By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It has been a long time coming, but Appalachian State’s track and field teams have gotten a new home and it is getting its feet wet, so to speak, with the App State Open on April 28-29.
University officials, area dignitaries, and program alumni celebrated the new Randy Marion Track and Field Facility located on the former site of Watauga High School with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Mark E. Ricks Athletic Center.
While the ribbon-cutting had been planned for the track and field facility site off of NC Highway 105, the forecasted severe thunderstorm chased the festivities inside, appropriately. Some 250 members of the university and athletic department leadership as well as scores of track program alumni joined in the event.
Athletic Director Doug Gillin emceed the ceremony, introducing the many dignitaries on hand, including Chancellor Sheri Everts, university board members Tommy Sofield (Secretary), Jimmy Barnes (Trustee) and Mark Ricks (Vice Chair), North Carolina Representative Ray Pickett from the General Assembly, as well as University of North Carolina Board of Governors liaison Philip Byers and now retired, longtime App State track and field and cross country head coach John Weaver. The finally finished but long in its development dedicated track facility was Weaver’s dream for decades.
Gillin beckoned Everts to the podium after introducing her as the most passionate App State fan of all the people in the room. “She has always been steadfast in her support of App State student athletes. She came to the university in 2014 as its eighth leader and has helped establish the university as the premier public undergraduate institution east of the Mississippi (River). Under her guidance and leadership, App State regularly earns top rankings for academic excellence and this includes the 21 straight semesters that our student athletes have (collectively) achieved greater than a 3.0 grade point average.”
Introducing Everts as a first generation college graduate in her family, Gillin noted that during her tenure the university has not only grown its enrollment, but increased the percentage of underrepresented students. Significantly, Gillin reported that one-third of the university’s student population is represented by first generation college students, with most coming from rural areas.
Gillin noted Everts’ role in the acquisition of the property on which the track facility has been built, adding that because of the transaction, it allowed the new Watauga Community Recreation Center to be built. “That new Rec Center has been huge for our community,” Gillin said.
“We are really excited to dedicate the facility on the same day that App State hosts the App State Open, the inaugural meet at the Randy Marion Track & Field Facility,” said Everts, before recognizing the aforementioned dignitaries, the alumni, and former track and field coaches Weaver and David Ward, noting their contributions in laying the groundwork for the new facility, including 103 conference championships between the school’s memberships in the Southern Conference and current Sun Belt Conference.
Everts introduced App State track and field alum Randy Marion, Jr., whose family’s gift helped make possible the facility’s construction, along with contributions from the Mountaineer Impact Fund.
Marion delivered perhaps the most memorable quip of the afternoon upon taking the stage.
“Coach John Weaver is the reason I came here,” said Marion, “because no college accepted me. John said, if you can get in, I’ll let you run!”
He added, “It is great to be here and see the incredible job everyone has done to make this facility a reality. It is a state-of-the-art facility.”
Marion continued, “Our student athletes deserve a place to help them succeed and that is what we do here at Appalachian State.”
Current Director of Track and Field Operations Damion McLean presented Marion with a commemorative plaque then offered what for the alumni must have been an inside joke, judging by the raucous laughter when he apologized, “I have to get this out. We are sorry we didn’t have Golden Corral cater this event for Coach Weaver. Coach (Michael) Curcio made sure that I mentioned it!”
McLean drew appreciative applause when he noted that Weaver has been recognized by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association with induction into its Hall of Fame.
Gillin closed the press conference part of the ceremony by giving instructions to the crowd about the formal ribbon cutting.
“Coach Curcio actually brought a piece of the track here, so we are literally going to cut the ribbon over the track!” said Gillin.
On the first day of competition at the App State Open, sophomore Daiyanna Cooper posted a personal best and facility record of 56.86m (186′ 7″) in the women’s hammer throw. Cooper remains second in the App State all-time list. Fellow sophomore Graysen Arnold posted a personal best of 45.78m (150′ 2″) to place second, while sophomores Jaeda Harris and Cierra Woods took fourth (39.18m (128′ 7″)) and fifth (38.76m (127′ 2″)), respectively. Junior Chris Wainscott set the facility record with a first-place finish in the men’s hammer throw with a toss of 56.36m (184′ 11″).
The meet resumes at 10 a.m. on April 29. Teams competing in the App State Open include Western Carolina, VMI, Bob Jones University, N.C. Central, Liberty University, Livingstone, Milligan, Lenoir-Rhyne, UNC-Asheville, Truett-McConnell, Anderson (S.C.), RMPV, Higher Power Athletic Club, App State Alums, and several unattached athletes.
