With the excitement of track and field returning to campus, the new Track and Field facility was celebrated with a ceremonial passing of the baton that included over 100 alumni.

The ceremony took place Friday, April 22 during the first-ever Southeastern Lion invitational and celebrated track and field stars of the past and present.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s the biggest turnout we ever had,” said Athletic Director Bart Bellairs about the turnout to Friday’s track and field meet. “This was a group effort. This wasn’t just an athletic initiative. This is a joint effort, so we’re really appreciative of everybody.”

The baton passing ceremony was preceded by a reception in the new Kinesiology Building where alumni gathered to hear speeches from Southeastern President John L. Crain, Alumni Athletic Coordinator Larry Hymel and Bellairs. The baton passing ceremony had alumni lined up according to the year they started competing for the university. Crain handed off the baton and passed it down generations of Southeastern track and field competitors, ending with members of this years team.

The track and field facility was designed by Holly and Smith Architects and built by D. Honoré Construction, Inc. The multi-million dollar facility features a yellow and green eight-lane running track, directional pole-vaulting pits, areas for the triple and long jump and a large field for javelin, shot put and discus throwing.

The facility meets tournament regulation standards and will allow Southeastern to host championships and meets in years to come.

Bellairs commented that having a new facility with the features of the new track and field will help recruitment of new students interested in track and field.

“Track is a great program because we’ll have high school meets here and so a lot of these kids will come and have the ability to see Southeastern,” said Bellairs. “Anytime you have a facility like this, it brings exposure to your university.”

Bellairs expressed his belief that the facility was comparable to other track and field facilities across the state.

“It’s so beautiful,” said Bellairs. “I don’t know about LSU, but I’ve heard reports that this is as a nice a place as anywhere in the state.”

For more coverage of the Southeastern Lion Invitational, go to www.lionsroarnews.com or check out The Lion’s Roar on Facebook. For information on track and field, go to www.lionsports.net.