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Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Monday marked the first indoor track and field event in two years at Fresno State.
Thanks to a special donation by Fred Arnold for a new track, the second annual Run for the Dream Meet was held this year at the Save Mart Center and featured the participation of high school, college and professional athletes.
The day began with a four-way women̢۪s collegiate dual meet between Fresno State, Cal Poly, Cal-State Stanislaus and Hawaii. It was followed at 3 p.m. with the California High School Dream Team Championships and closed off with the USA vs. The World meet with former Olympians in the lineup.
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Also present at the meet were alumni of Fresno State who became track and field legends in their own right.
A line was formed in the corridor as they made themselves available to sign autographs and speak to spectators at the event.
Fred Redbarne, a 1954 graduate of Fresno State, became the seventh-highest pole vaulter in the nation during his time at Fresno State.
He said he never remembered a time when so much was spent in the area of track and field at the university.
A brief dedication ceremony was also held in honor of the new track, which was named after Fred Arnold̢۪s late wife Madeleine who had passed away due to breast cancer.
Arnold, a former official of track and field, watched as renowned artist Rick Alonzo painted a portrait of Madeleine to the tune of “My Heart Will Go Onâ€Â by Celine Dion.
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Arnold, a close friend of track and field head coach Bob Fraley provided the $1 million it took to purchase the facility, which included everything from the pole vault to the long distance jump pit.
The surrounding track is banked, or raised, which is not common among many tracks throughout the country, according to senior Christina Lopez, who raced in the 4 x 160 meter relay on Monday.
“I guess it’s supposed to make you faster,â€Â Lopez said. “You really have to know how to run on the track because it’s raised.â€Â
Women̢۪s sprint coach Chris Baptista is hopeful that this new indoor track will encourage more participation for track and field in Fresno.
He hopes it will provide a venue in which other universities may compete at more frequently in the future.
He also said that having this facility will draw the attention of the most well-known officials and participants of the sport, as it did on Monday.
“[The track] will be a great recruiting tool for high school kids who see the venue,â€Â Baptista said.
Fresno State athletes who performed on the track for the first time on Monday were glad for the opportunity to try out the new facility.
“We actually had an indoor track before, but it was bad,â€Â Lopez said. “This one has a good surface.â€Â
Other venues that Fresno State athletes compete at regularly throughout the year include Boise, Idaho and Colorado Springs, Colo.
According to junior Krystina Jackson, who raced in the 55-meter hurdles Monday, Boise has the best indoor track she has seen so far.
The last indoor track and field event held at Fresno State required a track that had to be shipped from Los Angeles.
Even with the new track, only the Run for the Dream meet has been scheduled for the year.
However, Baptista is hopeful that more national track and field events will take place at Fresno State in the near future.
“We’re a little limited,â€Â Baptista said. “As we continue to gain support for this meet, we can have more meets indoors.â€Â
The largest source of support is, of course, from spectators. While Monday̢۪s meet drew a large audience from the family and friends of participants, some came merely for the love of the games.
“We saw the advertisement for it in the paper,â€Â said Fresno resident Lee Jones, who was on the track team when he attended Fresno State. “I just love track and field.â€Â
The meet managed to draw an audience from even greater distances as well.
Diego Estrada of Monterey Bay came to watch his friend Enrique Lopez perform in the High School Championship.
According to Baptista, Monday̢۪s meet was a landmark occasion if not for the new track alone.
“To be a part of the Visa Series speaks volumes about the program here,â€Â Baptista said.
He said it was one of the most prestigious series in track and field that there is.
For some Fresno State athletes, it will take some time to get used to the new indoor track because the environment makes a difference. Practices, however, will still be held outside Warmerdam Field.
“It was a great experience,â€Â Lopez said. “I thought it went well.â€Â