Will Mt.SAC Project be slowed down by city lawsuit? How will that affect the 2020 US Trials?

The site for the 2020 USA Olympic Track & Field Trials was announced in June 2017 as Mount San Antonio College. The competition was rather tough and the possible sites of Eugene, Sacramento and San Antonio College were the final three. Observers noted that Eugene was a difficult choice with the challenges over when the rebuild of Hayward Field would actually be finished. To this day, the Hayward Field reconstruction seems to be in a disturbing conflict, with the University of Oregon on one side and Tracktown USA on another, with Nike, the company footing much of the bill, trying to figure out what is going on. Sacramento’s bid was championed by the Sacramento Sports commission, which did not seem to take the bid seriously. The Mt.SAN ANTONIO College bid was well recieved and the 2020 site was named as the soon to be renovated (perhaps rebuilt is better term) Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

Mt.SAC Relays, photo courtesy of Wikipedia

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Hilmer Lodge Stadium has been the home of the Mt.SAC Relays for its existence. Now, there seems to be some issues between the city of Walnut and the Mt.SAC board. In an article from September 21, 2017, http://www.sgvtribune.com/2017/09/21/walnut-sues-to-block-new-athletic-stadium-at-mt-sac/, in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the City of Walnut seems to want to stop the rebuilding of the stadium. If one reads the article, it seems the city of Walnut thought Hilmer Lodge would be a fixer upper, not a complete redo. The board at Mt.SAC may have omitted that they were redoing the stadium. So, the lines are drawn and the legal arguements are set to begin. Mt.SAC president and CEO Bill Scroggins told the SGV Tribune that there is time to make the schedule for June 2020 and he has battled Walnut before.

Seems like a face to face meeting, with a couple lawyers, the wounded parties and Mt.SAC is needed. Would save a lot of money and time and remind all that the stadium brings a young generation to the stadium, and families. Crime at track meets? That was one of things cited by city in complaint. Come on, is this just another gentrified city that does not want big sporting events or did Mt.SAC not give the whole story on the rebuild. Surely both sides do not need another lawsuit.

@RunBlogRun has this to say: Remember who the stadium is being built for and figure it out.

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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