Fresno State notebook: Warmerdam Field renovations to begin Monday

Fresno State’s track and field facility is about to receive a long-await facelift.

Warmerdam Field will undergo a $2.6 million renovation to soften the track’s surface, create an eight-lane, all-weather track, a new high-jump area, along with better paved long jump and triple-jump runways, a repositioned shot, discuss and hammer cage, and a two-way pole vault runway.

“It’s going to tremendously help Fresno State track and field,” said coach Scott Winsor, who has been at the university since 2008. “It’s a shot in the arm for the kids. They’ve loving it. It shows a commitment. It tells the public and it tells the recruits that there’s a commitment to the program. And I think it’s going to help jump us to that next level.”

Because the renovated track and field facility will continued to be used by other departments and programs besides the track and field teams, the university will pay for the venue upgrades rather than require the Fresno State athletic department to cover the costs.

Groundbreaking on the project is set for Monday with renovations expected to last through the school year.

Winsor added the new track will help reduce injuries to the student-athletes.

The track at Warmerdam Field has harden so much over the years that Fresno State moved the majority of its workouts and practices to Veterans Memorial Stadium by Buchanan High the past four years.

“We had a company on campus in 2011 that tested the surface,” Winsor said. “They travel all over the world testing different surfaces, whether it’s in office or outside surfaces, work conditions.

“They tested the track for its hardness. The guy out there doing the testing... he said ‘You’re literally running on concrete.’ ”

The renovations will allow the Bulldogs track and field team to return to campus for practices at some point next school year. But Winsor added his program will continue to use Veterans Memorial Stadium to host their meets.

Winsor considers Veterans Memorial Stadium one of the top 10 track and field facilities in the nation.

Veterans Memorial Stadium has been the venue for the CIF state track and field championships since 2009. Veterans Memorial Stadium also will host the national Junior Outdoor Championships this summer.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Fresno State notebook: Warmerdam Field renovations to begin Monday."