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Search For Workable Meet Space Leads New York Teams To Mall Parking Garage

Published by
DyeStat.com   Feb 19th 2021, 1:24am
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Suffern NY Coaches Figured A Way To Host A Meet Out Of The Elements And With All COVID-19 Protocols In Place At Palisades Center

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

With each passing day, the opportunities for meaningful winter track in New York seemed to be slipping away. 

A local community college had closed its fieldhouse. The Armory in Upper Manhattan, epicenter of indoor track and field on the East coast in ordinary times, had been turned into a vaccination center. 

And then came the snow, two feet deep on Suffern High's outdoor track. 

Assistant coach Steve Pashley approached head coach Jeff Dempsey with an idea. It seemed far-fetched at the time, but every idea was worth voicing. 

What about the parking garage at the Palisades Center?

Dempsey was unfamiliar with it but agreed to scout it out. He slipped under the security rope and took a quick glance around. It was flat and full of columns, but it was empty. 

"The first round of (inquiries) fell on deaf ears," Dempsey said. "They thought I was crazy."

Dempsey kept at it. He reached the mall's public relations liaison, Keri Cunningham, and explained the situation. 

The Palisades Center, located in West Nyack about 25 miles north of the city, is one of the largest malls in the U.S. It's got four levels and 218 retail spaces. 

It also offers acres of parking, both on the surface and underground. As a COVID-19 mitigation effort, the underground parking has been blocked off for months. 

General manager Darrin Houseman was open to the idea but skeptical that the space would work for what Dempsey had in mind: A venue for a track meet. 

"We try to be supportive and engaged with our community," Houseman said. "We're always open to new ideas that are out there. We kicked it around and wondered whether it would really work, logistically."

Dempsey met with Houseman and surveyed the space on a walk-through. 

"We were bouncing things back and forth," Dempsey said. "(Houseman) took me down the escalator to the lot and it is an enormous space. You could do five 200-meter tracks in there."

Dempsey returned later with Pearl River coach Dan Doherty and they began measuring the spaces between columns and where the oval would best fit. They decided on a 300-meter loop. 

"The columns you see are spaced out every 40 feet," Dempsey said. "There was a bunch of trial and error."

In the meantime, he worked with the officials at his school and district to complete the proper insurance paperwork and reached out to neighboring schools in Section 1 to convince them to do the same. 

On Wednesday this week, Suffern hosted teams from Tappan Zee, Nanuet, Albertus Magnus and Clarkstown North in what might have been the first sanctioned high school track meet every held in a parking garage. 

JOHN NEPOLITAN PHOTO GALLERY

Next to the 300-meter track was a separate 220-meter warm-up oval. 

The athletes all wore masks, which stayed on at least to the starting line. The meet was hand-timed and 122 athletes participated. RESULTS

At one point, the elevator doors opened and adults in business attire walked out, just to take a look. 

"I went with a few of my colleagues," Cunningham said. "It was awesome. It was great to see the space being used that way. Everyone was having a good time."

Parents were not allowed, but they were welcome to go shopping upstairs. 

"The mall was unbelievable to work with," Dempsey said. "They got us in touch with the (police) sergeant, public safety, the department of health, the EMTs. Once they heard it was for the kids, the jumped on board quickly."

A second meet is planned for Saturday. Two sessions with five teams each. In addition to all of New York's usual indoor track events, plus a 4x300 relay, Dempsey is planning to add the high jump. 

"The ceiling isn't high enough for shot put or pole vault, and it won't work for long jump," he said. "When the snow started to melt this week I got worried. I came in on Tuesday to lay out all of the cones and everything, and it was raining outside. I thought it was going to be dripping, but it was bone dry down there."

The parking lot track meets are emblematic of the desire to keep the sport going, and for high school kids to have opportunities to compete, in the midst of a pandemic that has dragged on for nearly a year and reshaped everyday life. 

And yes, it probably helped that the general manager's son ran for the track team in high school.

"My son was on the track team in junior high and high school," Houseman said. "He used to run the 100 and 200 and on relays. So I'm glad we could help out. I think it's a really good thing for us."

Dempsey said Wednesday's first meet was something of a test, but the athletes enjoyed it. 

Best of all, the parking garage solved a problem.

"The coaches were all thinking, 'We're not outside, not shivering,' and the kids are bouncing around and there are smiles all over," Dempsey said. 

The era of parking lot track meets at the Palisades may be short-lived. 

The Section 1 executive council voted to end winter track Feb. 28. 

There's not much time left, unless the council changes its mind. 

Dempsey thinks the parking garage could work for a section championship meet, at least for most of the events. The meet doesn't have a home this winter. 

"I think I have a solution (for that)," the coach said. "I think we could have an unbelievable three-week season if we follow all the protocols."

He knows it might not happen. 

But there's still Saturday, and a chance for some kid to break the parking lot high jump record, and smile.



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