Wharton High School's track is literally brand new. So new that the lane lines haven't even been painted on, but don't worry they will be there on Monday. It's an eight lane polyurethane track installed by All American Track. The total cost was $150,000, half which was raised by parent's, the booster club, athletes and alumni, and the rest matched by Hillsborough county. Coach Wes Newton is excited for the new addition
"The new track will help greater cushioning and protection from injury, be extremely durable and great for all weather conditions as it drains faster than most regular latex rubberized tracks."
The school has had an asphalt track since it opened in 1997. Assistant coach Anthony Traina says it means a lot for the athletes who have put in so much hard work on that surface and for Coach Newton who has been the foundation of this program since it started.
"Coach Newton has been able to adapt and coach multiple individual state champions throughout his career and now that he has a track that he can do all training on instead of having to go to different fields is great for him and the athletes."
The new addition has drawn more attention to the program and the meets the Wildcat's are planning at their new home. This year, Wharton is hosting three track meets; the New Tampa Challenge on February 11th, the Wildcat Invite on February 22nd (still open to teams on flrunners), and the 4A District 6 Championship. Traina hopes the new track will help better prepare his athletes to perform at their best and make their mark.
"Our goals this year as always is to be one of the top programs not only in the Tampa area, but also the state. We had a lot of talent graduate last year so we have a younger and hungrier group ready to step up and pave their way into Wharton's track history."
There will be a dedication and ribbon cutting at the track on February 11th before the New Tampa Challenge Pre-Season Classic.
