The Siuslaw Viking track and field team will show off their state-of-the-art facilities at Hans Petersen Field with at least four home events this spring.

The track had a major upgrade in the summer of 2019. The 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic. So 2021 will be the big reveal.

"There is no question we are proud of our facility," Vikings coach Chris Johnson said. "A lot of time and energy and thinking and resources have gone into making an already great facility one of the best anywhere across all event areas."

The Sky-Em League championships and the venerable Central Coast Invitational are included in a schedule that makes use of that great facility.

To those great events, Johnson has added a promising new one, the Sky-Em Showcase.

"The Sky-Em Showcase is a new meet that is meant to highlight the best athletes in the league," Johnson said, "and give them a chance to compete in what will be the venue for the district championship."

The schedule is a major commitment from Johnson, who also serves as the school's athletic director, a job made much tougher by the evolving challenges of the pandemic.

"Home track meets are a lot of work and a lot of organizing and it takes an army," he said. "But we feel like we do a great job thanks to so many locals and parents who come out and help. Many have come out for years and years."

There is method to Johnson's scheduling madness.

"Our kids compete well at home, so that is a factor," he said. "Also, with the ever-changing covid landscape, being at home affords us the ability to make changes on the fly that best suit our team."

The schedule likely is not complete, with only one away event on the calendar, the Wally Ciochetti Invitational in Cottage Grove.

"We will add more events on the road as they materialize," Johnson said. "I think everyone is waiting for guidance and metrics to change before they plan too much. 

"Bigger is better a lot of the time for track and field. We have some great athletes and we like to find them the right level of competition. Obviously that is a tall task in these ever-changing times."

SCHEDULE
Monday, April 5 — First practice.
Tuesday, April 13 — Sky-Em League JV meet, Hans Petersen Field, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 23 — Central Coast Invitational, Hans Petersen Field, 4 p.m.
Friday, April 30 — Sky-Em League Showcase, Hans Petersen Field, 4 p.m.
Friday, May 7 — Wally Ciochetti Invitational. Cottage Grove, 2 p.m., 11 a.m.
Friday-Saturday, May 14-15 — Sky-Em League Championships, Hans Petersen Field, 11 a.m.
May 17-23 — Culminating Week, to be announced