Nome-Beltz has its first track team
For the first time, Nome-Beltz has established a competing track team. Now the biggest hurdle to overcome is practicing an outdoor sport in snow-covered Nome, with winter still holding its icy grip on Western Alaska.
Coach Ryan Fox has dreamt of this team since cross country running season ended last fall, the other sport he coaches in between running ultramarathons. “I do it because I love this sport,” he said.
Practicing a sport that requires a lot of space outdoors in the still snowy, often stormy climate of Nome comes with its challenges. During their daily practices the team utilizes Nome-Beltz’s gym, hallways and “any open spaces” they can find to practice their events.
“It’s a lot of close proximity but the kids are really good sports about it,” Fox said
Fox first presented the idea for a track team to the Nome Public School Board in December. Noticing a gap in activity for students during the spring, he wanted to get something going after the school year had started and all activity funding had been allocated.
“I was like, why don’t we have a track team? Bethel has a track team and they’re bigger than us but they also don’t have a track,” Fox said. With no reason why not, Fox set out to raise funding for practice items and travel. This is the first time a team of students from Nome have participated in track, in the past only individuals trained and competed so the program was starting from zero.
A major grant from Norton Sound Health Corporation, donations from Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and other local entities and funds raised during Fox’s running of the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 got the team up and running. Having a track team wouldn’t be possible without the student interest or funding from the community, Fox said.
Dan Pardee, a former college decathlete, helps out with the events that don’t pertain to running and aren’t Fox’s specialty.
Now around 20 students from Nome-Beltz, mostly high schoolers practice events like jumps, sprints, long runs and shot put every day after school.
The team also practices cultural events that take place at the Native Youth Olympics, taking place April 25-27 this year, under the guidance of coaches Hank Irelan and Vanessa Tahbone.
Last weekend, nine track team members and Coach Fox traveled to Anchorage to participate in the Russ Edwards Big C Relays alongside many larger, more seasoned track teams. The Nanooks were the only team from Western Alaska.
The team is planning to travel to Wasilla in a few weeks for another meet.