Some of Utah Valley University's track athletes danced to the music in the background. Some turned over dirt with gold-colored shovels, and all of them posed for a team picture.
Happy days at UVU.
• THURSDAY AFTERNOON, UVU hosted a groundbreaking celebration for the Hal Wing Track and Field Complex, ending six years of hoping, planning and fundraising.
The $1.5 million project is under way and is scheduled to be completed in September of this year.
"It's so exciting for all of us, our whole athletic community. We've talked about this for so long. We've had so many setbacks and opportunities to get discouraged and push forward. Thank goodness it's come to fruition now," said Mike Jacobsen, UVU athletic director. "I think it's going to be one of the fine track facilities around. It's going to be really nice."
The track is located just north of Brent Brown Ballpark along the frontage road just west of the Orem campus. Jacobsen said the project turned out to cost about $600,000 more than originally anticipated, so it will just include the track. Bleachers, storage, a scoreboard, and even a fence surrounding the track will have to wait until the school finds additional funding.
The groundbreaking event began with a race -- Wing against UVU sprint coach Paul Smith in a 75-yard dash. Smith even got a head start, but Wing, the Founder of Little Giant Ladders, was on a motorcycle. Smith won in a photo finish.
Wing then stepped up to the podium to explain why he donated to the project.
"I really wanted one thing that my grandchildren could drive by or come and attend and be proud of," Wing said. "I wasn't sitting around my desk waiting for someone to ask for a donation. This just seemed like a really, really good cause."
For UVU track coach Scott Houle, the project has been a long-anticipated dream come true.
"The last few years it's been really hard. We never really knew if it was going to come because a track is so expensive," Houle said. "Since Hal Wing came in about a year and a half ago, it started to roll, so this day has been a really exciting day for us. It couldn't come soon enough."
Remarkably, UVU has been able to compete at a high level in track despite not having a facility. Both the men's and women's teams won last year's Great West Conference track titles.
The biggest winners on this day were the student athletes. Tiera Zaugg, a senior, talked about what it meant for the track team to have its own facility.
"I was one of those athletes that was recruited based on I was going to get a track. I'm now in my fifth year, I will be going into my sixth year, so I strategically worked it out by breaking both feet so I can go six years so I can run on a track," Zaugg said. "I'm so exited about getting a track. Hal and Brigitte (Wing), I hope you all know how much this means to us. I didn't want to cry, it's so cheesy, but we are so thankful for you guys to donate this money."
There were a few tears, but mostly smiles. About six year's worth.
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