BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER
Thousands of miles have been run over the years on the crushed-brick and clay track at Westmont College.
Storied
local races have been held there, Olympians have sprinted its
straight-aways and today, for the last time, athletes will dart off the
starting line and with loose gravel crushing beneath the weight of each
swift step, will officially and ceremoniously send the iconic surface
into retirement with an event dubbed the “Retro Meet.”
The
distances will be measured in inches, feet and yards, the races will be
timed with hand-held stopwatches and many of the athletes will be
decked out in Westmont garb dating to the 1950s.
Westmont head track
coach Russell Smelley said the event will mark the end of an era, as
the school is planning to break ground on a new, all-weather track in
October.
“It’ll be a great atmosphere,” Smelley said yesterday while
his team prepped for the meet. “It will be better when it’s set up.
It’s a gorgeous situation.”
