The Clackamas print., January 27, 2010, Page 10, Image 10

10 the clackamas print
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010
Terrible track troubles traini
By Joshua Baird
The Clackamas Print
“We don’t run in lane one
ever because of pockets,” said
Clackamas student Jennifer
Roberts about the condition
of the track at the college.
“There are big holes down the
straight away [at] the finish
line.”
The average lifespan of
a properly surfaced track is
10 to 12 years. The existing
track, which has not been re­
surfaced since 1992, stands
in desperate need of repair.
Pockets cover the surface
causing puddles, which make
training difficult for the ath­
letes.
Littering the surface of the
track are numerous cracks.
Not only do they take away
from the visual appeal, it can
also cause runners to trip.
Though it may only be con­
sidered to be aesthetic damage
by a spectator, the destruction
can be a detrimental to an ath­
lete’s legs, knees and thighs.
The most common injury
is shin splints, a dull aching
in both legs that gets worse
while running, which can be
caused by tendonitis or stress
fractures to the tibiae.
ÍÍ
It’s just a really
bad track, I’ve
seen worse, but for
a college, it needs
to be better, ”
McHone, the track coach said,
“The college is looking to put
out a bond measure to the
voters to upgrade the infra­
structure of the college build­
ings, upgrade how we power
the college, all those kinds
of things. Since [the Board of
Education members] consider
the track part of the infra­
structure of the college, that
would be one of the areas that
would be repaired.”
“We have gotten official
estimates to see how much it
will cost,” McHone added.
According to Atlas Tracks,
the frontrunner for the rebuild
contract, the price tag for just
a reconstruction is $284,000.
This would only involve resur­
facing the existing track and
replacing the damaged asphalt.
For the complete package,
which includes reconstruction
as well as putting in curbs,
synthetic turf and moving the
long jump tracks Would weigh
in at $550,000 to $600,000.
One class, which is advised
for the athletes, is at a local
indoor track.
“We’ve been able to train
indoors on an artificial turf
surface which is a lot easier
on the legs,” McHone added.
The first track m
held on March 13 a
Community Colle]
training begins earl
“[We] start in!
[when] we go eve
Justin Lundgren, a
ner and Clackamas]
Despite the trac
the distance runnd
training on it a nj
10 percent of the ti
Roberts said, “
really bad track,
worse, but for a
needs to be better.]
»iS
Jennifer Roberts
Clackamas Student
One of the second most
common injuries is called
runner’s knee, a condition
causing pain in the front of
the knee caused by stress on
the soft cartilage.
When asked what is being
done to repair the track, Keoni
■
Photos by Joshua Baird Cl
Left: Cracklin’ track pops. Not a cereal, but a hazard on the CCC track. A track us
10 or 12 years before it needs resurfacing. It has been 18 years since the last resu
Top: Clackamas students Daniel Bricker(left) and Sam Hoover(right) take a jog on t
rating track. Lane one, in which Hoover is running, is known as the worst part of th
Athletics get creative with spons
By Mark Foster
Sports Editor
With such extreme budget cuts
happening and a future which will
probably bring more, the Clackamas
athletic program, like the rest of the
college, must plan for the worst and
play the hand they are dealt.
Every year, each team is allotted
an amount of money by the col lege
that is to last them throughout the
whole year. Often times this budget is
not enough. Most of the teams do out­
side fundraising in order to give them
more options throughout the year.
Vice President of College Services,
Courtney Wilton, described how the
money was split up by saying, “TTfere
is a RE. and health department and
instructional budget. Then there is a
separate budget that real ly relates to
athletics and part of that is funded
with the athletic fee which is a $3
student fee.”
When asked if Measures 66 and
67 would affect the athletic budget,
Wilton pointed out that there would
probably be some tightening of funds
if they did not pass but not solely in
athletics. He also praised the athletic
department noting that the department
is, for the most part, self supporting
and does a good job of raising money
for itself.
Kathie Woods and the women’s
volleyball team are one of the top
fundraising teams at the college.
Woods estimated her team raises
about $12,000 annually each year on
top of the amount given to her by the
school. Each woman on her team is
given two sponsors who help to pay
for the expenses of that player during
the year.
Woods’team also holds five camps
per year and works at the annual golf
tournament which is to be held this
year at Stone Creek Golf Course in
Oregon City on July 10. This event
alone has raised over $200,000 for the
college since 1986.
About the amount of fundraising
done and its impact on her program,
Woods said, “At Clackamas, like any
other school, we wish we had more
money in our budget ... Can we
get by on our athletic budget with­
out fondraising? Probably, but we
wouldn’t have the quality of program
that it is today. Our fundraising helps
us get additional coaches, additional
recruiting expenses, extra training
supplies, like additional balls, our ath­
letic guides, posters; these all come
out of our fundraising.”
Woods also acknowledged that in
all her years of coaching, she has
never come up short financially due to
the extensive fundraising of her team.
The baseball program also fund-
raises, but it is more o
run fundraiser than one
ers must get out andw(
Each fall, the bas
their “Bowl-a-thon”
funds for field main!
as general expenses,
a-thon, players are as
donations from fami
but typically those «
on a per pin basis.
Women’s soccer, as
ball, does a large amo
ing to help their pro
Soccer, like voll
sponsors per player |
through the year.
Freshman defen
Bauman said, “We li
and we have to get ti
$250 each.”
The soccer team
recognition to those
them by putting their c
on the team banner.
Women’s basket
something similar, givi
as well as season passe
Each team at Clac
the pressure of
but has sufficiently
their programs intact
acquired through fun
made it clear that, if
lost, athletics would i]
thing looked at to cut