There is always conversation around the UIL the using double point scoring system for relays at the state meet.
Does it give sprints and explosive events and advantage? Yes.
Does it help them win state? Yes.
Is it fair? Maybe not.
Many people disagree with the UIL on this and I used to be one of them, but my mind has been changed.
As we've seen since the introduction of the Area Championship round, it is incredibly difficult to get the sprint relays through three qualifying rounds to be able to compete at the state meet. That means getting a quartet of girls and boys to have good hand offs, good health, and good enough performances on the same day.
Ask the 2022 Katy Seven Lakes girls and Fort Bend Marshall boys and see what they say. While you're at it, ask the 2023 Shadow Creek girls and Klein Forest boys for their opinion. All four of those teams either had the fastest 4x100 relay or 4x200 relay times in the entire state of Texas heading into the week of district championships, but they weren't fortunate enough to make it through to the State meet.
It's not just the pressure on top seeds, but the margin for error is slim for every relay team looking to make it to the state meet. This year, the Katy Tompkins boys had the top 4x100 relay in their district and one of the top times in Region 3-6A with their 41.20. However, they didn't make it out of districts due to exchange zone issues.
The Woodlands College Park boys ran 40.40 this year, but keeping all four runners healthy enough to race at the Area Championships was an issue. This year, Klein Forest had the fastest 4x200 relay in the country at 1:23.73 and Fort Bend Marshall had the second fastest time in the country with a 1:24.01. Even both teams had situations that kept them from qualifying for this weekend's state meet.
It's not just the 4x100 and 4x200 relays where teams have issues advancing through three qualifying rounds. The 4x400 relay event sees it's fair share of top teams being disposed through the qualifying rounds.
In theory, the top nine in each event are supposed to be represented at the state meet. However, three top 10 boys 4x400 relays will not compete in Austin. The fifth best performance in the state belongs to Mansfield Lake Ridge at 3:14.72 (2nd fastest in Region 2-6A), the seventh fastest team in the state Fort Bend Hightower at 3:15.08 (No. 2 in Region 3-6A), the eighth fastest team Duncanville at 3:15.23 were all able to qualify for the regional finals, but were not able to advance to this weekend's state meet.
Competing in individual events is difficult to make it through three rounds. However, I don't think it is as difficult for a number one seeded individual to make it through as it is for four, eight, or twelve athletes to advance.
It may be easy to get four girls or boys to run three sprint relays, but it is just as hard to get them to make it to state and then to finish top three for double point scoring.
Advancing a relay team to the state meet is an extremely difficult in the Texas UIL league. Making it onto the podium when you get there just might be the hardest thing in high school sports and worth the double points.