Snow Woes--Cancelled Track Meets

Homer High School's new Olympic-quality track

Yesterday we got word that both the Homer High Track Invitational and Soldotna's Middle School track meet were cancelled due to the tracks still being under snow.  I love track meets and even though I was scheduled to be a race official for 2 full days, I was totally jazzed about it.  I so wanted it to happen.

At this time last year Homer High's track was condemned and was in horrible shape, with potholes, ruts, cracks and loose gravel on it.  Due to the energy and persistence of the high school running coach, money came through from the state, borough and city (not positive about that last one...) and last summer we got a new Olympic-quality track.  It is the official size and material, so technically, it could be used for qualifying events.  We were hoping to get it in Mariner Blue, but are just happy to have it.

The best view at a track in the state!

As the track team is discovering, though, the track is not a lot of use when it is covered with snow.  Although we didn't get a lot of snow this year in Homer (up on the ridge there is the usual quite a few feet, but in town there is much less), it was an icy winter.  At one point this winter when I drove by, the entire football field and track--the whole area below the bleachers--was a sheet of ice, fine enough to go ice skating on.  It is that ice that has really slowed down the melt, despite warm days recently--upper 30's and lower 40's.  It is so close--the snow will be off within days--but even once the snow is gone the infield will be mucky and the sand in the jumping pits still frozen.  On top of that, the brand new hurdles are not here yet, and once they come in (any day!), there will be nearly 100 of them to put together.

It is only 2 weeks till boroughs track meet, then regionals the next week and state the week after.  If Homer's track team hadn't gone to the Big C Relays in the dome in Anchorage a couple weeks ago, they would have had no meets yet, and probably only one meet before boroughs if next week's meet doesn't get cancelled (at the location of the middle school meet this week that got cancelled).  But from what we've heard, we're not the only ones with this problem as Anchorage has been getting lots of snow lately, and the soccer teams at Homer High have been practicing in the gym since their fields are still under snow also.  And in talking to relatives in Michigan recently, it sounds like it has been snowy there as well. 

The good thing is that Homer is hosting boroughs in 2 weeks, so we'll still get to run a meet on our new track this year....weather permitting!!