Athletes under the age of 11 will be held by officials following their events to wait for their parents or guardians. Parents/guardians should meet their athletes immediately following their events. Athletes in running events on the track and jumping events in the main stadium should be met in the recovery area near the finish line. Athletes in throwing events can be met in the Athlete tent adjacent to the spectator area near the throwing events just west of the warm-up track. Athletes must identify their parents/guardians to the event official. Any concerns or special circumstances related to re-unification with parents/guardians should be addressed to Meet Management before the athlete checks in for the event. Athletes age 11 and older will be allowed to leave the competition area and find their parents/guardians. Go to Top
National Championship Medals will be awarded for first through eighth place in each event. Presentations will be made up to 90 minutes after the event is completed in the awards area.
Earning a national medal is an amazing accomplishment! As such, USATF and the organizing committee will recognize all award recipients in a formal ceremony (up to 90 minutes after the conclusion of each event). We encourage athletes, parents and coaches to schedule their return flights to accommodate the ceremonies. Medals will not be distributed in advance of an event ceremony. Instructions for requesting a medal to be mailed will be provided on site. The 2017 USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships Awards Stage will be inside Sports Pavilion Lawrence. Spikes are not allowed in the Awards area. Coolers are not allowed in the Awards area. The awards presentation area can be located indoors at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, located across the parking lot northeast of the track. There is only enough seating in the Awards area for the families of participants receiving awards. Please enjoy your time in the Awards area, but understand that space is limited, so there is no seating or camping allowed in this area. Go to Top
Athletes must check in at this designated area 45 minutes prior to the event’s scheduled starting time. All athletes will be required to remain in the designated warm-up areas after check-in. Refer to the venue map to locate this area. The check-in and clerking area for the running events will be located inside the fenced area on the back side of the west stands. The check-in and clerking area for the field events will be located at the north end of the track near the hammer/discus cage. Go to Top
Rock Chalk Park and the Stadium Box Office will open to the public daily (July 24-30) at 6:30 a.m. The Box Office will close at the start of the last event each day, and the stadium will close at the conclusion of each day’s practice session (90 minutes after the conclusion of the final event on the track). Exception on Tuesday due to Opening Ceremonies. The stadium will open on Sunday, July 23, for an open practice session from 8 a.m. until noon, then re-open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Prohibited items include glass bottles, alcohol, grills or portable cooking units, lawn chairs, pets/animals and weapons. Rock Chalk Park and Sports Pavilion Lawrence is a non-smoking area. No amplified sound. Only personal-sized coolers are permitted within the facility. No coolers larger than 50 quarts will be allowed into the stadium, but will be permitted in the tented areas. All bags, coolers, tents and other items brought into Rock Chalk Park are subject to search.
No tents will be allowed in the stands. Designated tent areas inside the stadium will be allowed in the softball and soccer seating areas and the fenced area north of the throws area. Please refer to site map. Tent frames may be left up, but all canopies must be removed at the end of competition. Tents with canopies left overnight will be removed. Tents may only be set-up or retrieved during hours that the Rock Chalk Park is open to the public. EVENT STAFF WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RETRIEVING YOUR TENT AFTER HOURS.
Event parking is available on site and parking for the attendees is free. Team Bus & RV parking is available in designated areas, south of Rock Chalk Park. Please refer to site map for detailed information. Electrical and water connections for RV use are not available. NO OVERNIGHT PARKING IS PERMITTED.
Please be aware of any and all loose items in the stand, including cell phones, wallets, bib numbers and other objects that might fall under the stands. If you lose an item, please report it to the Lost and Found desk located in packet pick-up.
The primary entry to Rock Chalk Park will be from the East. The only access to the stadium is on the south side.
The 2017 USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships Awards Stage will be inside Sports Pavilion Lawrence. Spikes are not allowed in the Awards area. Coolers are not allowed in the Awards area. There is only enough seating in the Awards area for the families of participants receiving awards. Please enjoy your time in the Awards area, but understand that space is limited, so there is no seating or camping allowed in this area.
Please see the Championship website or http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2017/USATF-National-Junior-Olympic-Track---Field-C.aspx for a current venue layout and diagram of Rock Chalk Stadium.
POLE VAULT WEIGH IN ROOM OPEN TIMES: Monday, July 24: 11:00am-3:00pm Tuesday, July 25: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm Wednesday, July 26: 7:00 am-3:00 pm Thursday, July 27: 7:00 am-3:00 pm Friday, July 28: 7:00 am-3:00 pm Saturday, July 29: 7:00 am-2:00 pm Sunday, July 30: 7:00 am- 9:00 am. Make sure ALL poles and carry tubes are marked with name of vaulter or Club. Once poles are approved and impounded, the vaulter, coach, aide, needs to only report to the Weigh-in room about 1:15 from start of the event to carry poles to venue. At arrival to competition venue , vaulters will be directed as to what pit they are assigned to.
