Hundreds of area high school students tested out the renovated Outdoor Sports Complex at Great Lakes Secondary School [GLSS] in Sarnia for the first time on Tuesday.
The Secondary Track and Field Pre-Meet was held at the high school, the first of many events where local schools outside of GLSS will be utilizing the Lambton Kent District School Board's [LKDSB] multi-sport field.
Kinser Rivest, a Grade 9 student at Lambton Kent Composite School in Desden, spoke with Sarnia News Today after winning the 200 metre race.
"Ever since middle school I've always done track and field whenever I could, but the 200 metre -- what I just did -- I haven't done in like two years," Rivest said. "I felt like I did pretty good."
He was excited to use the new eight lane track, and admitted running on the synthetic surface was a new experience for him.
"It's nice. [It's my] first time wearing spikes. It's rubbery. It feels like a bunch of little rocks. It's different from what I'm used to running on, [which is] cement," Rivest said.
The track includes aluminum curbing, a steeplechase barrier and water pit.
The high jump, pole vault and javelin areas and runways were created using the same synthetic surface, and shot put and discus utilize the concrete pad.
Supply chain issues delayed the completion of the $5.5 million complex multiple times.
And while community use of the state-of-the-art track had originally been expected in the fall, the LKDSB is just now accepting spring and summer rental applications.
The LKDSB said the artificial turf athletic field, located inside of the running track, can be used earlier in the spring and later in the fall compared to natural turf.
