Sprinters can’t outrun it. Footballers can’t tackle it. Volleyball players can’t block it and wrestlers can’t pin it down.

A $100,000 cutback in Sequim’s high school and middle school athletic departments has school officials seeking ways to keep their sports intact.

Last week they took a big step in that direction, getting approval from the Sequim School District board of directors to institute a pay-to-participate program.

The program requires a per-sport, per-athlete fee of $75 at the high school and $50 at the middle school. The program has maximums per athlete and family and reduced fee rates for student-athletes on the district’s free and reduced lunch programs.

Sequim offers 18 high school sports and eight middle school sports, serving an estimated 890 athletes next school year (600 for the high school, 290 at SMS).

With the fees, Sequim administrators look to recoup a little more than $45,000 of the $100,000 shortfall.

"Even with the fee there will have to be more cutbacks," SHS athletic director Ditlefsen said. "We are still in the process of trying to keep our programs."

Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.