By Lindsey Boyd (@lindsboyd3)
The women’s indoor track and field team had its first meet of the season Dec. 9 in Boise, Idaho at the Jacksons Open. With an estimated $2 million more in private donations, San Jose State could have a track and field facility of its own.
The original estimate for a facility at SJSU’s South Campus was $5 million. According to Catherine Busalacchi, executive director of the Student Union, $2.5 million have been raised for a field as of Nov. 13. The field will be used by the track and field team and club sports.
“That’s the anticipated cost for just phase one of the track, which is just the track and the synthetic turf infield,” said athletic director Marie Tuite. “There’s also phase two of the track, which would be locker rooms, spectator seating and offices.”
The facilities page on SJSUSpartans.com does not list Bud Winter Field, where the team currently practices, as a campus facility. Nevertheless, the field was built on state owned land in 1968 and has been used as a parking lot since 2002.
Head Coach Jeff Petersmeyer is aware of his team’s safety and does his part to make sure that the athletes are not running near the potholes in the old track. He also sweeps the running area to rid of any garbage or trash.
“NCAA rules apply to the individual athletic programs not to the college,” said Patrick Fenton, Vice President of West Valley College when SJSU uses West Valley’s facilities. “It would be the individual coaches and trainers responsibility to monitor and supervise the use of athletic facilities in a general sense.”
While practicing at San Jose State, NCAA rules apply to both the track and field program and the college, according to Fenton.
Currently on SJSUSpartans.com under “South Campus Facility Plan” is a list of eight capital projects that are in need of private donations. Some, such as tennis, soccer and golf, have completed phase one and now collecting donations for phase two. Other facilities, like track and field and football, are still in need of funding for phase one.
The Spartan Track and Field PDF in the capital project section of SJSUSpartans.com states, “URGENCY!!! We need to raise the money NOW! We have a track team that does not have a track!”
The plan is to build a nine-lane track with an artificial turf infield. The long jumpers will have two long jump pits to practice, and there will also be areas for events such as discus, shot put and hammer as stated in the Spartan Track and Field PDF.
“In addition to that, we have five or six facilities on South Campus that are looking to generate resources to either build facilities or improve their current facilities,” Tuite said. “And people and individuals who are interested in giving to those facilities can also do so online.”
Out of an 85 SJSU student poll, 62 students were not aware of campus plans to build a track and field facility. San Jose State Athletics is still accepting private donations to fund South Campus facilities on their website. Note that the bottom of the webpage states, “Gifts to the Spartan Foundation are non-refundable.”
The location of a track and field facility is still being decided. The Mountain West Commissioner and Mountain West Conference declined to comment about the current facility at this time.
“There’s discussion taking place on the planning for the location of the permanent track,” Tuite said.
Tuite said that the glass and garbage have been cleaned up from Bud Winter Field — the parking lot where the team currently practices — and that both the team and Petersmeyer are happy to practice at Bud Winter Field.