WIAA Pursuing Long-Term Agreement For State Track Meet
Thursday, May 30th, 2013 -- 9:40 AM
As the WIAA State Track & Field Meet gets underway on Friday, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the WIAA will hold negotiations aimed at keeping the event in LaCrosse for years to come.According to the LaCrosse Tribune, a series of short-term, automatic rollover contracts has kept the tournament in La Crosse for two decades, but the deals would have allowed the WIAA to move the meet so long as it gave advance notice.
Now, WIAA Executive Director Dave Anderson said the high school athletics organization ?is very willing? to pursue a longer-term agreement for La Crosse.
The tournament brings an estimated $4 million to the local economy each year from the thousands of spectators, athletes and coaches who eat in the city?s restaurants, shop in its stories and sleep in its hotels.
UW-L's head men?s track coach Josh Buckholtz said the school wants to extend the contract.
?Anything more than a year,? he said. ?It gives us a little bit more solid feeling.? He described the current renewal as ?pretty much automatic,? but admitted that the WIAA ?could pull the trigger and go anywhere else.?
Neither Anderson nor assistant director of WIAA and track and field leader Marcy Thurwachter expressed any desire to do so.
The proximity of the dorms allows athletes to stay near the track, while Mitchell Hall offers an indoor venue for pole vault and shelter if needed. And while UW-L?s parking might require some walking to reach the track, spectators don?t need to use shuttles to get to the venue.
The WIAA State Track & Field Meet starts Friday morning and continues on Saturday.
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