Ever since it was decided that Alliance would need a new track, ‘Save The Track’ has been a common slogan used during any school event that happened in the last three years. Now, after months of demolition, the new track has been poured and both the students and public are excited about the future of the Alliance High School track.
Seeing the new track, most people think that the project is completely finished and will not have to be touched for several years. However, that is not the case. Because of the type of concrete used, post- tension concrete, the top layer of the track will have to be replaced every seven to fourteen years in order to keep it in the best shape possible for our track team.
“We are still trying to raise funds, we are working on a donation to help with the maintenance and upkeep of the track,” stated Dr. Unzicker.
The biggest plus to the renovation of the track was the ability to, once again, host local track meets. Due to safety issues, Alliance has not been able to host home track meets for five years, meaning no student at AHS has competed in a home meet. But as the completion of the track grows nearer, Alliance High School has once again started to plan track meets, not only for the high school track team, but the various schools in town.
“I think it’s going to be really cool being able to have a home meet! This will be the first time we’ve had one since my 7th grade year so everyone on the team and in the community is pretty excited about it and it should be a lot of fun,” stated senior, Mason Hiemstra.
While being able to hold track and field events is great, there are some new guidelines that come with the new track. The public is being advised that pets will no longer be allowed on the track, as well as wheeled vehicles. This means that there will no longer be skateboards, wagons, or strollers allowed on the track at anytime as it is detrimental to the surface of the track.
With any project there are always bumps in the road, and the track was no different. Once the demolition on the track began, it became clear that the old track was not the appropriate length. In order to fix this, the track had to be expanded to the north, moving the old gate. There was also an issue when deciding what color the track could be. While there was the option to color the track blue, the board decided that the extra money needed to produce the color was not in the budget, and went with the signature black color instead.
“ I hope what the public understands is the amount of income it will bring to the town. Those folks are here all day and they will hit the restaurants or they will fill up on gas or stop and get a candy bar. It’s gonna bring some income into the town, ” stated Dr. Unzicker.
After years of preparation, the new track is only a few steps away from its grand reopening. Now, Alliance has a chance to really show the surrounding schools just how good the track team is, all while doing it on a brand new surface.