Written by Sara Hook \/\/ Photo provided by Jeff Montgomery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While construction of Harding\u2019s new track and field stadium remains incomplete, with the stripes now painted, it is complete enough to begin hosting events. Harding\u2019s track and field team will host a junior high meet Feb. 28 and a high school meet March 2, while the team is gearing up for the Harding Invitational March 16-17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The junior high and high school meets are an opportunity for Harding\u2019s athletes, head track and cross country coach Don Hood said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur athletes are the officials and get to run off the meet, so it\u2019s a learning experience for them and a little bit of a fundraiser for us, but it also gets a lot of Arkansas kids on our campus,\u201d Hood said. \u201c[It\u2019s] a chance to interact with our kids and for us to meet coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While construction is still going on, Hood said the department of physical resources helped them prepare for the event. Currently, the department is working on pouring concrete and installing fencing, among other projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe biggest complication is it\u2019s outside,\u201d director of physical resources Danny DeRamus said. \u201cIf we build a building, once we get a roof on it we can continue working underneath it no matter the weather. Here we are so weather dependent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another recently completed project was the installation of speakers [CHECK COMPLETION]. The speakers are located on the eastern pole lights, blowing west and away from Harding Place, construction manager Ryan Carter said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur emphasis is to really get the track done,\u201d Carter said. \u201cThen we\u2019ll start working on the field events, which are going to be located on the north side of the track.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite all the construction going on, team members are still ready to use the track. Freshman Ashley Gray said she was excited for the whole project to be complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce it\u2019s finished, it\u2019s going to be really, really nice,\u201d Gray said. \u201cI\u2019ve run on it a couple of times, and it\u2019s really soft. It\u2019s a nice surface to run on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole thing should be complete by the end of April, DeRamus said, as long as pieces like the bleachers arrive on schedule, and when it is done, it should make life easier for both the track and football coaches as they won\u2019t have to share a stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVery few Division II schools have a standalone track facility,\u201d Hood said. \u201cIt\u2019s just really exciting to see how this has all played out. The advantages, I think, it\u2019s going to give us in a lot of ways. It\u2019s going to be really good for us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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