Students, coaches, and the community
celebrated last month as the inaugural soccer and junior varsity
football games were played on the newly renovated Rogers High School
track and field.
The first games on the new turf took place on October 2 in a match-up between Rogers
and Puyallup high school girls soccer teams. Junior varsity soccer
players took to the field first, followed by the varsity teams for a
night game under the lights.
As referees led varsity teams onto the
field for player introductions, game announcers made special note over
the intercom of the historic event taking place on the new turf.
Then, as darkness fell, all eyes were
focused on the athletes as they moved the ball up and down the field
before a crowd of nearly 200 cheering family members, students, and
community members.
“I spoke with a number of the adults
and fans that night who were grateful for the wonderful facility upgrade
and for what it means to Rogers High School athletes and programs,”
said Rick Wells, director of athletics, health, and fitness. “This field
is a great addition to our district and community.”
Rogers High senior Lauren Swinney, a
defender on the varsity soccer team, praised the quality of the
artificial turf field and said she appreciates being able to practice
and play games at her home school.
“It definitely adds to school spirit,”
she said. “It’s also awesome being able to drive down the street next
to it and see it all lit up.”
Several days later, the Rogers High
junior varsity football team had its moment in the spotlight, playing
its first home game on the field against Emerald Ridge High School.
The track and field is used by Rogers
High School students for P.E. classes, as well as for junior varsity and
varsity girls soccer practices and games, junior varsity football
practices and games, varsity football practices, cross-country, and
track.
All high school varsity football games continue to be played at Sparks Stadium.
When open and not in use by district
schools, the track and field will be available for use by the community.
The field has markings suitable for football, soccer, and lacrosse.
Final work on the project, including
construction of a press box and storage building, is expected this
winter, said project manager Mike Meadows.
A new bleacher section on the south
side of the field is also expected to be inspected and approved by
Pierce County officials for opening this winter.
Meanwhile, students have been taking
advantage of the many other improvements completed over the summer,
including an all-weather synthetic artificial turf field, field
lighting, long-jump and triple-jump runways, a shot put throwing pad and
landing areas, new walkways and fencing, and a newly resurfaced and
restriped track.
One of the most noticeable
improvements, Wells said, is the artificial turf field. The new surface
replaces a grass field that had divots and was
prone to puddles and other standing water problems during rainy weather.
Rogers High athletic coordinator Peter
Collins said, “The appearance and quality of the field turf is great —
better than we’ve experienced from other new fields on which we’ve
played. It is really nice to be able to practice on campus without
having to travel to various places in the district on different days of
the week.”
The renovated field has a subsurface
drainage system that supports having it used year-round. It also
features a large two-toned blue “R,” representing Rogers High and the
school colors. The letter is inlaid with field turf fabric in the center
of the field.
The $3 million of improvements were
paid for with state-matching funds and interest income collected through
the voter-approved 2004 school bond. State law requires that matching
funds be used for capital (construction-related) projects.
The school board agreed last year to
renovate the track and field to provide students and the community with
quality practice and game surfaces while freeing up time at Sparks
Stadium in downtown Puyallup for other school athletic uses.