Madera South to host first event of year

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera Coyote runners finish a pre-practice warm-up in preparation for the new season. They will kick off the year Friday at Madera South with a dual meet against the Stallions.

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After almost 11 months of inaction, high school athletic events in Madera Unified School District begins Friday afternoon.

The Madera, Madera South and Matilda Torres cross country teams will run around Madera South High School for a “dual” meet with Torres added in.

“We’re inviting Torres because they are so small and don’t have a league,” said Madera South Athletics Director Andrea Devine.

There will two-to-four races depending on how many runners are involved. The race will be run around the Madera South campus and will be 2.5 miles long. The public is not allowed to attend except for immediate family.

“There will be designated areas where they can watch the race,” Devine said. “The runners come by that location two times. Parents will be temperature checked and then walked into a pod to make sure they are social distancing.”

Races will begin on the Pine Avenue gate and run towards Madera South. The finish line will be in the school’s stadium. After the runners run past the parent pods twice, they will be allowed to go into the stadium.

“They can stand and watch the runners along Pine,” Devine said. “Then, we will let them walk, in pods, into the stadium to watch the finish.”

Athletic competition was halted by the district on March 12 of last year and hasn’t re-started, until Friday’s race.

“The kids are so excited,” Devine said. “We are so excited. The is an opportunity that we’ve been waiting for. We’re fortunate for the CIF and our district to see what our kids were dying to do. We’re also pressing on our coaches and kids to make sure they are following protocols because we want to make sure we are able to keep competing.”

Because of the importance of the race in regards to health and safety, Devine is doing what she can to make sure everyone is safe.

“I want to make sure we are crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s because we want to make sure we have this,” she said. “We will have security and admin out there to make sure our athletes and parents are safe.”