Spokane breaks ground on Sportsplex facility considered a game changer for indoor track...

Wednesday (11 December), ground broke in downtown Spokane on what could be a game changing facility for indoor track and field in the state of Washington, and the West Coast.

The new $53 million Spokane Sportsplex had its official groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, on Dean Avenue, across from Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in downtown.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Eric Sawyer, the president of the Spokane Sports Commission, announced that the Sportsplex will host the 2022 USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships for athletes 35 and older.

The centerpiece of the Sportsplex will be a 6-lane, 200 meter hydraulic banked track, complete with an infield 8 lane sprint straightaway, as well as runways for the long, triple, high jumps, and pole vault, Sectors for both the shot put and the weight throw are also included in the facility.

Currently, the only places in Eastern Washington where indoor track and field meets are contested are at Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse at Eastern Washington University and Washington State University's Indoor Practice Facility. Both tracks are flat and not conducive to fast times in lap races.

Neither facility has the capabilities of hosting large invitational meets.

The only facility that can host large meets on the West Coast is the University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor; however, while its 307 meter Mondo track is one of the fastest in the United States, the fact that it is over 200 meters long nullifies it for world and national record purposes.

The closest 200 meter banked oval track is located in Nampa, Idaho at the Idaho Sports Center, where Boise State University hosts their meets, and where the Great Northwest Athletic Conference holds its annual championship.

The Spokane Sportsplex, which is not tied to a school, can rent out the facility to local clubs and schools for practices, as well as host meets ranging from youth to world class competitions.

The facility opens the way for Gonzaga, Eastern Washington, Washington State, and Whitworth to host their own invitationals, should they choose to do so. It also gives them the opportunity, with the assistance from the Spokane Sports Commission, to bid to host meets such as conference, NCAA, and USATF championships.

In addition to hosting indoor track meets, the Sportsplex can host sports like basketball, volleyball, wrestling, taekwondo, and other events.

All of these sports are expected to bring in travelers from out of town that will also utilize the various hotel rooms in the downtown vicinity.

Here is their promotional video:



For more information on the Spokane Sportsplex, please visit their website here.

NOTE: The Spokane Sportsplex and the Spokane Sports Commission contributed to this report.