Bellefonte is set to host its first home track & field meet in nearly 3 decades on Tuesday
Tuesday will mark an historic event for Bellefonte track and field.
The track at the newly renovated Rogers Stadium will finally be put to use in official action as the Red Raiders will host a home meet — against Bald Eagle Area and Clearfield — for the first time since 1992.
While the stadium’s renovations were finished in the summer of 2019, the team never got the chance to compete in it due to the shortened 2019-20 season that was prematurely canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“The beginning of the season last year was just phenomenal,” 13th-year head coach Seth Miller said. “We were pretty excited to actually be at the facility and have that opportunity. We determined we are much more efficient at running our practices at an actual facility than what we were running around a middle school parking lot or (before construction) at the Old Rogers Stadium.”
The Red Raiders were faced with many challenges over the offseason, from hosting Zoom meetings instead of practices and having to follow social distancing guidelines. Girls’ senior runner Abbye Schomer highlighted some specific challenges the team had to deal with.
“With COVID, it’s been more challenging with the masks but I think that we’ve done a really good job with dealing with that,” Schomer said. “I know that for the team it’s definitely harder to work through that but we’ve been pushing through.”
To limit the chance of a COVID-19 outbreak happening within the team, Miller split his team up into pods. The athletes completed workouts and practices separately.
But the safeguards paid off, as the team was able to finally compete in the new Rogers Stadium for the first time last Tuesday, when it scrimmaged against Jersey Shore. Miller said that about 300-400 people came out for the meet.
“It was amazing,” Miller said. “It shows that there’s an interest in track and field in this community.”
It’s estimated that Rogers Stadium can hold up to 3,200 to 3,400 people. With Gov. Tom Wolf’s new guidelines that allow outdoor venues to hold up to 50% of their capacity, a maximum of 1,600-1,700 fans and community members will be allowed to witness the Red Raiders’ home meets this season.
Miller’s teams have been competitive throughout his time as head coach at Bellefonte, and his runners are predicting much of the same this season. Senior JD Besch — who competes in shot put — is excited to finally have a home and share the program’s success with the greater community.
“I think it means a lot, you know, over the past three years representing at all away meets, it’s nice to show off what we’ve built and what we have to the community and to other schools around the area,” Besch said. “Personally, I want to throw over 50 feet in shot put and contend for the school record. But, for the team, we want to contend for the Mountain League and put on a good performance for districts.”
The girls’ team also shares similar aspirations, Schomer said, and wants to pick up where they left off last time they competed. Miller echoed that sentiment, saying he wants to get individual team members to compete at their highest levels in May.
The goals of winning league titles and qualifying athletes for states haven’t changed, Miller said.
“The girls’ team as a whole, we were really close to winning the Mountain League two years ago, so I feel like we all really want to win it this year,” Schomer said.
Getting to represent its school in a new stadium means a lot to Miller’s runners, as they feel a new sense of unity and a desire to compete as hard as they can to show the Red Raiders’ increased school spirit.
“For sure there’s definitely an added motivation, you can just tell (the kids) are more proud of being part of this,” Miller said. “We should be proud of our team, our school, our community and now you can put a little chip on your shoulder that gives you a little more to be proud of because of the facility we have.”
As for runners to watch out for this season, Miller mentioned Besch as the team’s top shot putter and one of the best in the district. He also highlighted junior javelin thrower William Brininger, senior Austin Melius and junior Chase Ebeling as distance runners, and juniors Jacob Hummel and Nolan Weaver as jumpers.
Miller really likes the direction the girls’ team is heading, specifically acknowledging the distance runners as its go-to group. He included junior Mia Elmore, senior Mykayla Cole, senior Sara Tressler and freshman Sara Proctor as runners to watch this season.
Bellefonte’s first home meet is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 6:48 PM.