By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
It's an oft-used movie line, but it still rings true: if you build it, they will come. Monday night, the USD 428 Board of Education approved up to $2 million in renovations to the track and turf at Great Bend High School. The vote not only replaces facilities in desrepair and need of replacement, but updates to the facilities will likely help the district host other marquee events like a track and field regional.
The cost just to repair the surface of the track and turf comes in just shy of $1 million. The board approved an additional $1 million in contingencies and upgrades. The track bed alone could cost upwards of $500,000 to repair.
"The one thing we really don't know for sure is the track and the base of the track," said Assistant Superintendent John Popp. "We're pretty confident, with the size of the cracks in the track, we're going to have to go down beyond just the coating. We're going to have to go down and maybe even have to do some foundation work on the track, take it clear down and build it back up."
One upgrade to the facility will be turfing over the current high jump pit on the south end of the football field. The entire area on the north end, known as the D Zone, will be covered with track material at a cost of approximately $260,000. That will open up the facility to larger meets like regionals.
"(Coach Lyles Lashley has) been real leery of hosting a regional track meet at that venue," said Activities Director Matt Westerhaus. "Having that would, he's all on board with hosting a regional track meet. If you know Coach Lashley and what he does to prepare for invitational and regional cross country, he's on board for hosting as much as he possibly can at this venue."
Another upgrade will be the installation of Cushdrain beneath the turf. The elastic pad has a 25-year warranty and improves a field's drainage and shock absorption, which is helpful for longevity and safety.
"We have earmarked pretty much $2 million to replace this turf and track for a while now," said Popp. "If we get at that $2 million mark and still get the D Zone and the Cushdrain and some of these other things in, we're going to feel really good about that."
Texas-based Hellas Construction has installed turf in some of the most famous facilities in the nation, and Great Bend Rec has used the company on its recent projects. Hellas will do the work at Memorial Stadium with a start date after graduation in May, and a finish date by Aug. 1, 2023.
Early renditions of the overhaul show a bi-color football field with the paw at the center of the field replaced by the GBHS panther logo. The end zones are black with red letters and white outlines. The track will be red with black exchange zones so runners can better see the boundaries.
With construction to begin just after the school year, the facilities will be closed for much of the summer. The board agreed the facilities would remain open to the public once work is complete.
"We always keep it open," said Superintendent Khris Thexton. "We know it's a piece of the community, and the community uses it and will have access to it. You can't not go by that high school and see somebody either on the track or turf, which is fine."
The overhaul of the track will include new surfaces on the jumping and pole vault runways behind the main bleachers. The board will look into filling some of that space in with concrete or using the old turf to cover gravel areas. The board also discussed recycling some of the old turf on elementary school playgrounds.
Additional upgrades for the new project may include new goal posts and electrical conduits at select locations around the turf. The track was last replaced in 2004, and the turf was last replaced in 2008
"Anytime anybody says they can't believe it's been 14 years, they're shocked," Thexton said. "A lot of that has to do with Cody (Schmidt) and his staff, putting a lot of time into it, keeping it groomed and taken care of. It's not without a lot of effort to keep it up."