departed Lexington early Thursday morning for an out-of-state track competition, final processing could not take place until I returned. When I returned on Sunday, I discovered a substantial number of late entries and notices of entry packets requiring a signature to be pick-up at the post office.

After all on-time and paid entries are processed, I will review late entries to determine if there are any individual entries or small group entries that can be used to fill the competition fields in events in which we may not have full fields. That review process along with scratches and substitutions will continue through final declarations on Wednesday. A large team entry which arrived late will not be accepted. I don’t want to displace any on-time entries and I do not want to be put in a situation of selecting individual entries from a large group and then spending a couple of days determining if it’s worth it for the coach and selected individual athletes to travel to the meet. I also do not want to recalculate entry fees, cash large team entry fee checks, and then issue reimbursement checks. Entries arriving Thursday will be reviewed first. Based upon the number of entry packets arriving on Thursday l doubt that we will have room for any entries arriving after Thursday.

I regret we cannot accommodate everyone who is interested in competing in our meet. However, the only way I can be fair is to do what we said we were going to do regarding entries in the original meet information -- (i.e.) late entries, faxed or emailed entries, entries requiring a signature for delivery, entries submitted without entry fees, or middle school age athletes would not be accepted.

The meet is an “invitational” competition, rather than an open or all-comers meet. We restrict entries as part of the invitational format and athletes, parents and teams rely on our invitational format time schedule to make their post meet travel plans. It would be unfair to those people with travel plans to expand the competition fields and the time schedule to accommodate the large number of entries arriving late.

Thursday (Feb 12) entries will be opened to determine if we can fill competitive fields with individual entries. Other late entries will be returned. Entries requiring a signature for delivery will not be retrieved from the post office and I assume the post office will return the packet to the sender.

I truly regret I am not able to accommodate everyone, and the only way to be fair is to do what we originally said we were going to do. If you are not accepted into the meet, please do not call or email either me or Jim Kaiser to plead your case. I assure you I understand your situation, as desperate as it might seem, but we are going to make our best effort to put on the best meet possible and we are going to be fair.

Don Weber

The updated entry lists will be posted no later than 3pm Monday