Gainesville, Mo. – The Gainesville School District is moving forward with a long‑awaited upgrade to its athletic facilities. Through the Land Water Conservation Fund, the district received a $500,000 matching grant to build a brand‑new, eight‑lane track that meets all regulation standards.
The total project cost is projected at $1 million. The district has already raised $79,000 from community contributions and will match the remaining grant funds, fulfilling a key item in its long‑range facilities plan.
Improved Facilities for Students and the Community
Current conditions have forced track athletes to practice off the track because of a hard, flooded surface and water‑filled lanes. The new track will feature a softer surface suitable for spikes, proper lane measurements, and the ability to host events such as pole vault, long jump, triple jump, and properly set up hurdles.
Assistant coach David Murphy explained, “The expansion of the track is going to allow us to have pole vault. We’ve never had pole vault here. Our long jump is not great, so we’ll have long jump, triple jump. We’ll be able to do those things correctly, train for those things correctly.”
Hosting Regional Meets
Head coach Gary Emrick highlighted the travel burden on athletes, noting that district meets currently require a three‑ to three‑and‑a‑half‑hour drive. “Eventually, we’re hoping to maybe get it put in, and us host it because, with our class too, a lot of them don’t have tracks unless you’re farther up north,” he said.
Murphy added that a local venue would let families and grandparents watch their children compete without long trips, strengthening community ties.
Community Access
The track is adjacent to Hoerman Memorial Park and already serves local residents for walking, running, and biking. “We love to share the track,” Murphy said. “Right now, even when we’re having practice, we’ll have community members come down. They’ll walk, they’ll run, they’ll ride their bikes. We just ask them to stay to the outside lanes, and they work with us great.”
District officials plan to begin the bid process in November and December, after which a timeline for construction will be established.
Original reporting: KY3 Springfield (local) — read the source article.
