Best States For HS Track Relative to Size
Best States For HS Track Relative to Size
How good is YOUR state at track?
With the 2015 track season coming to an end, we put together some “end-of-the-year” lists to find out which states produced the best athletes overall, and relative to size.Heading into this weekend we compiled the number of athletes from each state who are ranked in the top 100 in the U.S. (1600/3200 includes Mile/2 Mile conversions)
Note: Data compiled prior to Brooks PR and New Balance Nationals
2015 BOYS TOTALS BY STATE
RNK | STATE | TOTAL | 100 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1600 | 3200 | 4x1 | 4x4 | 110H | 300H |
01 | Texas | 207 | 26 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 41 | 38 | 23 | 25 |
02 | California | 111 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 12 |
03 | Florida | 94 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
04 | Georgia | 58 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
05 | Illinois | 52 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
06 | Ohio | 43 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
07 | Pennsylvania | 34 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
08 | New York | 32 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
08 | Virginia | 32 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
10 | North Carolina | 27 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
11 | Washington | 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
12 | Michigan | 22 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
13 | New Jersey | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
14 | Indiana | 19 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
15 | Colorado | 16 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
15 | Louisiana | 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
17 | Maryland | 14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
17 | Nevada | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
19 | Minnesota | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
19 | Missouri | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
21 | Alabama | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
21 | Wisconsin | 12 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
23 | Kentucky | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
23 | Tennessee | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
25 | Arizona | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
25 | Utah | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
27 | South Carolina | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
28 | Iowa | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
28 | Oklahoma | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
30 | Idaho | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
30 | Oregon | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
32 | Rhode Island | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
33 | Connecticut | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
33 | Massachusetts | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
33 | Nebraska | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
36 | Delaware | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
36 | Kansas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
36 | South Dakota | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
36 | Wyoming | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
40 | Alaska | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
40 | Arkansas | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
40 | New Hampshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
40 | Vermont | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
44 | Maine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | New Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46 | Hawaii | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46 | Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46 | Montana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46 | North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46 | West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 GIRLS TOTALS BY STATE
RNK | STATE | TOTAL | 100 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1600 | 3200 | 4x1 | 4x4 | 100H | 300H |
01 | California | 180 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 25 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 16 |
02 | Texas | 152 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 35 | 27 | 12 | 15 |
03 | Florida | 90 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 11 |
04 | Georgia | 77 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
05 | Pennsylvania | 48 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
06 | North Carolina | 44 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
07 | Virginia | 42 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
08 | Ohio | 35 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
09 | New York | 33 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
10 | Colorado | 30 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
11 | New Jersey | 28 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
12 | Missouri | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
13 | Washington | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
14 | Michigan | 21 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
15 | Illinois | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
16 | Arizona | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
16 | Indiana | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
18 | Maryland | 12 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
18 | Minnesota | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
20 | Louisiana | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
20 | Utah | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
22 | South Carolina | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
23 | Montana | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
23 | Tennessee | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
25 | Alabama | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
25 | Iowa | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Alaska | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Connecticut | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
27 | Kentucky | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Massachusetts | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | New Hampshire | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
27 | Oregon | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Rhode Island | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Wisconsin | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
35 | Nebraska | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
35 | Nevada | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
35 | North Dakota | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
38 | Delaware | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
38 | Maine | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
38 | Mississippi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
41 | Idaho | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
41 | Kansas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
41 | South Dakota | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Hawaii | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Vermont | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Wyoming | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 BOYS & GIRLS TOTALS BY STATE
RNK | STATE | TOTAL |
01 | Texas | 359 |
02 | California | 291 |
03 | Florida | 184 |
04 | Georgia | 135 |
05 | Pennsylvania | 82 |
06 | Ohio | 78 |
07 | Virginia | 74 |
08 | North Carolina | 71 |
09 | Illinois | 70 |
10 | New York | 65 |
11 | New Jersey | 49 |
12 | Washington | 48 |
13 | Colorado | 46 |
14 | Michigan | 43 |
15 | Missouri | 37 |
16 | Indiana | 33 |
17 | Louisiana | 26 |
17 | Maryland | 26 |
19 | Minnesota | 25 |
20 | Arizona | 24 |
21 | Utah | 20 |
22 | Alabama | 19 |
22 | Tennessee | 19 |
24 | South Carolina | 18 |
25 | Nevada | 17 |
25 | Wisconsin | 17 |
27 | Kentucky | 16 |
28 | Iowa | 15 |
29 | Oregon | 12 |
30 | Rhode Island | 10 |
31 | Connecticut | 9 |
31 | Massachusetts | 9 |
33 | Idaho | 8 |
33 | Montana | 8 |
33 | Oklahoma | 8 |
36 | Alaska | 7 |
36 | Nebraska | 7 |
36 | New Hampshire | 7 |
39 | Delaware | 5 |
40 | Kansas | 4 |
40 | South Dakota | 4 |
42 | Maine | 3 |
42 | North Dakota | 3 |
42 | Wyoming | 3 |
45 | Arkansas | 2 |
45 | Mississippi | 2 |
45 | Vermont | 2 |
48 | New Mexico | 1 |
49 | Hawaii | 0 |
49 | West Virginia | 0 |
As expected, the states with the larger populations tend to have more athletes ranked in the U.S. top 100, thus it's important to also take into consideration state popualtions as well.
KARSTEN'S NUMBER
The chart below ranks the states relative to their size. “Karsten’s Number” shows whether or not the state performed up to it’s potential in size. The higher the number, the higher the ranking.
