MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Efforts to bring the high school state track & field championship to the Mylan Park Track and Field Complex are ongoing.
“We still want to do it, and we would still be thrilled to host the state at the premier venue in the state of West Virginia,” Blinco said.
In April of this year, West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) Executive Director announced his plans to retire effective June 30, 2023. The year also included the sudden passing of WVSSAC Assistant Executive Director Greg Reed at the age of 57. Dolan continues to run the office with Assistant Executive Directors Wayne Ryan and Cindy Daniel, who have been in their current positions since July 2016 and July 2018, respectively.
“There’s a shakeup going on at the WVSSAC, so I’m sure once the dust settles around all that and we know who’s in charge of that department going forward, we’ll have another meeting,” Blinco said.
Blinco said talks with the WVSSAC have included the staff at Mylan Park, Visit Mountaineer Country CVB, elected leaders, and high school officials.
“We explained to them that we really could create an environment where this would be something very, very big and very, very worthwhile in the state,” Blinco said. “So, it’s only a matter of time in my eyes that we bring that event here.”
The Mylan Park Track and Field Complex currently hosts track meets for Morgantown and University High Schools and West Virginia University, including the WVSSAC Region 1 Championships as recently as 2022. Blinco believes many aspects of larger events in the region can be added, making the event at Mylan Park very memorable for families and athletes.
“I was up this spring at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, and that’s something that the excitement there is something I’d like to replicate if we get it here,” Blinco said.