Poor Cage Condition Forces Track to Make Cuts

After inflicting broken ankles and broken wrists on Exeter athletes due to its structural failures, the 82-year-old Thompson Cage will no longer host track meets or support large-scale practices. Citing its severe degradation, the Athletics Department has decided to change the role of the cage.

“We feel that the integrity of the cage surface is not conducive to holding meets anymore,” Director of Athletics Robert Morris said. “With its age and years of wear, it has just simply gotten to the point where it is very difficult to hold a meet in there.”

The cage has been experiencing problems for several years: not only has it been the cause of several injuries, but last winter it was rendered unusable for a month by blizzard Nemo. Because Exeter is not able to hold meets, winter track will be forced to make cuts to what has historically been a walk-on JV team.According to Morris, temporary rubber flooring will be installed in the cage to support practice for dash straightaways as well as the pole jump and long jump straightaways. “Practices are fine with what we have planned,” Morris said. “This is the approach we plan to take until a decision is made about the future of the cage.”Winter track co-captain senior John Kennealy said that not having a facility to host meets will place Exeter at a competitive disadvantage. “I think we will have more away meets because we can’t have meets in the cage, and so the competition is going to be better,” Kennealy said.Morris says that Exeter track will be able to adapt to meet the challenges it faces. “Many of our meets will once again take place off-site like they have in the past,” Morris said. “We will take advantage of dry weather when we have it by using the outside track when we need to as well.”Senior Kieran McLean is optimistic about the track team’s ability to deal with these challenges. “It was an obstacle being inside the cage because it wasn’t always in [the] best condition. However, as a team we found a way to overcome it,” McLean said. “I think not being able to use the cage for practices may slow the pace of the practice, but it is nothing we can’t deal with.”As more extended workouts will take place outside, the outdoor track will be snowplowed to allow for regular use. Kennealy hopes that more outside practice will not sink the spirits of the track team. “Sprinters will still do lots of the workouts and training inside, except anything longer than 50 meters will be outside,” Kennealy said. “Winter term, everybody tends to be a bit down emotionally—they usually are, and some people more than others—and I think being outside could do that to you.”The distance runners in winter track have become accustomed to the cold, according to McLean, and any increase in outside practice will not pose as much of a problem for them.“I think the cage must be renovated,” McLean said. “I think there is some weird sense of nostalgia, and I think if they want to maintain an indoor program, we must renovate it.”Kennealy believes that because of the large number of winter track participants, the cage renovations should receive priority. “Since about 10 percent of the school participates in winter track, I think it is a very important part of the school, and therefore it should be renovated,” Kennealy said. “I think it deserves a facility fit for its importance.”

“What I find terribly sad is that even though the track program probably has the largest student participation, it has the worst facility on campus. Not only does it suggest that one of the few lifelong sports available to students doesn't matter, it dismisses the effort of the athletes as [un]important."' - Winter Track Assistant Coach Frank Ronan

Winter Track Assistant Coach Frank Ronan thinks that the quality of the cage is not proportional to the participation in the student body. “What I find terribly sad is that even though the track program probably has the largest student participation, it has the worst facility on campus. Not only does it suggest that one of the few lifelong sports available to students doesn't matter, it dismisses the effort of the athletes as [un]important."Upper Katie Huffman believes that the cuts to the JV team are a problem for the team dynamic. “I think the team is going to be fine, but I think this is a problem not only for the kids who can’t participate but for the team attitude as a whole,” she said.