Pali’s Board of Trustees approved contracts with Gensler and BFS Landscape Architects to initiate the process of rebuilding the school’s track and football field in August.
The project is estimated to cost $1.3 million, with insurance covering roughly $1 million, according to PCHS insurance updates as of July 31. The reconstruction will involve the installation of nearly 6,000 yards of new Astroturf and track surface.
Athletic Director Rocky Montz said that until repairs are complete, the loss of the track and the field will continue to have an extensive impact on Pali’s athletes across multiple sports.
“In the spring, you’re talking about softball, lacrosse and track & field, and now, you’re talking about football and cheer that’s impacted,” Montz said. “There’s so much usage in that field, too… a lot of other teams use the track to do their conditioning.”
It has been difficult for Pali officials to find new, stable practice areas for its sports teams, especially since the spaces are shared with other organizations.
“You’re at the mercy of the people that you’re renting from,” Montz said. “If someone has [to use a venue], you have to cancel your practice because it’s not your facility. It’s someone else’s facility… It’s been an adventure; our football team basically carries their bags everywhere they go.”
Senior Maya Vasquez, a member of the track and field team, discussed some challenges she has faced because of practices moving to West LA College.
“There’s been a lot of issues with transportation and finding ways to get there because West LA College is really far, at least for me,” Vasquez said. “I’ve been relying on other people to take me there, or my mom, but sometimes those people can’t go, or my mom can’t pick me up.”
Additionally, Vasquez explained that since West LA College is a communal space, the track and field team’s practices often get disrupted by other facility users.
“At West LA [College], it’s really crowded…and so our practices have been getting interrupted by other people,” she said.
Looking ahead, Vazquez is excited to return to the Stadium by the Sea. “I’m just really hoping that it will just be us on the track, and we can focus on what we need to get done.”
Montz echoed this point and said he is looking forward to the security of having a track and field.
“I won’t have to ask for help when it comes to a facility,” he said. “We’ll be able to know it’s ours, and we can use it when we want to.”
