As the spring sports season begins for Grand Junction High School, the school’s largest athletics team has been faced with a negative surprise.

The morning of the GJHS track and field team’s first practice on Monday, Feb. 24, head coach Dustin Giesenhagen was informed that the track is unlikely to be available for use for the 2025 spring season. This has understandably caused a disruption in the season for coaches and athletes.

“[The construction] makes everything a little more difficult,” said Giesenhagen.

The $1.5 million renovation of the field inside the track includes installing artificial turf to the previously natural grass field. The artificial turf will have an interlocking “GJ” at the center of the field, and will have an orange colored endzone with the word “TIGERS” in white. The field will be used for football, lacrosse, soccer and GJHS physical education classes.

However, due to the current construction, the track team will not be able to practice at GJHS facilities for the spring.

The situation is especially disappointing for the seniors on the team, as they were expecting to be able to use the newly resurfaced track, as well as newly installed pole vaulting and high, triple and long jump areas that were completed in the Fall.

“It’s really disappointing because we were promised a whole new track and they took it away from us 30 minutes before we started,” said GJHS senior track athlete Desmond Danso, who is a pole vaulter.

The roughly 150 combined boys and girls track and field athletes, according to GJHS athletics director Shawn Marsh, will now have to travel to different locations for practice. Locations for practices will include Sherwood Park and Stocker Stadium. They also will be practicing at Colorado Mesa University with permission from the university.

The first track meet will be Friday, March 7, in Stocker Stadium hosted by Fruita Monument High School.