No longer will Reed’s track feature dangerous cracks, warn down rubber and faded lines.
And it couldn’t have come a year, or seven, too soon.
Seven years ago, it was determined the crumbling surface needed to be replaced. The money wasn’t there. Finally, it is. 
And finally, Reed’s track is getting replaced.
“Yeah, I am (thrilled). Big time,” said Dale Moss, who just finished his ninth season leading the Reed track program. “The responses coming back have just been a ton of people saying ‘yay, it’s about time.’”
When news of the new track started spreading, some even joked with Moss that the upgrade was a result of the Reed boys winning their first regional since 1999 last month in Carson.
“That’s not necessarily true, but those are the kinds of comments people are making on social media,” Moss said. “Because I’ve been working on this for at least seven years.”
The Washoe County School District is footing the bill of $250,000-$350,000 (in Moss’ calculation). And still the nearly quarter-of-a-million-dollar price tag is approximately half of what was originally prognosticated seven years ago. Cut backs on the drainage system and rubberizing of the high jump/pole vault areas at the end of the track helped shrink the original $600,000 bill.
Removal of the previous track was completed last week before bulldozers chewed up the cement that lied underneath. The aged and crumbling asphalt supporting the former track was the largest reason for the deterioration.
The gravely remains will then be compressed, a new layer will be poured over the former and a fresh rubberized surface will then rest on the top.
This project was so long in the making, Moss didn’t believe it was actually happening until he saw the machinery.
“I had to go out there and take pictures of it to make sure it was really true,” Moss said.
Once the project is completed in late July or early August, Moss said he hopes to bring the regional, and potentially state, meets back to Reed. Those meets had been a fixture on Reed’s campus before the facilities started corroding.
Carson has hosted the regional meet the last three years.
“It’s something definitely we would consider,” Moss said. “We’re hoping we might have the opportunity to do that again at Reed High School. So yes, it’s a huge thing.”
Every year, schools must put in a bid into the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to host the regional and state meets. The NIAA then awards the meet(s) to the school they feel is best fit.
Now Reed has a realistic shot.
Three years ago, Reed owned one of the worst, if not the worst, football/soccer and track complex in Northern Nevada. A new football field and drainage system was installed two years ago. Now, a new track.
Suddenly, Reed’s old facilities aren’t looking so old.
“We’re just excited to have something that’s a little more fresh and upgraded,” Moss said. “We all know Reed High School and a lot of facilities are falling apart. It started with the football field a couple years ago … Now the track. We’re headed in the right direction.”
