Tribune photo by Chris Ellis - Reed High sophomores Tarin Kester (left) and Sara Hartmann get in some running work on the Reed track during a recent Raiders practice. The RHS track team hosts the Reed Rotary meet this weekend.
The Reed event originated in 1983 and the Sparks Rotary Club has been a sponsor for the last 20 years.
This year, 36 teams will compete, including nearly all the 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A schools from Northern Nevada. Four teams from California will attend as well as Capital High School from Boise.
“This has been one of the biggest events as far as track is concerned in Northern Nevada,” RHS coach Dale Moss said. “It’s usually bigger than state and region meets because so many schools come to participate in this thing.”
Reed and it’s volunteers have been getting prepared for the meet since December. It takes neearly 70 volunteers to help organize and officiate the meet.
Lynn Mentzer is the meet director for the Rotary meet and is very involved, Moss said.
“This is his baby,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from him, learning how much it takes.”
Reed uses the Rotary meet as a way to judge the competition before regionals and as the biggest fund-raiser for Reed track.
Moss said that all the 4A schools haven’t been in a meet together this year, so it’s a good way to check out what the competition will be like for the end of the season.
During the meet, many awards and much recognition are given out, including the Northern Nevada Coaches Association announcement of its nominations for the Northern Nevada Hall of Fame.
Even though putting together such a large event is tough, Moss said the coaching staff still likes to hold the meet
“We’re on the higher end of things,” Moss said. “People look up to us as a program and for the way the meet is ran. People want to mimic or copy the way things are done. It’s a pride factor for coaches.”
The athletes benefit by getting to compete against not only schools in their own league but out-of-state opponents as well.
“We’re able to let all our athletes compete,” Moss said. “It gives them the opportunity to show off.”
The Raiders hope to start advertising at the meet this weekend for donations to renovate the track complex. Moss said he has spoken with three companies and it will cost about $300,000 to $500,000 to resurface the deteriorating track.
“The asphalt underneath is breaking down and there are cracks in the track (because of it),” Moss said. “We've been a major host for regional finals and state championships almost every time it's in Northern Nevada but because the track is deteriorating it's not been quite as great.”
Moss doesn't want a shoddy track to be a reason why teams don't want to compete at Reed.
“We want to host state and regionals,” he said. “We want people to come to the Reed Rotary. We don’t want them to use the deterioration as a reason not to come.”
The track was resurfaced in 2000 and was the first all-weather track in the area. It was installed in 1992.
The track staff is working on building a Web site where people can donate to the track cause. Moss hopes it can be resurfaced by summer of 2009.
“We're going to ruffle a few feathers and shake a few trees,” Moss said.
The meet kicks off Friday at 3:30 p.m. and will resume at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
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