Track & Field Facility Construction

[danefan]

This track is going to be awesome, probably the nicest outdoor track and field venue in the state. We are going to have the oppertunity to host the NYS HS Championship every year. That will be a boost for the area.

 

The NYSPHSAA prefers championships rotating between sections as there are very nice HS ones out there: C/N-S, Rochester area, Middletown, Kingston, Vestal. Albany may get a year every so often. People rag on UB Stadium as a football venue with the track, for good reason. But as a T&F facility it's considered world class: facilites for every event possible including steeplechase pits, advanced timing and scoring systems, and locker rooms for hundreds of athletes. It was built for the World University games, hosted the 1998 D-1 Men's and Women's Outdoor Championships, several Empire State Games and MAC Outdoor Championships. Despite its quality, we last hosted the high school state championships in 2008.

 

The one thing Albany has over just about every other location that has hosted the track championships is a central location.

 

Buffalo is a very very long ride for the kids from the eastern sections.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see it rotated in and out of Albany every other year or every three.

 

[UBBulls]

It's possible, but unlikely, as they prefer rotating sites between sections for most outdoor sports championships. Vestal and Middleton are technically more centralized to the Buff/Roc and Downstate population centers, which is why they'd earned sites selection. Albany gets its first chance in '15 and we'll see from there. I'd bet on Kingston losing out in the rotation with Middletown (Sec 9) and UAlbany (Sec 2) having better facilities, with a rotation of those two with C N-S (Sec 3), Vestal (Sec 4), Caledonia-Mumford (Sec 5), and UB (Sec 6).

 

Don't discount quality seating too, if your coach has dreams of major championships. The D-1 Championships here in '98 brought a 2/3 full UB stadium at times (16,500 capacity then), and the HS championships in '08 had, by my guess, 6k-7k out even with WNY being an outpost.

[danefan]

The one thing that our new facility won't have that a lot of the other top tier T&F facilities in NY do is a jumptron.

 

Middletown high school has as huge jumbotron that is linked with the built-in track timing system. The runner carry chips in their shoes which automatically record unofficial times and immediately post on the results board on the jumotron.

 

Pretty cool as a spectator.

Edited May 10, 2013 by danefan

[danefan]

Will the public be allowed to run on the new track? If not, I will miss doing speed workouts there.

 

Good question. The one thing I've seen other top qualtiy T&F facilities do is put "lane guards" up on the inside 3 lanes. Those lanes get the brunt of the use and wear down the quickest (as evidenced by our old track which literally had no rubber left in lane 1).

 

The guards are swinging railes that swing out over the inside 3 lanes.

[UAalum72]

Will the public be allowed to run on the new track? If not, I will miss doing speed workouts there.

 

Good question. The one thing I've seen other top qualtiy T&F facilities do is put "lane guards" up on the inside 3 lanes. Those lanes get the brunt of the use and wear down the quickest (as evidenced by our old track which literally had no rubber left in lane 1).

 

The guards are swinging railes that swing out over the inside 3 lanes.

When Drake rebuilt their track a few years ago they added a couple of recreation lanes to the outside of the competition track.

[UAalum72]

University Field as we knew it is no more; the goalposts are down

 

and the sod has been removed

[MRSGDG]

Picture from today..

 

[MRSGDG]

Picture from today. Great to see consistency between this and the stadium, they're using the same cement brick pattern.

 

Edited July 9, 2013 by MsGDG

[TruthbeTold]

Nice to see the facility continuing it's upgrade for UALBANY'S NUMBER 1 COACH THAT HAS BROUGHT UALBANY THE MOST NCAA DIV.1 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN IT'S HISTORY... WHILE HAVING ABSOLUTELY NONE, NIL, NADA, ZIPPO, ZERO, ZIP, ZILCH, APPROVED FACILITIES TO HOLD EITHER A PRACTICE....OR MOST OF ALL..... A HOME...YEA, A HOME WHERE IT COULD HAVE A MEET APPROVED BY THE NCAA!!!!!!!!

 

YET THIS COACH still, over the past 12 years that UAlbany bas been a NCAA Div. 1 entity, has a MULTITUDE of NCAA DIV.1 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS.....MORE THAN ANY OTHER UALBANY COACH!!!!!

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UALBANY MEN'S AND WOMEN'S INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS....AND TO THE ULABANY xCOUNTRY MENS AND WOMENS TEAMS for ASSISTING TO bringing this UNIVERSITY (yeaaaaa, that means diversity) THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN IT'S HISTORY..... A FACT THAT IS INDISPUTABLE!!!!!!!!

