No longer will the track and field team have to run laps on the old, uneven sidewalks in the neighborhood; after numerous complications, the greatly anticipated track has finally finished construction and is ready for the team to host practices and meets.

The school undertook this construction project last year, determined to replace the worn-down dirt track and the rugged, yellowing field. With a budget of $2.5 million, the school planned to replace the lawn with artificial grass, and the dirt track with rubber paving. Originally, they aimed to finish construction in the summer of 2015. However, construction was periodically delayed — due to rain, bad weather conditions, etc.

Furthermore, after completion of both the new turf field and rubber track, runners were dismayed to discover the lane lines on the track had been misdrawn — they did not measure the accurate distances. Consequently, any times recorded on the track did not count.

Construction was finalized at the end of the previous school year, and the field was used by the football and soccer teams throughout the fall and winter seasons; this spring will mark the first official use of the track for both practices and meets.

Sophomore Mia Shew-Smith shared her excitement about running on the new track.

“I feel like it’s a lot better now, and it helps my knees. The old track used to hurt my knees when we ran. The new track is a lot nicer and has a lot of traction in rain,” said Shew-Smith.

In the absence of a usable track, runners had to take alternative routes around different areas of the campus. The most common spot was near Casas baseball fields. The uneven, extremely hard ground was strenuous on the athletes’ knees and ankles, resulting in injuries such as shin splints. The new track, being made of a rubber-like, shock-absorbing material, will help alleviate these problems.

Sophomore Tiarra Jeff is one of the many runners affected by a season spent on the pavement, and will benefit from the proper footing.  

“I had knee problems because of not having a track, and now that we have a new track, it’s a lot easier to run and it’s less painful for people that have injuries,” said Jeff.

The prolonged wait was regarded with irritation and frustration, for it caused much trouble, rescheduling, and injury to athletes.

“[The delay] was kind of irritating. It was really hard to get through, but I feel like it was worth it, because in the end, we got the end result, and it’s a lot better now,” said Shew-Smith.

“The whole waiting and watching while we were practicing was somewhat fun to see it being built, but we just wanted it to be done,” said Jeff.

From new freshmen to upperclassmen or even non-track athletes the new track is ready and available for all to enjoy.