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Fulton Co. superintendent calls for community support to complete $1 million upgrade to give track and field teams a local place to practice, compete
Hickman Courier, April 28, 2016

Track, new field house to become reality

Staff report
A track master plan was presented to and accepted by the Fulton County School Board on Thursday, April 21 by a 5 to 0 vote.

The plan includes major renovations to the current Fulton County High School football field located at Sanger Field. The addition of a track to circle the existing football field is completely new. Renovations include a new field house, a field events area, new grandstand bleachers, a relocated monument, a new entry way, game-day parking and fence. The existing baseball field (Joe Coffey Field) will remain as is except for the relocation of the backstop and dugouts. The Lady Pilots Softball field will remain untouched.

The new field house will include concessions, restrooms, and locations for housing football, boys and girls track, softball, baseball and middle school football, as well as a meeting room.

The expense of the renovation is estimated to be approximately $1 million with a lot of work being completed by Fulton County Detention Center work crews, keeping the labor costs at a minimum.

“The cost analysis roughly $1 million,” stated Fulton County Schools Superintendent Aaron Collins. “We believe the generosity of the community will bring donation of materials, time, and equipment that will subsidize the cost. The new track will help in many ways, including giving our community a safe place to exercise as well as a place to host community functions such as Relay for Life.

“We know through generous donor funding, a vision will become a reality as a new track complex will make us elite in terms of facilities and give us the ability to host meets and track invitationals,” continued Supt. Collins. “We have one of the strongest cross country and track teams in the state and we need a facility that showcases our students and give them an advantage over other track teams by practicing at a track on Fulton County Schools property. Could you imagine practicing without a basketball goal?

“The only time our athletes see a track is in competition and they deserve more,” noted Supt. Collins. “Working together as a community and with private donors, we will have an athletic facility that meets the district vision of Profi ciency, Positive Relationships and Pilot Pride.”

The Pilot and Lady Pilot Track & Field Programs were started at Fulton County High School in 1986. Since its inception, the program has grown not only in number of participants but also in the school’s involvement in the many aspects of the sport.

In 1988 the school sponsored its first male Cross Country runner, 1996 saw its first female runner, and in 2005 the school fi elded its first full Cross Country Team. The year 2003 saw the formation of the Fulton County Middle School Track program and in 2006, the Jr. Pilots Youth Track & XC programs were created.