New Track and Field Celebrated with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The new track and field complex at Amherst Regional High School was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 4. A large crowd of student-athletes, community members, school and town staff, and officials gathered at the new facility to welcome the return of track and field to the high school. No home meets were held at the school since 2022, when the 23-year-old six-lane track was condemned because of deterioration, structural flaws, drainage issues, and unsafe, uneven running surfaces.

Speakers included Amherst Assistant Manager Dave Ziomek, Amherst Town Council President Mandi Jo Hanneke, Amherst-Pelham Regional Public School (ARPS) Committee Chair William Scherr, ARPS Athletic Director Victoria Dawson, ARPS Superintendent Dr. E. Xiomara Herman, and three captains of the Track and Field Team (Claire F., Maeve F., and Ololara B.). They recalled that this project has been long in the making and much needed, as the existing facilities had degraded to the point that competitions could no longer be held at home for the past few years. 

The $4.6 million project received funding from the town budgets and Community Preservation Act funds of the four member towns (Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury, and Leverett), as well as from the Amherst Hurricane Boosters. Special thanks were expressed to Amherst Capital Projects Manager Bob Peirent, Dave Ziomek, and ARPS Facilities Director Michael Gallo O’Connell, as well as to student athletes for their advocacy. 

SLR Consulting designed the project, and M.J. Cataldo, Inc. built it. Specialty Turf Services will maintain the facilities for at least the first year or two.

The project was the subject of much controversy regarding the field itself, as proponents of natural grass objected to the originally proposed use of artificial turf because of environmental and safety concerns. The RSC ultimately decided to use natural grass, in part because the much more expensive artificial turf was not financially feasible. 

The new facilities include an 8-lane track, field lighting, field event stations, a concrete pad for bleachers, scoreboards, full ADA accessibility, fencing around the entire perimeter, new steps up to the parking lot, and an adjacent second full-sized playing field.