Welcome to Arkansas Track Official's Web Site

Welcome to ArkansasTrackOfficials.com. The purpose of this web site is to provide current officials with information for:

  • Current Events
  • Future Events
  • USATF and NCAA Links
To all other visitors, we hope you find this site very informative. If you are interested in becoming an official please contact us.

:: Announcements ::

NCAA Indoors News
Dear Officials,

The NCAA Meet is just around the corner. Here are some things that I want to remind you about. Please be sure and read through all of these:
  1. Officials' Dinner & Meeting - Thursday - 6:15 pm - Bud Walton Arena (South concourse) - We will distribute gifts, credentials, as well as introduce lead officials and give crews a chance to get together before the meet starts.
  2. Assignments - There are often assignment changes! I have attached revised assignment rosters.
  3. Attendance - If you are not going to be able to be available for all of your assigned duties, please let me know as soon as possible. I need to be able to let your crew chief when you will be available. This includes being available for your assignment during the combined events!
  4. Meet Schedule - Please note that events start at 9:00 am on Friday and 11:00 am on Saturday. The combined events are a part of each crew's responsibilities.
  5. Emergencies - If an emergency arises and you can't make your assignment, let me know as soon as you can.
  6. Officials' Pool - If you are listed in the pool, check with Whit or Helen when you check in and they will let you know where help is needed. When you complete your assigned responsibility, please be available to help out in other areas.
  7. Parking - Parking will be as usual: Lot 73A for Walker Pavilion and the Shaver lot west of the track for the Tyson Center.
We're looking forward to a great meet! I'll see you on Thursday.

Mike Armstrong
NCAA Indoors News
Dear Officials,

Great job at the Tyson Invitational! It was a huge meet with some outstanding performances on both the college and professional level. You handled it all with great professionalism. One last note on that meet: I have been told that there are John McDonnell bobble-heads for those who worked that meet. We should be able to give them to you at the officials dinner on March 9.

Next up is the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10-11. Here are some notes in preparation for that meet:
  1. There will be a mandatory officials dinner at 6:15 pm on Thursday, March 9. We will receive our meet credentials, gifts, and how our crew meetings at that time. Please put it in your schedule now. It will be held on the south concourse of Bud Walton Arena.
  2. I have also attached the assignments for the meet. Please look it over carefully because, again, some might be working in different spots as we work to have sufficient crews in every area.
  3. If you are not on the list, it is because I don't have a confirmation from you that you are available. If I haven't heard from you, you aren't on the list! If you are going to be available, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
  4. If you have indicated to me that you are only available for one day of the meet, I have put you in a pool of officials. That means that when you get there, you need to check with Whit and he will let you know where we need help.
  5. I have attached a meet schedule. Please note that Friday's events start that morning. You are responsible to work both the open events and the combined events! It is important that we have our full crews available for those events. If you can't get free for the events during the day, please let me know so that your spot can be covered.
  6. Horizontal jump crews: Because of the usual schedule conflicts for this meet, the women's crew will work the men's heptathlon long jump and the men's crew will work the women's pentathlon long jump. The women's pentathlon long jump will take place on the men's venue.
  7. Parking will be like it was for the Tyson Invitational: Lot 73A for Walker Pavilion and the Shaver lot for the Tyson Complex.
  8. Uniform for the meet will be our usual: navy blue blazer, white shirt, blue tie, khaki slacks or skirt, no hat, and comfortable shoes.
That is all I can think of at this time. Let me know if you have any questions. You should be receiving most of this information again from the UofA within the next few days.
Tyson Invitational News
Dear Officials,

Here is some information on this weekend's Tyson Invitational. Attached you will find an updated meet schedule and an updated assignments for officials. Please look it over carefully, as there have been some changes! We have had to move some people around to cover all of our needs. Thank you in advance for being flexible! This is why we do our clinics, so you can be prepared to work where needed. Also, if you are free at some point (your event is over or your event isn't until later), always check with Whit Hensman at the check-in table. He can help you find a place where there is a need!

Notice that the events start Friday morning. We need as many as possible there during the day.

You can find changes and more information at one of these websites:
  • www.arkansastrackofficials.com - We will post updated schedules, rosters, etc. as needed
  • www.flashresults.com/arkansas - They will have updated schedules, as well as submitted entries, starting lists, etc.
  • www.tysoninvitational.org - The site for the professional portion of the meet.
Please be at the field events an hour ahead of time (90 minutes if possible in the vault) and at 30 minutes ahead of time for the running events. Most field events will have both "college" and "championship" competitions. We will be running two high jump pits and all the high jumps are on Saturday. So high jump officials are welcome to help out somewhere else on Friday! All of the throwing events - shot put and weight throw - will be held in the Walker Pavilion.

Parking: For those working at the Tyson track, park in Shaver's Food lot, across the street (west) from the track. For those working at Walker Pavilion, park in the lot across Razorback Rd., west of the Pavilion. I think it is lot 73A.

Uniform for the meet will be our usual: navy blue blazer, white shirt, blue tie, khaki slacks or skirt. We have been asked not to wear "non-adidas" apparel(including shoes) - especially for the televised portion of the meet on Friday night. If possible, wear dress shoes on Friday night. If your feet won't handle that, wear adidas or try to cover the logo. I appreciate your cooperation on this.

