CSUN University News Clippings

Cal State Northridge has built one of the state’s top track facilities

(May 28, 2009)

By ALLAN STEELE
The Press-Enterprise RIVERSIDE - Judging by results, the UC Riverside track and field teams have come a long way in the past five years. But orange cones strategically placed along the campus track tell another side of the story.

The Highlanders will send 11 athletes to this weekend’s West Region championships in Eugene, Ore., an impressive number considering the team practices on a track unfit for competition and in such disrepair it’s become a liability issue. Orange cones highlight holes and cracks in the surface, areas the athletes have to avoid during training.

The track’s condition has become a point of contention between Coach Irv Ray, who says he’s just trying to build a legitimate Division I program, and the school administration, which is struggling with financial challenges and budget cuts. Resurfacing the track and fixing the infrastructure could cost upwards of $1 million, Ray said.

“There hasn’t been a real decisive direction from the university at what they’re going to do with that facility,” said Ray, who took over the track and cross country programs in 2003. “It’s the university’s facility. I’m just the caretaker.”

Other Big West schools have recently upgraded their track and field facilities. UC Irvine, which hosted the conference championships two weeks ago, spent $553,000 last year to resurface its track and install a hammer cage. Cal State Fullerton recently resurfaced its track, and Cal State Northridge, which hosted the West Regional meet last year, has built one of the state’s top facilities.

At last week’s town hall meeting detailing budget cuts, UCR chancellor Timothy P. White said state funds won’t be helping anytime soon. White said fundraising by the athletic department would be crucial to overcome the budget shortfalls.

Athletic Director Stan Morrison said he’s approached potential donors and the school is “exploring several options,” but there is no time table to fix the track.

In the meantime, the team practices and continues to improve. The women’s team has finished second and third the past two seasons at the Big West championship, and the men had two individual champions for the first time in school history. The women’s cross country team, which works out on the track in the fall, won its first title this past season.

Ray said he’s tried to instill a mental toughness in the squad. He likes to compare his team to Abebe Bikila, the Ethiopian runner who shocked the world at the 1960 Rome Olympics by running barefoot and setting a world record.

But that doesn’t make it any easier on runners who have gone their entire collegiate careers without a home meet. The track was closed to competitions four years ago.

“It’s vicious and it’s gotten worse,” senior Danielle Evans said of the track. “You have to be careful so you don’t injure yourself.”

Evans attributes her shin splints to the tough track surface. After a morning practice this week, one runner was picking pieces of the track out of her cleats.

“They’ve said it’s on the list of things to do,” Evans said. “I wish we could actually see the fruit of that … There are nearby high schools that have way better tracks than this. I’d say a dirt track would be better at this point. You won’t hurt yourself or bust an ankle.”

Ray has faced challenges before coming to UCR: He won an NAIA title at California Baptist despite the school not even having a track. But the expectations for a Division I institution should be higher, he said.

“If you had a classroom where ceiling tiles are falling down or paint was peeling off the walls or chairs were breaking, you would repair it and make it proper so people could go in and study and have classes,” he said. “That’s a classroom out there. That’s a classroom for about 80 student-athletes every day. It should be serviced at a level that is appropriate and safe.”

Reach Allan Steele at 951-368-9648 or asteele@PE.com

Publication: Riverside Press-Enterprise