The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Track & Field State Final hosting contract at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston at their regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA offices in Bloomington on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

The contract extension, which will keep the Girls and Boys State Final Meets at O’Brien Field for an additional five years, runs from 2018 through 2022.

“Eastern Illinois is excited to continue to serve as the host for the IHSA Boy’s and Girl’s State Track & Field Championships,” said EIU Athletic Director Tom Michael. “This state championship has been a vital part of the community for more than 40 years. This is a great way to show off Eastern Illinois University to thousands of people for two great weekends of competition. In partnership with other units on campus, EIU Athletics looks forward to continuing this long-standing May event at O’Brien Field.”

O’Brien Field first hosted the boys’ state meet in 1972, due to a scheduling conflict at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium. The meet returned to Memorial Stadium in Champaign in 1973, before EIU took it on again in 1974, where it has remained ever since. EIU is also the only home the girls’ state meet has ever known, as it debuted there with the inaugural finals in 1973.

“Eastern Illinois University is synonymous with Illinois high school track & field,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We enjoy a great partnership with EIU and the surrounding communities of Charleston and Mattoon. They provide amazing support for the event, and we are proud that another generation of IHSA track & field student-athletes wills strive to compete at O’Brien Field on the final weekend of the season.”


ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to reemploy the Associate Executive Director, Assistant Executive Directors and Executive Assistant.

2. The Board approved a recommendation to authorize the Executive Director to appoint member school Athletic Directors to serve as Tellers for IHSA Nominations, Elections and Proposals during the 2017-18 school year.

3. The Board approved a recommendation to begin a search for an Assistant Executive Director position. More details and an official job description will be posted publicly in the coming months.

4. The Board voted not to approve a proposal to set fixed numbers to determine classification cutoffs in four-class sports. The proposal came from an ad hoc committee reviewing IHSA Policy 17. The Board asked the ad hoc committee to continue its work.

5. The Board voted not to approve a request from the Noble Network in Chicago to be a separate district supporting 10 of more high schools per By-law 1.240.


APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a water polo equipment exemption. The equipment is not allowable per the NFHS Water Polo Rules Book.

2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Sterling (Newman Central Catholic). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.042.

3. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Chicago (St. Patrick). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.

4. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Chicago (St. Patrick). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.


DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the April 18, 2017, agenda:

1. The Board discussed state final attendance at the recent IHSA Boys Basketball State Final tournament.

2. The Executive Director gave a report on the Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sports conference that was held in Kansas City on March 8-9.

3. The Executive Director provided an update on the upcoming IHSA Road Race.

4. The Executive Director provided an update on the modification of IHSA State Final trophies.