A few years ago I wrote an article and labeled 7A - Section 3 the "Section of Death" because on any given year some of the best teams in the state do not advance out of sectionals for Cross Country.
The emails have already started to come in almost immediately after sectional results were posted. "Why is x sectional so weak when we compete against y teams" or "Our sectional had 9 teams while their sectional only had 3 full teams." The reality of the matter is the AHSAA factors sectional assignments based on what schools notify them they are fielding a team. They are not omnipotent and do not know who will really field a team but I sit in on the yearly meetings and know they honestly try to be as fair as possible.
So let's look at who qualified in the 7A State Meet this year and compare the results against the Average Season Time of the other 7A Teams across the state.
| PLACE | TEAM | POINTS | SCORERS | SPLIT | AVERAGE | |
| 1 | Hoover | 68 | 4+11+12+16+25 (27+60) | 53.80 | 16:07.06 | |
| 2 | Mountain Brook HS | 75 | 6+8+18+21+22 (31+32) | 39.00 | 16:13.46 | |
| 3 | Auburn | 81 | 2+7+15+28+29 (36+44) | 1:08.75 | 16:13.28 | |
| 4 | Baker | 123 | 5+13+23+33+49 (55+69) | 1:26.02 | 16:27.82 | |
| 5 | Oak Mountain HS | 131 | 3+9+38+39+42 (45+50) | 1:17.37 | 16:29.61 | |
| 6 | Hewitt-Trussville HS | 138 | 1+17+26+37+57 (63+66) | 1:42.40 | 16:31.58 | |
| 7 | Huntsville HS | 180 | 14+30+40+43+53 (56+62) | 1:07.27 | 16:48.74 | |
| 8 | Grissom HS | 185 | 19+20+24+52+70 (74+77) | 1:27.90 | 16:55.88 | |
| 9 | Smiths Station | 189 | 10+35+46+47+51 (65+67) | 1:15.34 | 16:49.44 | |
| 10 | McGill-Toolen Catholic | 300 | 48+54+58+68+72 (79+82) | 50.88 | 17:29.50 | |
| 11 | Enterprise High | 309 | 41+59+61+73+75 (76+81) | 1:07.84 | 17:34.36 | |
| 12 | Fairhope | 327 | 34+64+71+78+80 (83+84) | 1:30.84 | 17:46.07 | |
2016 7A Virtual Meet Based on Average Times From Their Athletes
| PLACE | TEAM | POINTS | SCORERS | SPLIT | AVERAGE | |
| 1 | Auburn | 82 | 5+8+9+28+32 (51+85) | 1:00.82 | 16:43.44 | |
| 2 | Mountain Brook HS | 85 | 6+7+22+23+27 (29+30) | 52.90 | 16:48.47 | |
| 3 | Hoover | 88 | 4+15+18+25+26 (67+70) | 55.78 | 16:47.61 | |
| 4 | Baker | 104 | 1+16+19+20+48 (61+90) | 1:28.58 | 16:48.82 | |
| 5 | Oak Mountain HS | 163 | 2+17+39+52+53 (54+63) | 1:20.46 | 17:04.82 | |
| 6 | Vestavia Hills HS | 184 | 10+11+49+56+58 (59+86) | 1:15.30 | 17:09.59 | |
| 7 | Huntsville HS | 199 | 12+34+40+47+66 (68+71) | 1:17.12 | 17:19.60 | |
| 8 | Spain Park | 208 | 31+33+37+38+69 (81+99) | 35.74 | 17:26.21 | |
| 9 | Hewitt-Trussville HS | 213 | 3+21+45+55+89 (92+93) | 1:56.62 | 17:18.73 | |
| 10 | Smiths Station | 239 | 13+24+64+65+73 (78+79) | 1:20.77 | 17:26.18 | |
| 11 | Grissom HS | 334 | 36+50+57+82+109 (110+126) | 1:22.50 | 17:52.14 | |
| 12 | James Clemens | 372 | 43+75+76+80+98 (102+115) | 1:00.05 | 17:59.61 | |
| 13 | Thompson | 419 | 14+84+100+103+118 (123+132) | 2:10.53 | 18:06.20 | |
| 14 | Bob Jones | 428 | 42+44+106+117+119 (138+147) | 1:19.67 | 18:13.56 | |
| 15 | Fairhope | 429 | 41+72+88+112+116 (124+148) | 1:19.46 | 18:11.98 | |
| 16 | Sparkman High School | 470 | 35+62+108+122+143 (149+151) | 2:12.92 | 18:26.41 | |
| 17 | Enterprise High | 473 | 60+83+91+114+125 (127+131) | 1:16.03 | 18:20.66 | |
| 18 | McGill-Toolen Catholic | 492 | 74+87+97+104+130 (133+135) | 1:10.81 | 18:25.61 | |
| 19 | Mary G Montgomery | 545 | 46+77+139+141+142 (161+176) | 2:00.01 | 18:46.59 | |
| 20 | Prattville High School | 593 | 95+96+128+134+140 (157+160) | 1:04.58 | 18:54.31 | |
| 21 | Buckhorn | 650 | 101+105+145+146+153 (170+172) | 1:30.79 | 19:15.61 | |
| 22 | Davidson | 676 | 107+120+136+150+163 (166+169) | 1:48.99 | 19:27.83 | |
| 23 | Central - Phenix City | 756 | 121+137+152+159+187 (200+201) | 3:44.65 | 20:14.48 | |
| 24 | Gadsden City | 791 | 94+162+175+178+182 (190+191) | 3:37.23 | 20:41.33 | |
| 25 | Alma Bryant | 805 | 129+155+171+173+177 (183+192) | 2:22.01 | 20:31.05 | |
| 26 | Hazel Green | 806 | 111+154+168+185+188 (189+194) | 3:53.31 | 20:53.52 | |
| 27 | Foley | 820 | 144+156+165+174+181 (195+198) | 2:16.37 | 20:39.34 | |
| 28 | Jeff Davis | 863 | 113+164+193+196+197 (202+203) | 4:54.19 | 21:57.53 | |
| 29 | Tuscaloosa County | 900 | 158+179+180+184+199 (208+209) | 3:48.64 | 21:57.16 | |
| 30 | Huffman High School | 968 | 167+186+204+205+206 (207) | 7:08.63 | 24:42.54 | |
| -- | Robert E. Lee HS | NTS | -- | -- | -- | |
| -- | Murphy HS | NTS | -- | -- | -- | |
| -- | Theodore | NTS | -- | -- | -- | |
*The teams in bold did not qualify to state -- but DID have teams beneath them in this virtual meet qualify to state.
In recent years the idea of a regional meet has been brought up. Last year it finally gained traction in the coach's committee and passed however the proposition that was created failed to be put on the summer Executive Committee itinerary for discussion. This year the committee will meet with a proposal in hand ready for submission. Will this be the last year I get to write this article?