For example, Indiana has a score of 0.8. Indiana makes up 2.03% of the high school population, yet only accounts for 1.63% of the total athletes represented in top 100 (across all events). 1.63 / 2.03 = 0.8
Another way to interpret the number is this: "Based on the number of it's ranked athletes compared to the size of the state, Georgia is performing at the size of a state 1.89 times greater than itself."
*State population numbers are courtesy of high-schools.com
For example, Indiana has a score of 0.8. Indiana makes up 2.03% of the high school population, yet only accounts for 1.63% of the total athletes represented in top 100 (across all events). 1.63 / 2.03 = 0.8
Another way to interpret the number is this: "Based on the number of it's ranked athletes compared to the size of the state, Georgia is performing at the size of a state 1.89 times greater than itself."
RNK |
STATE |
KARSTEN'S NUMBER | TOP 100 TOTALS | % TOTAL TOP 100s | HIGH SCHOOL POPULATION | % TOTAL H.S. |
1 | Georgia | 1.90 | 135 | 6.68% | 1,335,570 | 3.52% |
2 | Texas | 1.78 | 359 | 17.76% | 3,794,070 | 10.00% |
3 | Rhode Island | 1.71 | 10 | 0.49% | 109,860 | 0.29% |
4 | Florida | 1.57 | 184 | 9.10% | 2,202,340 | 5.81% |
5 | Montana | 1.52 | 8 | 0.40% | 97,669 | 0.26% |
6 | Virginia | 1.44 | 74 | 3.66% | 961,237 | 2.54% |
7 | Alaska | 1.33 | 7 | 0.35% | 99,489 | 0.26% |
8 | Colorado | 1.29 | 46 | 2.28% | 664,442 | 1.76% |
9 | California | 1.20 | 291 | 14.40% | 4,536,880 | 11.98% |
10 | Washington | 1.18 | 48 | 2.38% | 765,322 | 2.02% |
11 | Pennsylvania | 1.14 | 82 | 4.06% | 1,346,260 | 3.55% |
12 | North Carolina | 1.14 | 71 | 3.51% | 1,170,440 | 3.09% |
13 | Ohio | 1.10 | 78 | 3.86% | 1,329,770 | 3.51% |
14 | Missouri | 1.00 | 37 | 1.83% | 695,529 | 1.83% |
15 | Nevada | 0.96 | 17 | 0.84% | 333,610 | 0.88% |
16 | New Hampshire | 0.94 | 7 | 0.35% | 141,775 | 0.37% |
17 | Utah | 0.92 | 20 | 0.99% | 410,229 | 1.08% |
18 | New Jersey | 0.86 | 49 | 2.42% | 1,068,100 | 2.82% |
19 | Delaware | 0.85 | 5 | 0.25% | 109,581 | 0.29% |
20 | North Dakota | 0.82 | 3 | 0.15% | 70,910 | 0.18% |
21 | Illinois | 0.82 | 70 | 3.46% | 1,604,820 | 4.22% |
22 | Indiana | 0.80 | 33 | 1.63% | 770,658 | 2.03% |
23 | Louisiana | 0.80 | 26 | 1.29% | 609,124 | 1.61% |
24 | Iowa | 0.77 | 15 | 0.74% | 367,821 | 0.97% |
25 | South Dakota | 0.76 | 4 | 0.20% | 100,038 | 0.26% |
26 | Minnesota | 0.74 | 25 | 1.24% | 633,983 | 1.67% |
27 | Idaho | 0.73 | 8 | 0.40% | 203,796 | 0.54% |
28 | Michigan | 0.73 | 43 | 2.13% | 1,105,430 | 2.92% |
29 | Maryland | 0.69 | 26 | 1.29% | 709,592 | 1.87% |
30 | Alabama | 0.60 | 19 | 0.94% | 592,192 | 1.56% |
31 | South Carolina | 0.59 | 18 | 0.89% | 575,261 | 1.52% |
32 | Vermont | 0.58 | 2 | 0.10% | 62,816 | 0.17% |
33 | Nebraska | 0.58 | 7 | 0.35% | 226,063 | 0.60% |
34 | Arizona | 0.57 | 24 | 1.19% | 784,551 | 2.07% |
35 | Wyoming | 0.57 | 3 | 0.15% | 62,326 | 0.26% |
36 | Kentucky | 0.56 | 16 | 0.79% | 534,627 | 1.41% |
37 | New York | 0.55 | 65 | 3.22% | 2,208,300 | 5.84% |
38 | Oregon | 0.53 | 12 | 0.59% | 420,259 | 1.11% |
39 | Wisconsin | 0.45 | 17 | 0.84% | 704,192 | 1.86% |
40 | Tennessee | 0.45 | 19 | 0.94% | 791,860 | 2.09% |
41 | Maine | 0.42 | 3 | 0.15% | 132,231 | 0.35% |
42 | Connecticut | 0.42 | 9 | 0.45% | 408,099 | 1.07% |
43 | Oklahoma | 0.30 | 8 | 0.40% | 500,150 | 1.32% |
44 | Massachusetts | 0.23 | 9 | 0.45% | 738,188 | 1.95% |
45 | Kansas | 0.21 | 4 | 0.20% | 350,856 | 0.93% |
46 | Arkansas | 0.11 | 2 | 0.10% | 338,099 | 0.89% |
47 | Mississippi | 0.10 | 2 | 0.10% | 388,123 | 1.02% |
48 | New Mexico | 0.08 | 1 | 0.05% | 236,095 | 0.62% |
49 | Hawaii | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00% | 158,182 | 0.42% |
50 | West Virginia | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00% | 218,189 | 0.58% |
*State population numbers are courtesy of high-schools.com
Based on the information only 13 states meet or exceed their expections (Karsten's Number > 1) with Georgia officially being the most successful track state in 2015!
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