If you live in Lakewood, Ohio, you most likely have seen or utilized the Lakewood High School’s stadium. It is one of the centers of the city, a place that is rarely ever empty. Whether it’s a lone runner trying to get their workout in or a packed stadium during a Friday night football game, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Lakewood loves its stadium.
However, this summer, from July through late August, the area was taken over by the complete renovation and construction of a brand new track. This new track consists of a beautiful black surface with crisp, clear white letters and lines, blue arrows, and red and yellow accents.
The people of Lakewood were long overdue for a new track. The old track had many cracks and holes and was incredibly worn out from years and years of activity. According to Rob Slone, the Athletic Director here at Lakewood High School, “the track was originally put down around 1990, and it was red….and then they resurfaced that with the black track, probably in 2005 or 2006.” This means that the base of the old track was around 35 years old, and so worn that there was no way it could have possibly provided good support for these athletes’ legs.
This called for a complete restart and restoration of the track. They “went down to the bare minimum, scraped it all out to dirt, and put a new foundation on,” Slone said. He added that this part of the process was the most time-consuming, taking about six weeks to cure. However, this was arguably the most crucial part of the renovation. Without it, the track would still have a worn, crumbling base, which makes the top layer even less supportive.
After that, they attempted to go in with the painting process; however, “rain created some issues where we couldn’t stripe it,” said Slone. This was a major delay in the operation as a whole, significant enough that the very first home football game was played on a field with a blank black track. It also caused some problems for the athletes of Lakewood High School.
The summer months are the time when the fall athletes start gearing up for their upcoming seasons. Practicing day and night is the marching band, which must be prepared from the very beginning of school to make its big debut at the first home football game. The renovation affected everyone, but the marching band was hit the hardest.
They were “only able to march on the field for maybe 10 hours of the 30-plus hours we practice in the summer,” said Cora Barcelona, a 4-year Rangerette entering her senior year. This was a tough obstacle to overcome for the group as a whole, as they weren’t able to practice in the same conditions that they would perform in.
So how did they do it? “For a lot of it, we had to go to the makeshift football field in the baseball stadium, or we had to go in the back lot—and march on the grass, which resulted in a lot of people falling over because of holes in the ground,” said Barcelona. Thankfully, there were no injuries during this time, aside from a few twisted ankles.
However, no student who signs up for marching band is anticipating these conditions, especially at Lakewood High School. With the track rain delay and six-week curing time during the renovation, the marching band had a tough summer. But was it worth it?
The new track is really something special, an important piece of our city that will be used over and over for years to come. It is especially important for the Lakewood High track and cross country teams, who practice on it outside throughout the year.
Adam Swiat, the track and cross country coach at Lakewood High, said that “what we have out there now is brand new, super spongy. Everyone really enjoys being on it right now.” This new track will prevent injuries for athletes in the future, and studies have also shown that a good quality, new track can even increase speed for some runners.
This renovation may have been a long and hard one, but in the end it is sure to pay off. This new, beautiful track will continue to serve the Lakewood community—and its athletes—for many years to come.
