With track season starting in February, a completion date for the track is pending as renovations are still underway.

“It was supposed to be done by next Wednesday,” Coach Trey Bates said. “[But] if the weather gets bad, there’s no telling how far it could get pushed back.”

The school’s Athletic Department funded the renovations. The project involved the removal of all the old asphalt, which was a paved, firm surface constructed of gravel and bitumen binder, replacing it with a new, softer material. 

“A better surface helps with faster times,” Coach Bates said. “That helps our athletes get recruited.”

The reason for this installation was due to the age of the old track. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if [the issues] had been there from the day that school opened,” Coach Rebekah Morrison said. “The land, the school is on, is sliding toward the creek, so there are a lot of foundational issues.” 

During construction, the team hosted practices at Brooks Western Middle School, which is 10 minutes away. Practice on campus should resume this week. 

“I didn’t like it because we had to rush and get there from school,”  junior Phoenix Taylor said. “The workouts and warmups were cut short because of the travel.” 

Currently, the new track surfaces are down, and they are working on painting the exchange zones and all the lines and markings.

“We might not be in shape, in certain areas, in the first couple of meets [due to renovations],” Bates said. “[But] we have plenty of time to get everything we need.”

The new track should prevent injuries, Morrison said. 

“It will 100% improve player safety,” she said. “We are going to see less injuries, as far as the impact on our legs, because it is going to be a new surface, and they paid for the better end of it.” 

Varsity plans to host the Timberview Relays on March 13. 

“We got the home meet coming up, which will be much better than last year’s,” Taylor said. “A better track should equal a better season.”