You can't argue with numbers. Well, you can, but you won't get anywhere. Track and field is all about hard numbers. You might be the hardest worker in the world, but unless your times/scores/distances are good, you're not going to get onto a team.

Qualifying for a team varies depending on the team. If it's a good program with a history of championships, it's going to be on the high end. If it's a ragtag collection of misfits, maybe you'll have a shot. And you might beat the snobby school in the third act, because apparently you're in an '80s movie.

A good rule of thumb is to take the general qualifications for a scholarship and if it's running, add a tiny percentage of time. If it's anything else, subtract a tiny percentage of distance. You don't have to be quite at scholarship-earning levels, but you should be pretty close. The initial numbers will get you on the team. If you want to stay there, it's time to work hard and improve.