Schools

Work on new track for Adrian High School kicks off

ADRIAN – The Adrian High School track is getting new life.

Last week school officials broke ground on a nearly $1.5 million project to build a new track, more than 30 years after the first one was laid down.

“To be able to get to the point where we finally broke ground and it is something coming to fruition is really exciting,” said Nick Ketterling, Adrian School District superintendent.

Beynon Sports of Tualatin is scheduled to complete the track work by June.

“It’s as huge investment but I think where our community has so much passion and pride in coming together to support the school and students it is another way to bring the community together and spend time together,” said Ketterling.

Ketterling said the track will be a regulation six-lane surface.

Work on a $1.5 million effort to build a new track at Adrian High School began last week. A new, six-lane track is expected to be complete early this summer. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise).

The project is funded from donations from the Adrian Sports Boosters, state grants, Covid relief funds and money from the school district’s reserve fund, said Ketterling.

The contractor also will build new runways and jump pits for long jumps and a new discus and shot-put ring. A new runway for the javelin and pole vault – along with a new pit – is slated to be built.

Part the work includes installing a new sidewalk and staircase from the new gym to the new track and new sprinklers on the football field.

Ketterling, who was hired as superintendent last year, said the project was a key item of discussion when he stepped into his new role.

“It was something definitely expressed to me by the board and community members that they’d like to see it move forward,” said Ketterling.

He said officials and residents had been talking about building a new track for “the past five or seven years.”

Adrian track and field fans will have something to cheer about next year after a new track is in place. Work on the project at Adrian High School kicked off last week. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise).

The new track will allow the Antelopes to host track meets, something the school has been unable to do for years because of the condition of the existing track.

The new track also means Adrian track athletes can practice at home, said Ketterling.

“We have to, every year, take our athletes to various tracks and we reach out and ask to use them during the training season because we don’t have a surface,” said Ketterling.

News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]

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