MORGANTOWN — No matter how things play out at Mylan Park Track and Field Facility on Saturday, this weekend will be an exciting experience for Morgantown High.
The Mohigans will host the Morgantown Invitational at the newly opened complex, marking the first home meet since a 2007 joint-venture between Morgantown and WVU. For those involved in the program, the event represents a significant milestone for a group that has captured two girls’ team state championships this decade.
“This has been a vision of ours for many years and now it has finally come to fruition. This track will give us a home — something we’ve never had and something a lot of kids over the past decade have put a lot of sweat and tears into making a reality,” Morgantown coach Steve Blinco said. “Every year, we’ve preached to our kids if they worked hard and laid the foundation, eventually people would take notice and build this program something we deserve. My kids have earned this, and on Saturday, I will smile and think of them all and remember we never took no for an answer.”
Since opening this spring, the facility at Mylan Park has become a home for both the Morgantown and University track and field programs, which is an asset they have lacked. Hawks coach Ed Frohnapfel hopes Saturday’s meet will provide the type of exposure he sees as the first step in growing interest in both his program as well as the sport itself in the greater Morgantown area.
“In the big picture, you’re hoping to generate more interest in running and track and field. For the size of school we are, we don’t really have the participation we ought to, and I hope this generates interest for more students at UHS to run track,” he said.
Morgantown cross-country coach Mike Ryan, who headed the Morgantown track program during its last home meet and currently serves as an assistant for the team, elaborated on how the experience a true home meet will provide for the track and field community in the city can’t be replicated.
“I think it’ll be a good experience for the community here in Morgantown. It’s a new facility here in Morgantown, and this town has had a lot of success in distance running. It’s a shame the people in these towns and administrators at this school haven’t been able to come out and see these kids compete,” he said. “For these athletes to have an opportunity to sleep in their own bed, get up, and go run on their own track in front of their friends and family, that’s an awesome feeling — you can’t beat that.”
The meet will mark the second edition of the Morgantown Invitational — the 2018 edition was held at Clay-Battelle — and with the event making its debut at Mylan Park, Blinco hopes the meet will set a new tone for the local track and field programs and the sport in the region.
“We hope this is the first of many meets at this new facility but we know it will take time to establish ourselves. Collaboration, communication, and a clear vision will drive us to new heights, and we hope to grow and create an environment to rival any other in the tri-state area and beyond,” he said.
With hopes and expectations high among both programs heading into Saturday’s historic festivities, Ryan hopes first and foremost it will be looked at as an achievement and a celebration for his program and the local community. After all, it’s a day 12 years in the making.
“The last time we hosted meets, it was a brainchild of myself and the head coach at WVU at the time. We did a college/high school joint meet together, and it was a very fun experience. This time we’re doing it all by yourself as a high school. We’re going to revamp that dual college/high school meet later this year, but this is our first one by ourselves,” he said. “There have been a lot of hurdles, and it hasn’t been an easy week. I’m grateful for the support we have had, and it says a lot about the administration to see this through. This is kind of like a family getting together for a family reunion — we all have our part and role to do. We’re real excited.”
Eighteen schools will participate, including C-B, Trinity and Preston.
