Weather Forces Relocation of North Track

With the inundation of fields threatening to cancel many sports, athletic director Kurt Kummer has announced the shuffling of fields to accommodate all sports. While most sports will stay on high school grounds, track meets are being shifted to Rose Field, a location used from 1958 until the new high school was built in 1973.

Kummer noted, with some sorrow “The track at the high school is one of the only high spots and we had to take better advantage of the site.” The field will be used by J.V. baseball every day and both lacrosse teams during the evening.

The return to Rose Field isn't without its own problems. The dirt track used throughout the 60's and early 70's is long gone and there are no jumping pits. Kummer feels these are only minor obstacles.

“It wasn't much of a track to begin with”, he said. “It was only a dirt oval and the jumping pits were holes dug in the ground and filled with sand. Our discus throwers can dig the new jumping pits for strength training.”

Coaches Jason Feid and Derek Herber were reluctant to comment, but retired Coach Dwight Estey showed no such trepidation. “I wonder if they are going to rename the area the Dwight Estey J.V. Ball Field” he said sarcastically.

But he was also intrigued by the nuances of returning to the track where he competed from 1967 to1970. “It could be pretty cool to have athletes run under the conditions we had to face.” That includes only having the 100 yards run in lanes (there isn't enough room for the 100M). Distances from the 200M and up would allow athletes to break in at the first corner as they do in 300M indoor at Franklin. The Rose Field Track being barely larger than 350 yards, it would require 5 laps to the mile.

The high jump and hurdles would be done on grass, another detriment that was standard procedure in the past. “They'll have to get used to the 3/4” spikes we wore. I think I still have some they can use”, Estey said.

His final comment on the matter related to records. “If we're going back to old conditions we should go back to the pre-1973 records as well. Fair is fair!”