Pretty soon, the new all-weather track at Paris will be ready for a run.

After almost a full year of work, the school-funded project is installed around Warbritton Field along with revamped field areas, including resurfaced runways for events such as the long jump and pole vault. 

Athletic director and track and field head coach Gary Crusha said it is a relief that the project is done after it was started in August last year and has come fully to fruition after many years without an all-weather track. Crusha mentioned Paris now has access to a rubberized track like the other members of the Lewis and Clark Conference now as Salisbury had theirs put in last year, but there are so many other reasons why this was such a big goal.

“Ever since I became athletic director in 2017, that was one of my big goals,” Crusha said. “That’s one thing I pushed for, and there was a lot of support for it in our community. We have a good cross country and track community.”

Having these types of facilities is a first for Crusha as he has been a track and field head coach for 20 years, including 13 with Paris, but has never been able to use an all-weather track regularly. He said it is a better surface that will endure through all kinds of elements as the gravel track Paris had for as long the school has been in existence wouldn’t absorb moisture as well as the new track.

“The preparation and adjustment for the season will be great,” Crusha said. “It will also benefit other sports who want to go out there and run on the track and also the community that wants to use the track for exercise.”

Crusha recalls the previous facilities not being exact in distance like at meets so that’s no longer a problem and also kids would only have to stop running in heavy rain or a thunderstorm because the track dries quickly. The gravel track would be too muddy after precipitation, he said.

The circumference area around the football field was muddy for a long time, Crusha said. The Fisher Tracks company out of Iowa that was hired to install the track — and also installed Salisbury’s and resurfaced Moberly’s — would need to stop during cold months during the previous year as pouring asphalt can’t be done if the temperature falls below 60 degrees.  

All the effort was worth it, though, as the obvious benefits come to the school’s cross country and track and field programs. Crusha said he felt they needed to be invested in as the Coyotes and Lady Coyotes have sent many athletes to state meets and have had several earn medals, with Paris cross country demonstrating success in its first year with qualifiers and a medalist.

“It might show some kids who are interested in track and field that we are really trying to support what they’re trying to do, and hopefully they’ll be more interested in coming out,” Crusha said.

A big selling point for the enduring project was its benefit to the community, Crusha said, as Paris plans to open the track to the public for exercise at certain times of the day, once the current 30-day rubber curing period elapses. He said the specific times still need to be discussed as it needs to be kept open for some physical education classes during the school year and for practices.

Whatever is decided, Crusha said the new facilities should be available to everybody because it wouldn’t have happened without everybody.

“I want to thank our community for support and our board members were 100 percent on board with this,” Crusha said. “As an athletic director and a track coach, I want to express my appreciation for the support of building this facility.”