Because there are just a few events with smaller fields during the professional portion of the meet on Friday night, we won't need everyone to work at that time. If your name has an asterisk beside it, you will officiate on Friday night. The other officials will be able to get in to the meet through the door by the officials' check-in table. I wish there was room for everyone to work but it wasn't possible. Clerks - I didn't know who many you needed for Friday night, so I didn't make any selections. You can figure that out on Friday. You are out of view of the television cameras, so you can use as many as you need.

Regarding the NCAA Championships: I am finalizing the officials' roster now. Please let me know (as soon as possible) if you are not going to be available for that meet or if you are only going to be available for one day of that meet.

Let me know if you have any questions.

See you Friday,
Mike Armstrong
Tyson Invitational News
Dear Officials,

Please read this carefully. There is some important information on the Tyson Invitational. Let me know if you have any questions or if I forget to include something!

Attached you will find: a tentative meet schedule and an officials' assignment roster. If you have problems with the documents, let me know.

Some of you will be working in different spots. Thanks for being flexible! If you are not on the roster but are going to be there, let me know. If you are on the roster but aren't going to be able to be there, let me know. If you are only going to be there for one day (and the roster doesn't show that), let me know. I have no doubt that the schedule will change to some extent as the official numbers come in. You can find those changes, and more information, at one of these websites:
There is NOT a dinner meeting planned before the meet.

Please look at the schedule closely. This is a meet that has two full days! Though it should be a smaller meet than last year, it will still be large. And great! Seventeen of the top twenty-one men's teams will be here, as well as fourteen of the top twenty women's teams. It will be a great NCAA preview! And that is on top of the professionals who will be here.

Events start at 10:00 am on Friday and Saturday mornings. Please be at the field events an hour ahead of time (90 minutes if possible in the vault) and at 30 minutes ahead of time for the running events. Most field events will have both "college" and "championship" competitions. We will be running two high jump pits and all the high jumps are on Saturday. So high jump officials are welcome to help out somewhere else on Friday! All of the throwing events - shot put and weight throw - will be held in the Walker Pavilion. Also, the current schedule doesn't list any pole vault competitions on Saturday. There will be two, most likely at the same times as on Friday.

Uniform for the meet will be our usual: navy blue blazer, white shirt, blue tie, khaki slacks or skirt. We have been asked not to wear "non-adidas" apparel (including shoes) - especially for the televised portion of the meet on Friday night. If possible, wear dress shoes on Friday night. If your feet won't handle that, wear adidas or try to cover the logo. I appreciate your cooperation on this.

Because there are just a few events with smaller fields during the professional portion of the meet on Friday night, we won't need everyone to work at that time. If your name has an asterisk beside it, you will officiate on Friday night. The other officials will be able to get in to the meet through the door by the officials' check-in table. I wish there was room for everyone to work but it wasn't possible. Clerks - I didn't know who many you needed for Friday night, so I didn't make any selections. You can figure that out on Friday. You are out of view of the television cameras, so you can use as many as you need.

Regarding the NCAA Championships: I am finalizing the officials' roster now. Please let me know (as soon as possible) if you are not going to be available for that meet or if you are only going to be available for one day of that meet.

That is all I can think of at this time - so I know I've missed something. Let me know what it is! And let me know if you have any questions.

See you soon,

Mike Armstrong
Track Officials News
Dear UofA Track and Field Officials,
The 2004-2005 season was a great one for the Razorbacks, with three SEC Championships, two National Championships, & a National third-place finish. It was also a great year for our officials! We had more officials than ever before, more officials who worked meets throughout the region (& nation), & all of our meets went without a hitch – officiated with great professionalism & excellence. Thanks so much!

The 2006 season is just around the corner & we are getting things ready to go! Please read on through this and return the appropriate pages back to me.

Fall General Meeting – Our General Meeting will be at the Catfish Hole in Fayetteville at 7:00 pm on Thursday, Nov. 3. We will be talking about the upcoming season & it is a great time to bring along friends who might be interested in joining our ranks! It would be helpful if you let me know you are coming so the restaurant can be ready, but feel free to come no matter what!

2006 Schedule – We will have several home meets to officiate, including the USATF Golden Spike meet, the NCAA Indoor Championships, & the SEC Outdoor Championships. The scheduled meets are:

  • Jan. 13 - Arkansas Invitational
  • Jan. 14 - National High School Invitational (A great meet to gain experience.)
  • Jan. 20-21- Razorback Invitational
  • Feb. 10-11 - Tyson Invitational (The pro's will be on Friday evening.)
  • Feb. 24-25 – MIAA Indoor Championships (Joplin, MO)
  • March 10-11 - NCAA Indoor Championships
  • May 11-14 - SEC Outdoor Championships
The MIAA Indoor Championships – They would like as many of us as possible to work this meet. They will provide room & board. Again, it is a great place to get more experience & a good meet to add to your resume'. They also make a contribution to our association & are very appreciative of our help.

Officials’ Dinner & Clinic – We tentatively have a training clinic schedule for Jan. 7, 2006 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (including lunch). We will go over rules changes & do refresher courses on the various assignments. We might move some people around this year to spread out our strengths, so it will be good to learn about new events!

Thanks for being a part of the UofA Track Officials’ Association & for all you do for the sport at the University of Arkansas. Please take the time to fill out the enclosed response form get it back to us. If you have questions, please feel free to write, call, or email me. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Track Officials Meet Opportunities
USATF Meets Calendar Page
 

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