Middle School State Track Meet Moving To Bradenton's IMG Academy

FLYRA Middle School State Championship
Todd Grasley


 

The 2014 FLYRA Middle School State Track & Field Championship will have a new home. After two years at Clearwater Calvary Christian, the meet has moved south to Bradenton and the new IMG track and field complex. IMG Director of Events Blake Ulrich says the move transpired after a meeting between meet director Jason Byrne and IMG's Director of Track & Field Loren Seagrave. 

"The two met earlier in the fall and Loren showed him the recently completed IMG Academy Stadium. Jason happened to be looking for a state-of-the-art venue to host the next FLYRA Middle School Track and Field Championship, was highly impressed with our facilities and approached us about being the next host for the event. We are excited that FLYRA has selected IMG Academy to host the 2014 Middle School Track and Field Championships as it is a premier youth track and field event in the state of Florida. The selection is indicative of our expertise in operating top-tier events at all levels of the sport, as well as our world-class facilities."

Byrne sees similarities in the two venues. He says that IMG has a lot of good things going for them with their multi-million dollar track facility, and training grounds for professional athletes, making it a natural fit for the two groups to join forces.

"We wanted to be a part of it. They were excited to have us and show off their facilities. Athletes and spectators can expect more of the same high quality, high class, events that they've enjoyed the past two years in Clearwater. Cleawater Calvy Christian was a first class facility and IMG is a first class facility. We will still have the timing from the press box as well, as a live stream broadcast of all the events.  In addition, we will have more certified meet officials than ever. The addition of Dan Epstein to the meet management staff is a crucial addition as well. The experience on the track will be greatly improved."

New this year will be the addition of select elementary school events. Byrne says their will be no qualifier for the elementary division, an open event of sorts. If all goes well he hopes to make them a championship meet in 2015 that will run in conjunction with the middle school meet, adding that it is important to capture the future of the sport as early as possible.

"That's the mission of FLYRA. Let's get these kids out there and get them in the sport and to love the competition of the sport at an early age."

In the fall IMG held their first ever event the IMG Academy Cross Country Invitational which featured more than a dozen teams and over 200 athletes. The FLYRA Middle School State Track & Field Championships will bring over 600 runners to the Bradenton campus, which will mark the largest track and field event the sprawling complex has hosted. The facilities span more than 400 acres and the meet will take place in their new state of the art 5,000 seat stadium which Ulrich says will be a great experience for the kids.

"The stadium features an eight-lane, 400-meter track and a 39-foot tall video board with a 18-by-28-foot display screen. Our track and field facilities also meet all international IAAF standards, and the track is composed of a synthetic rubber surface. The stadium has easy access to plenty of parking and room for warm-ups. They will be utilizing the same elite training facilities that have helped countless athletes achieve success at the collegiate level and beyond, like 2008 400m Olympic gold medalist and 2013 IAAF World Champion in the 400m, LaShawn Merritt, and 2012 4x100m relay Olympic gold medalist, Tianna Bartoletta."

The meet will take place on May 10th and is the first track and field and cross country event of the year at the IMG Academy. They will also host the IMG Academy Cross Country Invitational in October, and were recently selected  host the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

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