Two pits will be used in the high jump and pole vault. Athletes are seeded off of their Regional performance.
Refer to USATF Rule 302.5(n). All competitors must provide their own vaulting poles. Participants in the Pole Vault competition will be weighed; all poles will be inspected for manufacturers’ pole ratings and the maximum top hand hold position as determined by the manufacturer. The competitors’ weights must be at or below the manufacturers’ pole ratings. NO EXCEPTIONS. Poles will be impounded at the time of inspection, at the warm-up area for the event. Meet management will not be responsible for any pole that is shipped to or impounded at the meet without a hard protective case. Athletes may ship vaulting poles directly to Rock Chalk Park: Rock Chalk Park 6100 Rock Chalk Drive Lawrence, KS 66 Attn: Athletic Facilities *Shipping Note: In order to ensure that the poles can be located for the competition, the container must be clearly labeled with the athlete’s name, age, gender and event day. Shipments should be scheduled to arrive no earlier than Monday, July 17. There will NOT be poles available to rent on site. Go to Top
Meet management will provide batons for the relays and implements for the throwing events (shot, hammer, discus, javelin). Participants must use the implements provided for competition. Personal implements will not be allowed in the throwing events.
Athlete medical services will be coordinated by the University of Kansas Medical Center and EMTs will be on site to address injuries and other medical issues.
The Opening Ceremony will be Tuesday, July 25, at 7:00 p.m., at Rock Chalk Park. Please check back for more details.
Lawrence has two high school and three middle school tracks available for public use*. These tracks are: Free State High School 4700 Overland Drive Located 2 miles from Rock Chalk Park West Middle School 2700 Harvard Road Located 4 miles from Rock Chalk Park Southwest Middle School 2511 Inverness Drive Located 5 miles from Rock Chalk Park Lawrence High School 1901 Louisiana Street Located 7 miles from Rock Chalk Park South Middle School 2734 Louisiana Street Located 8 miles from Rock Chalk Park *These tracks occasionally rented out for special events. Please check the online version of this travel passport for updates on track availability. Go to Top
The competition facilities will be available for evening practice for up to 90 minutes after the last contested event, between the dates of Monday, July 25, to Saturday, July 30. Start times for evening practice are contingent upon the last scheduled event of the daily competition. If the daily schedule runs longer than scheduled, coaches and parents understand that they CANNOT use the facility while competition is being held. Meet Management reserves the right to revoke practice facility privileges as they see fit. Coaches and parents are responsible for ensuring that all trash is cleaned up. Additionally, an open practice in the stadium will be available on Sunday, July 23, from 8 a.m. until noon and 4-7 p.m.
Protests are $100. Appeals are $100. Protests fees are non-refundable unless protest is upheld. Protests must be made no later than 30 minutes after the announcement and posting of the results. Refer to rule 146.
Meet Management will sell the throws implements at the conclusion of each field event. Those who are interested in purchasing these implements can provide contact information at Packet Pick-up. Go to Top
A maximum of 7mm spike length may be used for all events with the exception of the high jump and javelin. Participants in the high jump and javelin may use spikes up to 9mm in length (pyramid spikes only; no needles or Christmas trees). The maximum spike length allowed for running events and field events is listed below.
1/4” pyramid
Athletes will have two warm-up areas to choose from: the outfield of the softball field, just northeast of the track, and the soccer field to the east. Both warm-up areas will be available for athletes’ use during stadium hours. There will be no warm-up facilities for field events. Please familiarize yourself with the warm-up area policies and share them with your athletes. 1) General Warm-Up Only 2) No Spikes 3) No Hurdles in Soccer Field 4) No Starting Blocks 5) No Camping 6) If circumstances warrant, the Event Organizer reserves the right to close soccer field for athletes’ warm-up. 7) The Softball Outfield will be available during the entire Junior Olympics for athletes to warm-up. Parents/Coaches will not be allowed to access the final warm-up/check-in location.
Lawrence is typically dry and hot during the summer months. Temperatures can reach the 100s at times, so athletes, coaches, officials and attendees are encouraged to stay hydrated and take the appropriate measures to reduce exposure to the sun and heat. Chances of rain or thunderstorms is very small during the summer months. However, in the event of inclement weather or a disaster of any kind, as it is determined by USATF, Meet Management, local law enforcement and Douglas County Fire & Medical, the following plan has been established should it be necessary to evacuate Rock Chalk Park: All athletes that have checked in for competition will be escorted inside of the track offices located inside the east bleachers by competition officials. All meet and championship officials will also be directed to the Meet Management offices located in Rock Chalk Park. All fans, patrons, and non-competing athletes will be directed to return to their vehicles or inside Sports Pavilion Lawrence. Rock Chalk Park will adhere to the university’s lightning policy, and all inclement weather possibilities will be closely monitored by Meet Management. Meet Management will update all participants and spectators by loudspeaker, internet and Twitter updates. Go to Top