Track deemed unsafe to host meets for 4th time since ’07
Andy Scheidler
sports@thefranklinpress.com
Franklin won’t host any track meets on campus this spring. Nor will the school host any meets in the future unless a major repair or rebuilding of the track occurs.
This marks the fourth time since 2007 the Panthers will have to leave the county for every meet. Yet this time it seems to be a breaking point, where minor repairs are no longer adequate.
“I don’t think they can repair it to make it safe enough to where we can host other teams here,” said Jay Brooks, Franklin’s track and field coach. “It comes down to liability.”
Drainage issues have wreaked havoc on the track and football field for years. It doesn’t help that the area sits in bowl.
County athletic director Todd Gibbs is well versed in the problems with the track. Perhaps the biggest issue is the pipe that runs under the parking lot, under the football field and lower practice field and all the way to the Little Tennessee River. It’s only 18 inches in diameter at the FHS campus, he said, whereas the culvert near the river is five feet in diameter. It’s simply not big enough to handle the load at times, not to mention it’s likely very old and features cracks, which pulls soil and makes sinkholes.
“It’s a bunch of dominoes stacked together,” Gibbs said.
Costly problem
The rubberized surface of the track was replaced in June 2016. The repair cost $58,712, with the county and school district each paying $15,606, while a private donator gave $27,500.
However, only months after the overhaul large bubbles started popping up all over the track. The bubbles are caused from water and a lack of drainage.
Repairs of the bubbles provided a temporary solution, and the Panthers were able to host meets the past three seasons. But now the places where the bubbles have been fixed are popping up again.
“It’s really gone downhill since last year,” Gibbs said.
Because the asphalt was in such poor shape in 2016, the company that did the resurfacing didn’t guarantee the work.
In November 2016, Macon County Schools maintenance personnel began repairs the bubbles. Materials of binder and granular rubber were purchased for $2,527. It wasn’t enough, so more materials were purchased.
Additional repairs in September 2017 required purchasing more materials.
Total cost for repairs by the MSC maintenance personnel is $6,817, Gibbs said.
Workers have tried to patch the places where they’ve already done so, but the problem is with the asphalt underneath. It’s deteriorated and eroded to the point where it won’t hold the binder that holds the rubber down.
“There’s not smooth asphalt under there anymore,” Gibbs said. “It’s not potholes necessarily, but there are places where the asphalt has eroded, where it’s holding water. There’s no glue or binder that holds up being immersed in water.”
MSC has only a small amount of materials left to do repairs, at most 25 square feet, Gibbs said.
Home away from home
FHS still plans on hosting two meets this spring – albeit at Western Carolina University. The meets are scheduled for March 18 and April 8.
However, a possibility exists the Panthers might not get to host the two meets in Cullowhee either. Brooks said the Catamounts plan to resurface their track and it might not be completed in time for them to use it.
WCU charges a fee of $500 to use its track and field facility. The Franklin track program won’t have to pay the $1,000. Instead, Gibbs said the money will come out of an athletics and field maintenance budget.
Franklin hosted three home meets in 2019. Those meets generated enough money that the program didn’t require any additional funding for the entire season.
“We go from making money to spending money,” said Brooks, adding the Panthers will still be able to collect gate money at WCU.
Track and field is easily the biggest sport at FHS. Approximately 70 athletes participated for the boys and girls teams last year, and Brooks expects that number will rise this spring. (Official practices are set to begin Wednesday, Feb. 12.)
It not only affects the athletes, but also their families.
“It’s an inconvenience,” Brooks said. “It’s an inconvenience to our parents and student body who love to come watch our kids compete in track. It’s one of the greatest sports we have here. There’s something for everyone when it comes to track and field. It supplements other sports, by getting in better shape with your speed, running, jumping and endurance.”
From an administration standpoint, FHS athletic director Blair King said not having a usable track hurts in several ways.
“Track is able to pay for bus drivers, uniforms, equipment and expenses for regional and track meets,” he said. “Also, these student-athletes are having to travel more, which means more time out of class. Lastly, their parents are having to take off work more often and don’t get the opportunity to see their children compete at home.”
Unknown future
County commissioners have discussed ideas for planning the future when it comes to Franklin High School. However, they haven’t come close to reaching a decision whether they want to renovate the campus or build a new one at another location.
Regardless of that decision, Brooks said he would love for the track to be ripped up, new pavement laid, plus turf installed on the football field. The facility could be used for years and years, he said.
The track is used by the Franklin track and field teams, physical education classes and is open to the public.
While it isn’t safe for other schools and athletes to use the track in competition, it’s adequate for Franklin athletes to use for practice. The Panthers are familiar with any bad spots, Brooks said. Plus, they very seldom use all six lanes, which allows them to avoid certain areas.
The track at Macon Middle School is in even worse shape and features significant areas of exposed asphalt. MMS has for years been forced to host any “home” meets at the high school. Because that’s not an option this year, the team also plans on hosting multiple meets at Western Carolina.
History
David Morgan and Bill Dyar organized the first track team at FHS in 1973. The athletes initially competed on a dirt track.
Gary Shields said in 2009, when he was Franklin’s principal, the track was first paved in the 80s and the rubber surface added a few years later.
The program exploded in the 90s, with the boys and girls teams winning multiple state championships.
The history and tradition isn’t lost on Brooks, who has coached the sport at FHS in two stints totaling 18 years.
“Track has been one of the most successful programs on this campus for a long time,” Brooks said. “It started years and years ago with David Morgan and others. We’re just trying to continue that and give our kids a lot of credit, with assistant coaches and everybody helping along way.”
Thanks to volunteers and years of experiences, Franklin typically hosts the quickest and most efficient track meets in the region. Some schools finish meets at 8:30 or 9 p.m. that Franklin would complete in two fewer hours, Brooks said.
The only thing lacking in the equation at this point is a top-notch track.
“Our throwing areas at the upper practice field are as good as anywhere in Western North Carolina,” Brooks said. “Our high jump and pole vault pads are as nice as anywhere in Western North Carolina. We have very nice hurdles, and a bunch of hurdles. Our runways are nice for the long and triple jump.
“It’s a great place to host a meet.”