MHCC track facility likely to get make-over

The MHCC Track and Field team is looking forward to the running track being resurfaced. While the track has held up surprisingly well over a 20-year span, it is hard to ignore its uneven surfaces, the reported shin splints track members are having and the fact that MHCC no longer holds meets because of the track’s condition.

The cost to replace the synthetic surface may range anywhere from $150,000 to $300,000, said head track and field coach Matt Hart. If an efficient company were hired, the track could be ripped up and replaced in a month, weather permitting, he said.

The team and coach Hart are excited about getting a new surface, but no one seems to know just when the work might occur. Hart said, “I got the impression that it was approved.”

Kim Hyatt, MHCC director of athletics, declined Thursday to comment for this story on any renovation timeline.

On Feb. 5, in an Associated Student Government Finance Council meeting, the athletic programs set aside $150,000 from their contingency funds toward a project to resurface the college track.

Hyatt has said there is an additional $150,000 or so available for a construction project through Facilities Council, which is comprised of various students, faculty and administrators from MHCC. The project proposal will now make its way to the MHCC President’s Executive Cabinet, which would make the final decision.

During the finance council meetings in January and February when the money was set aside, members of the baseball/softball team voted in opposition of setting aside the funds, instead hoping to acquire the funds to apply them to their own fields.

“It’s getting to the point where it is not playable,” said Hunter Weiss, a MHCC baseball player who represented the team at the meetings. He said the team had to spend much of its practices in the gym because of poor drainage on the baseball field.

Before the track deteriorated to its current state, MHCC hosted premiere track meets, such as the Oregon Adidas Classic. “The fastest 3000-meter (steeplechase) on American soil was recorded at MHCC (at the meet),” said Hart, adding that he would like to see the track quality viewed at the top of the spectrum, and not the lower.

Drainage problems, general wear and tear and lack of proper maintenance haven’t helped the track in its most recent 20 years. Other colleges, such as the University of Oregon, which gives Eugene the nickname “Track Town U.S.A,” replace their surface every two to five years.

Several MHCC track athletes have had the opportunity to compete at the U of O.

“It definitely helped,” said Charlene Manning, a hurdler and a jumper for MHCC, about the prime condition of the Oregon track after competing on it.

“I feel like I get a better pop and knee drive,” said Vyncent Espinoza, a long jumper for MHCC. He said the condition of the MHCC surface has been an issue since the third week of school.

Shin splints are a common complaint due to the worn-out surface. There are puddles that accumulate in the corners because the track is so uneven, said Carrie Haguewood, a triple, long and high jumper for MHCC.

Kristi Kachel, who runs hurdles, sprints and relays for MHCC, said the team “doesn’t treat the track like trash – it is just general wear and tear – we take care of it.” Kachel said that she wishes that MHCC could hold meets. “Realistically, family and friends can’t come to out-of-state meets,” she said.

Jump coach Becca Urbany said of the proposed resurfacing, “our athletes are excited about it, but other athletes in the community will benefit from it, too. I’m excited it’s happening. It’s due for an upgrade.”