Tornadoes Will Benefit from Track Facility Upgrade

With a team name like the Tornadoes, what else would their boosters be called if not the Storm Chasers? And in that spirit of the whirlwind, a group of community members, supported in part by Booster Club dollars, have undertaken the project of updating the track. Because of generous monetary donations and many hours of volunteer time, the Tornados will soon have an actual track instead of prairie grass on which the athletes can run, compete, and perform. On Monday, March 30, Miller Trucking delivered the first of six loads of scoria to the track facility west of the school.

Current Storm Chasers' President Shawn Beck credits some key people in making the dream a reality. "The three who have played the biggest part in this are probably Brian Fox, Andrew Jones, and his younger brother Colin. They are leading up the project. However, we also wish to pay a special thanks to Troy Perry, who owns 21 Construction Incorporated in Culbertson and donated the scoria for the track. Other key people were Ron Fox, who donated a couple hundred yards of screened gravel, and Taylor Fouts, who donated the use of a pay loader. Although we got by for a long time with what we had, this upgrade will give us opportunities for hosting future athletic events."

Under the leadership of Fox and the Jones brothers, along with an extended work force of "well over 30 people," the Turner community has been occupied for the past several weeks on their track renovation.

"It has been really fun working with Andrew and Colin," Fox said. Those two are equally a part of this. Even Colin's son Kane-he's a fourth grader-has taken an interest in our work. He's out there every day monitoring our progress, so I have been calling him our on-site supervisor."

The improvements actually began in earnest a year ago, according to Fox, when a crew poured concrete for a discus/shot put throwing circle, developed a runway for the long jump and triple jump, and added a cement pad on the equipment storage shed. The cement for those projects was donated by Chet Fouts.

"That was last fall, and just three or four weeks ago, we agreed to do something more. After seeking approval from the school board and doing some research, we presented our plan to the Booster Club for funding. They gave us a decent amount of money, so we are moving forward," Fox stated. "Darin Cummings, the Whitewater School District Superintendent, shared his experience with us, as well, and steered us towards 21 Construction for the scoria."

When asked about inspiration for the endeavor, Andrew Jones replied, "Brian and I were talking one night about community needs, and we decided that it couldn't take too much to complete a track improvement project. We have received some generous donations, and we have some talented athletes, so it seemed like the time was right and it was something we could do."

Aside from a brief weather delay due to the spring moisture that arrived on April 2, the project was scheduled for completion by April 10.

"My brother Colin has been instrumental in doing the tedious work of spreading the scoria and shaping the track," Jones stated. "We're grateful for his patience and all of the donations of sand, gravel, and equipment in making this big improvement to our community," Jones concluded.

In other improvements, Shay Humphreys and his grandfather Steve Humphreys are building an addition onto the track equipment storage shed.

With the facility's updates, current Tornadoes' Track Coach Mrs. Kayleigh Turley hopes to host a grade school track meet at the end of this school year and is looking to the future of holding events for Junior High Track.

Anyone interested in Booster Club membership can join the Storm Chasers. Annual dues are $25.00 per person, a fee that not only shows support for Tornado activities but gives those individuals voting rights during club meetings.