The Whitman track is being repaved throughout this week and will be finished sometime next week, weather permitting. Since the new turf field was installed in October, pools of water have formed on the track after heavy rain, which has worn down the surface. This is largely because the turf field was installed six inches higher than the track, causing improper draining and pools of water on the track. A new rubber layer is being added so the track can be level with the turf for the spring.

Repaving the track is the short-term plan for this upcoming track season. This summer, the whole track will be resurfaced to more permanently prevent the water pooling, track coach Stephen Hayes said.

Having the track resurfaced will be a relief for runners. Senior captain Aaron Bratt said that the Whitman track is much worse than those at other schools.

“The top layer of the track has been worn away so much that it is now the concrete that was below the surface,” Bratt said. “I can’t think of any other track in MCPS that is worse than ours.”

Next year, after the track has been resurfaced, Whitman will hopefully be able to host the Viking Invitational, an event typically held at Whitman but hosted by Walter Johnson for the last few years due to Whitman’s unsafe track. The meet brings in a lot of revenue when held at Whitman; the past few years, Whitman and Walter Johnson split the revenue 50–50.

Senior Shanthi Ashley agrees that driving to other schools to participate in track events is necessary at the moment, and she thinks having a track at Whitman will be a huge boost for the team.

“The time sacrifice of driving to Walter Johnson or to another school is worth making to avoid injury from running on our own track,” Ashley said. “But ultimately, having our own track is crucial to building a team.”