BY TRISTAN SASSE
On August 26 at 2:00 PM, Fort Hays State University was proud to host the dedication ceremony for the new, state of the art, track and field facility and the naming of “Alex Francis Track”. Alex Francis coached at Fort Hays from 1946-1980 and helped the cross county team become four-time national champions (1963, ‘65, ‘68, and ‘69). The Tigers Cross Country team also finished as national runner-up four times under Coach Francis’ helm.
The ceremony consisted of many speakers, including: Master of Ceremonies and Athletic Director Curtis Hammeke, Interim President Dr. Andy Tompkins, current Track and Field & Cross Country Head Coach Jason McCullough, former Track and Field Head Coach Dennis Weber, and Kelly Wycoff, a senior track and field student-athlete. All presenters were delighted to speak on behalf of the dedication of the nine-lane, 400-meter, all-weather running track and field event areas. Construction began in April of 2016 for the $3.28 million facility and was finished in December of 2016. Three events were held at the track and field last spring.
The event was open to the public and had many people in attendance. Current and former coaches, athletes, faculty and fans were present. The FHSU Track and Field Facility, was one of a numerous number of projects completed within the past year on campus, along with the Applied Technology building and two residence halls. Conclusively, the ceremony ended with Dr. Tompkins and the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting.
The Tigers are ready to begin practice on the new facility after setting standards high a season ago. All-American and current four event school record holder Kelly Wycoff stated, “I’m really looking forward to fall training and indoor and outdoor season in the spring. I think we have a great combination of veterans and newcomers, so I’m excited to see how we can use that to our advantage.” With all of the upgrades around Fort Hays State University, it gives the community an even bigger reason to be excited for this upcoming school year.
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