After months of hard work, Nome-Beltz High School recently formed a track and field team for the first time in nearly a decade.

In the fall, cross country coach Ryan Fox proposed forming a track team as a means for more year-round running. With approval from the school and unanimous interest from his runners, he set to work. His fundraising efforts ranged from selling popcorn to running across 350 miles of untamed Alaskan wilderness. Norton Sound Health Corporation donated funds for the school to purchase equipment such as discus, relay batons, and hurdles.

Since the school lacks the quarter-mile track and equipment found in larger schools, Fox needed creativity to devise a training regimen for his team. For this he relied heavily on Dan Pardee, father of a team member and himself a decathlete. Working together, Fox and Pardee put the athletes through their paces to prepare them for their first meet.

In early April, Fox and his nine Nanooks traveled to Anchorage to compete in the Russ Edwards Big C Relay. Out of over 35 teams competing, they were the only team representing Western Alaska. The athletes from Nome entered events such as the one- and two-mile runs, relay races, shot put, and discus, all placing better than Fox had imagined for their first competition.

Image at top: Students on the Nome-Beltz Track and Field team pose for a photo on the indoor track at The Dome in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Ryan Fox, used with permission.