Elizabeth High School holds first track meet in 7 years

ELIZABETH, Colo. -- Today was a day at Elizabeth High School that district leaders and the community have been determined to see through.

For the first time in seven years, the high school track team was able to host a meet.

“Oh it’s nice, it’s fast too, so it’s going to be a good meet,” said Callaway Wood, who’s a senior at Elizabeth High School. “We have fund raised a lot this year and everyone’s worked hard and done their part.”

Prior to this fall, the track was falling apart and unsafe for meets.

“It’s a big difference, last year we’d be running and there would be pieces of the track that we’d pull off and this year we don’t see any of that, it’s a perfect track this year,” said Chloe Peterson, another senior at Elizabeth High School. 

“A couple of our parents, a couple of our community members really came together, our administrators,” said Colin Lyons, head coach of Elizabeth track and field. “We were going to get it done, we were going to get the track resurfaced and ready to go.”

After a Denver7 story in 2014, a committee was formed to begin raising money for a new facility.

This fall the $120,000 track was unveiled and has been used all year for practice. On Thursday, the track was home to its first meet.

“It’s amazing, it’s really cool, we had multiple senior classes who never got to compete on their own track. Now, we’re finally able to get it to where, where they’re training and their blood, sweat and tears and they’re able to come out and showcase it in front of the community,” said Lyons.

The pole vault pit is also brand new featuring the latest safety equipment. This is the first time pole vault has been held competitively since student T.J. Shriner died during competition in 1991.