Christmas came early for the Cyclones track and field and cross country teams Friday morning as roughly 3,000 students and staff from the Elizabethton City Schools joined the teams in celebrating the opening of LaPorte Track.

“This is just huge,” said Elizabethton track and field coach Leslee Bradley. “This is just an exciting moment for us. Just standing here and feeling how good this track feels, we are just excited about the future of this season. We know it is going to help us prevent injuries. We are going to be able to train a lot stronger than we have in the past. It is just going to add to our success.”

The track at Elizabethton High School was recently resurfaced with a rubberized exterior by Benyon Sports Surfaces, which is the same company that installed the surfaces at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Hayward Field is one of the best know track and field facilities in the world.

The renovated track will allow the Cyclones track and field team to host meets while reducing the risk of injuries during practices. Having the ability to host meets and have a home crowd should help the Cyclones grow an already successful program, said Bradley.

“This is going to grow our program and grow our team,” Bradley said. “When more kids get out here and try this sport, they are going to fall in love with it. It is a dynamic sport. It is so much fun. People think running is not fun. Track and field is an incredibly great sport.”

Friday morning, members of both the track and field and cross country teams joined members of the LaPorte family in cutting the ribbon on the track. The track gets its namesake from the LaPorte family, which donated an approximate $200,000 to renovating the track.

On hand during the celebration was senior athletic standout Heather Feuchtenber, who recently placed eighth in the 17- to-18-year-old girls’ 800-meter race at the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics in Houston, Texas. Feuchtenberger, who has made trips to state during her time with EHS, said that the renovated track was much needed.

“It is the most important thing that we have,” Feuchtenberger said. “It is the foundation of what we are. It is whether we get hurt or not. It determines how well we do. It is just great to have this.”

After the ribbon cutting, the Elizabethton High School marching band led everyone in attendance around the track for the ceremonial first lap. The smiles on all of the track and field team members’ faces were an indication of how important the track meant to them. Bradley said that the opening of the newly renovated track was a testament to all the hard work of all the great athletes that have come through the halls of Elizabethton High School.

“The track and field team here has always had great athletes come through that have worked their tails off to be the best that they can be,” she said. “State champions, region champions, conference champions and on down the line. So it is really rewarding for all of those people that have worked to make this program what it is to have this track.”