Spring Cove School Board weighs indoor track team

Board member proposes adding program to district’s athletics

ROARING SPRING -- A Spring Cove School Board member proposed adding an indoor track team to the district's athletics program during Monday's committee of the whole meeting.

"This would be an opportunity to showcase them in a way that we never showcased our track athletes before," member Erika Smith said to the board.

She said all participants are lumped into a quad A division, and not every school district offers the sport. Because the PIAA sanctioned indoor track a year and a half ago, clubs can no longer participate in sanctioned meets.

"It brings about a need for us to approve this and add it to our athletic programs so our kids don't miss out on this opportunity," she said.

There are currently 228 schools participating in girls and boys indoor track and field, she said. District 6 currently has five school teams registered in the PIAA.

After meeting with the president of the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association, she said the process is close to seamless. The students will attend the meets, and when they hit qualifying standards, they can enter the Penn Track XC State Championship meet and go into seed pools. Depending on the numbers for each event, those students can be admitted into the program.

According to last year's Dickinson College indoor track and field meet, Smith said they charged $40 per athlete, and an athlete can compete in up to four events.

She said that number would apply to bigger city schools, and the Spring Cove School District wouldn't take that many students.

"A lot of our kids are three-sport athletes, and they are doing winter sports at that time," she said. "But we do have several who are not winter sports athletes who are probably (some) of the fastest athletes in the state in the events that they do."

Looking at past results from varsity athletes, she mentioned a male student who could possibly bring home gold or silver medals at an indoor track meet.

"We can hang, we have kids that can hang with those big city schools," she said.

Board President Amy Acker Knisely asked Smith where students could practice when the weather gets cold, and Smith suggested a 20- to 30-meter rollout runway.

Smith said the runway is made of a thick piece of rubber that rolls onto a cart, similar to a thin wrestling mat. She said a few community members were willing to donate the money for a runway

Board member Alyssa McGregor said adding an indoor track program would also be a good use of their approved athletic van.

The season usually starts in early December and runs through the winter, with a state championship meet in early March at Penn State.

"Anything that gives more opportunities to students I'm all for," Acker-Knisely said.

Acting Superintendent Steven Foor said the district never had an official indoor track and field program before, but interested students could participate in a neighboring district's program.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.