Somebody goofed up at Frontier High School. Was it the school, the architect, or the paving contractor or someone else? I don't know at the moment, but it seems the all-weather track at Frontier High is "approximately 30 yards long."

Contrary to what Frontier athletic director Ryan Geivet  states about "being creative with starting zones", the extra 30 yards poses a problem for any event that utilizes the tracks turns. Those events -- all recorded in meters -- would be the 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, all three relays and the 300 hurdles.

Geivet told Californian reporter Zach Ewing in a story on May 8, "We'll never be able to set any records, but ... it's important to note that we're still able to put on a track meet."

Really? Who would want to run in a track meet, where the track isn't the standard 400-meters long. This isn't a soccer field or hockey arena, where the field or ice can be different sizes. Nope the size of the track is the same for every high school, college and Olympic venue in the world -- except at Frontier High.

I've seen a lot of track in my years -- including a 12-time state (Arizona) champion and current NCAA champion in the women's heptathlon -- and it's absurd to think high school programs would subject their athletes to such an awkward race.

In the 200-meter race, runners start from a stagger and end with a 100-meter sprint the front straightaway. So at Frontier, the runners will either start in the turn or have a shorter sprint down the finish. Apparently, it's the start in the turn if you go by Geivet's "creative starting zone."

In the 400 relay, runners pass batons in the turns but somewhere that wouldn't be the case. Again you'll have a shorter sprint toward the finish.

Until the surface is fixed, Frontier won't be able to host a League or South Area or Central Section Grand Masters meet. So what  good is it. 

The state budgets might be tight but c'mon. Somebody messed up bad. Whoever or whatever company messed up the first time, should have to fork of the additional money to fix the snafu.

Frontier's athletes deserve better, and so do the folks who helped pay for it to be done right the first time.