When Friends of Indoor Track was started in 1995, its mainobjective was to bring an indoor track facility to Fairfax County.Now, the organization is fighting just to keep the sport alive inthe area.
To cope with a $170 million shortfall in its 2010 budget, FairfaxCounty Public Schools has put indoor track on the chopping block andwill decide its fate next month. According to data provided by FIT,2,735 students participated in indoor track last school year, morethan any other winter sport.
At yesterday's Friends of Indoor Track Invitational at PrinceGeorge's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, about 1,300supporters signed a petition to be forwarded to members of theFairfax County Board of Supervisors. Nearly all of them stood inline to have Nikeya Green, Tiombe Hurd and Alan Webb -- graduatesof Fairfax schools who now compete professionally -- sign red T-shirts that read 'Save Indoor Track' across the front.
Green built a stellar indoor track career at Hayfield beforebecoming a six-time all-American at Wake Forest. In 2007, she becamethe national 800 meters champion indoors.
'Indoor track opened up the possibilities,' Green said. 'Whoknows, if I had four full seasons taken away, if I would've had thesame opportunities in my development.'
Dan Woolley, president of FIT, said members of the county's boardof supervisors and board of education were invited to yesterday'smeet; none attended. While standing near the finish line, Woolleygestured toward the crowded stands and the hundreds of athletes thatdarted around the facility.
'For about $50 [per athlete],' Woolley said, 'look what we canprovide for these kids' for the entire season.
Leoule Degfae has felt like a rock star since earning all-American honors at the national cross-country championships earlierthis month. The public address announcer singled him out at a meetlast week. At yesterday's meet, a young runner approached him andtold the Edison senior All-Met he enjoyed watching him race.
'I just remember when I was a freshman and all those [older] guyswere running beast times,' Degfae said. 'I never thought I'd be thisgood.'
Degfae was that good yesterday, winning two races with recordtimes at the FIT meet. He led the 1,600 meters from start to finishbefore breezing to the line in 4 minutes 18.54 seconds. He was asdominant about two hours later, taking charge early in the 1,000 andwinning the race in 2:32.93.
Elsewhere, Herndon senior Hiruni Wijayaratne was also a doublewinner. She cruised to victory in the 3,200 in 11:18.27, a meetrecord, after surviving a scare from W.T. Woodson's Erica Howes inthe 1,600.
Oxon Hill senior Cearha Miller set a meet record in the 300(40.21 seconds) before helping her 4x400 relay team to victory.
Bishop McNamara's Saniel Atkinson won the triple and high jumps.In between, she finished third in the hurdles.
Eleanor Roosevelt sophomore Amirah Johnson set a meet record inthe 1,000, crossing the line in 2:58.35, nearly six seconds ahead ofher nearest competitor.
