Sequim celebrates reopening of stadium track

By Michael Dashiell • September 18, 2024 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim High sophomore Clare Turella does the honors, cutting a ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the Sequim School District’s newly-refurbished track on Sept. 13. Turella won a state 2A high jump title as a freshman in 2023.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim High sophomore Clare Turella does the honors, cutting a ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the Sequim School District’s newly-refurbished track on Sept. 13. Turella won a state 2A high jump title as a freshman in 2023.

These lanes are officially open for (foot) traffic.

Sequim School District students, staff, coaches and others celebrated the official opening of the newly refurbished track during halftime of the SHS football game at Stáʔčəŋ Stadium on Sept. 13.

The district hadn’t been able to host activities — including high school and middle school track and field meets — since May 2021 because of severe damage to the track.

Oregon-based Beynon Sports staffers finished work to the track, along with a secondary project — removal and replacement of a pole vault runway that for years was situated close to a concrete wall — in July.

The track project cost the district $363,299, and the pole vault project cost $39,074, according to Sequim schools superintendent Regan Nickels and Mike Santos, director of Facilities, Operations and Security.

The funds come out of a capital projects levy voters approved in 2021.

The project allows Sequim’s high school and middle school track teams to once again host track meets and for its athletes to train with a lessened chance of injury, as well as being open for community members when school is not in session.

Clare Turella, who won the class 2A state high jump title in 2023 as a freshman, did the honors in cutting a ceremonial ribbon at the track Friday evening.

Sequim High track and field coach Brad Moore, who’s led the SHS track and field squads for the past 30 seasons, said the last time the track was resurfaced was 1996. (Manufacturers recommend replacement every 10 years, and Moore wrote district officials two years ago.).

Since then, large ruts and breaks in the track — made up mostly of ground up, compacted tires — began to surface. At the urging of parents, athletes and coaches, the school district in recent months formed a committee to look at athletic facility improvements, starting specifically with the track and the stadium.

Moore credits former superintendent Robert Clark for putting the project back on the district’s radar and particularly current superintendent Nickels for making it more of a priority on the Capital Projects Levy schedule.