Concerns over limiting crowd size and about bringing an oversized cluster of athletes together at the same time has led the IHSAA and IGHSAU to make alterations to the state qualifying and state championship meets in all classes for both boys and girls harriers.
In Class 4A and 3A the state qualifying meets have been moved up one day, to Oct. 21, with the state championships to be contested Oct. 30, also a day earlier than originally scheduled.
The 2A and 1A qualifying and state meets will remain Oct. 22 and Oct. 31 as originally slated.
Additional changes will be made in 1A, where concerns over limiting the size of gatherings has convinced the governing bodies to rise from five to eight. Instead of three teams qualifying at each site, only two will now advance, with the number of individual qualifiers dropping from 15 to 10 at each site.
No changes to the number of team or individual state qualifiers in Classes 4A, 3A and 2A were made.
The state meet will continue to be held at Kennedy Park on the north side of Fort Dodge, the traditional site of the event.
The 4A girls will run at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 30, with the 4A boys to follow at 11 a.m. There will then be a break, with the 3A girls competing at 3:30 p.m. and the 3A boys at 4 p.m.
The same time schedule will be used Oct. 31, with the 2A girls running at 10:30 a.m. and the 2A boys at 11 a.m. Another break will be held, with the 1A girls taking to the course at 3:30 p.m. and the 1A boys at 4 p.m.
