Can you imagine having a competitive football team when the only place they have to practice everyday is a concrete parking lot? Well, much the same can be said for the Eufaula track program when the decision was made in the 1970’s not to install a track around the new football field that was being built. Boys track coach and football coach Larry Newton Jr. has been with the program for many of those years and feels like perhaps the community is starting to take note.
“We just passed a bond issue to get new turf on the football field but nothing for track. But I think there are enough people in the community interested in track that somewhere down the line in the next couple of years we’ll get one builtprobably at the middle school. But right now it’s tough competing when almost every school we go against has a track of their own. We will go to Checotah once in a while to practice relay handoffs but that’s pretty inconvenient. Our distance runners run the town but it’s pretty up-and-down terrain. We’ll set up some hurdles on a street by the football field for our hurdlers but it’s curvy and not like putting on the spikes and running on a real track. Having coaches is also a problem because coach Dom (girl’s coach Jason Radomski) and I also have to run the middle school programs so if they have a meet there’s no one to work with the high school track folks,” said Newton.
Despite the disadvantages, the Ironhead track program is optimistic with the season underway, particularly for the guys.
“We’ve got everyone back that qualified for state last year,” said Newton. “Our 4X100 relay team made up of Ledger Folsom, Maddox Bridges, Dresden Chiles and Peter Lee and Ledger in the 100-meter dash just missed qualifying for the finals last year at state and they’re doing well so far this year. These guys also run the 4X200 relay. Hunter Fletcher is running the open 200 for us but we don’t really have a flat surface long enough for him to practice on and we also have a freshman in Broc Martin who has the second fastest time in the 100 among all freshmen in all classes that’s making a big contribution. We’ve got a shot-put thrower in Simeon Hill who’s throwing in the 40 plus range that’s doing well but again there’s not really a good place for him to practice. We’ve got more depth than we’ve ever had with over 40 guys out this year which I think speaks to the increased interest in track around here.”
On the girls’ side, things are still in a state of flux according to Radomski who also coaches the girls’ basketball team and is in his first year as the girls’ track coach.
“Last year according to coach Newton we only had three or four girls involved. So this year I’ve got the whole basketball team out for track, some by choice and other’s not so much,” laughed Radomski. “We’re really still trying to figure out who will run in what events and like the guys, doing it without a real practice facility.”
Early in his coaching career, Newton helped develop a solid track program at Skiatook and knows how important having good facilities can be in an athlete’s success chances.
“Years ago, most people didn’t have a track facility, and everyone was on more equal footing. I love track, and I saw how things could change with a facility when I was at Skiatook. It’s hard for us as coaches to ask kids to give their best when we’re not giving them the tools to be able to do that.”