 

THANKS .....COACH VIVES ....and his vast array of assistant coaches that HAVE PRODUCED THE MOST NCAA DIV. 1 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS THAT THE UALBANY COMMUNITY HAS EVER SEEN, SETTING THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE OUTDOOR AND INDOOR TRACK PROGRAMS!!!! THEN, ADD the accomplishments and achievements that the UALBANY MEN'S AND WOMEN'S X COUNTRY TEAMS HAVE brought to the University....simply "frosting on the cake", if you can fathom what I'm saying!!

 

Perfect example, take a look at the two (2) Outdoor Track and Field "student-athletes" ( ALEXANDER BOWEN and ALFONSO SCANNAPIECO....yeaaaa, the next time you see them....say "congrats") that were CHAMPIONS in the America East Conference finals, where this propelled them to compete against the best of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in the IC4A CHAMPIONSHIPS...where they CAME OUT CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!

THEN THEY HAD TO COMPETE against the BEST THAT THE EAST HALF OF THE UNITED STATES HAD TO OFFER IN THE NCAA DIV. 1 EASTERN TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS....AND STILL THEY CAME OUT DESIGNATED CHAMPIONS!!!! THIS got them to the NATIONAL NCAA DIV. 1 OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN EUGENE, OREGON....YEAAAA BABY, "RUNNING WITH THE WOLVES" IN THIS MEET!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE TWO (2) GENTLEMEN...THESE TWO "STUDENT-ATHLETES" FOR REPRESENTING UALBANY AT THE HIGHEST OF ALL COMPETITIONS!!!!!

 

In conclusion, a coach that has nearly HALF of the UAl;bany America East / NCAA Div. 1 Championships, UNARGUABLY THE MOST IN ANY SPORT(S) BY ANY COACH IN UALBANY's FABLED SPORTS HISTORY.....NICE TO SEE HIM AND ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN HIS PROGRAM(S).... HAVE THE FIRST (OF TWO THAT ARE NEEDED) HOME FACILITY WHERE THE OUTDOOR MEN'S AND WOMEN'S PROGRAMS CAN ACTUALLY HAVE NCAA DIV. 1 SANCTIONED EVENTS.....AND , MOST OF ALL, A PLACE TO CALL................HOME!!

[Clickclack]

Wow... Coffee? Or something stronger?

Edited July 10, 2013 by Clickclack

[TruthbeTold]

PS.... THANKS MsGDG, for posting the photos!! The NINE TIME...yea, NINE TIME...AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP UALBANY MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD TEAM AND THE FIVE TIME....yea, FIVE TIME...AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP UALBANY WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD TEAM are standing behind your posts and enjoying every shot that you put up!!!!!!

 

Particularly, the Men's team with the eight (8) "student-athletes" that UAlbany sent to the East NCAA Div.1 Championships; the six (6) members designated as "All Academic" team selections; Delallo & Fanning named Capital One Academic All-District representatives; Bowen & Scannapieco that contended at the NCAA Div. 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon; the four (4) Great Danes that competed at the USA Track and Field Junior Championships and the honors and accolades that were bestowed and EARNED by these atheletes and enjoyed by the ENTIRE UALBANY COMMUNITY...... SEZ "THANKS" FOR THE PHOTOS and if you think these shots are great.........WAIT UNTIL YOU CAPTURE THE HUNDREDS OF "STUDENT-ATHLETES" THAT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH EVEN GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ATHLETIC / ARTISTIC "EXPOSURE" (funny, eh...I know many on here couldn't fathom the humor...heh, heh).

[Oldtimer]

Good to see the enthusiasm of Truthbe Told. I too can't wait to bask in the sun and watch a DI track and field meet. The new facility should be a great recruiting tool for Coach Vives and his wonderful staff.

[UAalum72]

Office of Facilities Management's recently updated report (Jan. 22) includes:

 

The new Track & Field venue at the former University Field is nearing final completion. Grading and asphalt track sub-base was completed along with all site work including retaining walls, drainage and retention basins, natural turf infield w/irrigation, and fencing at the venue. However, unfavorable weather conditions slowed the installation of the new synthetic surfacing material due to the need to maintain minimum air temperatures for placement of the two-part track surface. Because of the delay, only the installation of the track material was completed before winter conditions prevailed. The final step for completion is the striping of the surface which requires moderate temperatures and dry conditions for several consecutive days to allow for the coating system to properly adhere to the track surface. It is anticipated that this work will take place before April 01, 2014. Once complete, the venue will be ready for use.

 

The nearby hammer throw facility south of the existing softball field was completed in fall 2013.

 

http://www.albany.edu/facilities/fp/athleticfields.html

 

And in answer to a question above in post #29 , the track "when not in use for competitions, will be available for casual and recreational use."

[dslyank]

nm

Edited February 2, 2014 by dslyank

[UAalum72]

With our new track facilities, Section II was able to host the state T&F championships in over forty years (Mont Pleasant 1974)

 

http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Izaiah-Brown-sets-400-meter-record-at-state-track-6324789.php