Until some 26 years ago, obtaining official results of high-school cross country and track-and-field meets across the metro area could prove an annoying challenge.
Back then, results were tracked down by phone or fax.
That all changed with the development of a groundbreaking website created and named Milestat.com, now a subsidiary of Flosports, Inc.
At first, just results from the biggest meets were posted on the site, which was started by Brandon Miles.
As the site improved over months and years, more results could be found. Now, results from almost every meet — even middle-school events — are posted on the site.
Coaches on all levels can easily view the results, including scouting by college coaches.
The website also has other features like stories on top performers, a “future stars” spotlight section, photos, videos, archives and rankings. Some features are offered free; others are accessed by subscription.
The archives are a popular section, but the calendar section with listings of upcoming meets and the free results are still the site’s most popular attractions.
Results are posted quickly at the conclusion of meets. Sometimes, live results are offered as a meet is ongoing.
There are other websites that post track and field results, but Milestat.com, operating as part of the MileSplit network, is the main and premier go-to spot to find information and news. The site also links to those other rival result sites.
This website includes links for specific regional jurisdictions, including Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Results from 20 different recent track and field meets held May 1-3 throughout Virginia were posted on the site by the end of that weekend.
Results from public and private-school post season meets are a main attraction for the site, which was originally founded to provide in-depth coverage of Virginia athletes back in 2000.
There is even a long-running MileStat.com invitational cross-country meet during the fall that is held in the Richmond area. In addition, the site sponsors track-and-field meets, and has an historical section with previous meet results.
Mike Kiernan, a former longtime high-school cross country and track-and-field coach in Northern Virginia, continues to be heavily involved with Milestat.com. He initially began working for the site 25 years ago.
“It was groundbreaking back then and was started just to list Virginia meet results. It has grown from there,” Kiernan said. “It then turned into a business with subscriptions. The results have remained free and the biggest feature.”
Kiernan remembers the time-consuming chore of having to fax meet results to many, such as the media, before the website was started. He’d also receive frequent phone calls from those wanting results.
Now there is no faxing and few calls required, as the site receives hundreds of weekly hits searching for and finding results.
