By Greg Riddle
15:25 August 28, 2020 CDT – Updated at 15:31 on August 28, 2020 CDT
The first cross-country assembly at high school with COVID-19 rules took place in Dallas rule on Thursday and Friday. Kaufman’s run with The Lions assembly looked nothing like an outdoor festival, which is what non-pandemic assemblies look like due to the large number of athletes.
With only 8 full groups allowed to compete at once (two more schools can participate in a race if they don’t have more than 3 runners), it seemed like more of a district meeting. But here, the runners had to wait on their bus and they might not take the tour to warm up until all the athletes competing before they had left the festival site.
They are nothing like the encounters of the past, but the runners, coaches and enthusiasts adapted to the coronavirus mandates that UIL put in position for the 2020 season, and the first two days of the three-day occasion went smoothly.
“There were a lot of nerves in that. You have to do it right, especially being one of the first,” Kaufman’s coach Denver Stone said Friday. “When it comes to COVID protocols, everyone has done a wonderful job. A hand sanitizer available, the groups were spaced. Our field is at least 10 feet wide everywhere. It can accommodate twice as much.
Only UIL schools with 4A elegance and minors can participate at this time. Classes 6A and 5A schools can begin meetings on September 7, and TAPPS schools can participate in meetings that begin on September 10. The Southwest Preparatory Conference has canceled all fall sports for its personal schools.
Athletes and coaches should wear a mask whenever they were near the starting line, the finish line, or members of other Kaufman Sports Park schools. Runners were only to succeed on the starting line 10 minutes before the race, and once there, they were placed in boxes 18 feet deep and 6 feet sideways for a social distance.
“I did it almost like a parking lot [between the boxes], ” said Stone.
The course is marked! Tomorrow begins the thirteenth annual race of @KaufmanISD with the XC Invitational Lions. We have 27 other schools that will participate on the occasion of 3 days and 6 flights. We look forward to see all athletes compete in uiltexas @TXMileSplit @TexasXCCoaches pic.twitter.com/NdMW3nZKsL