MAUPIN DESCHUTES RIVER | ATHLETIC COMPLEX
Meet Holly
In eighth grade, while running track for South Wasco County (SWC), Holly Miles experienced first hand the challenges of using a cinder track for her and her teammates. She grew tired of dumping cinder out of her shoes, practicing only two hurdles at a time on the rubber long jump runway (to avoid spraining her ankles), and practicing the high jump on grass. She waited patiently for each weekly track meet, so she could run a full hurdle race and high jump on regulation surfaces that were safe for her team. “Why don’t we just get a ‘real’ track?” Holly asked her parents one day after practice. Soon, Holly started talking to people around the community. Turned out that the possibility of a regulation track in Maupin, the Deschutes River Athletic Complex, was exciting to many in the community, not just Holly and her family. For more information about the team contact: maupin.drac@gmail.com
Holly and her teammates,
at the site of the current track
The Deschutes River Athletic Complex in Maupin, Oregon will be a world class facility in an extremely unique environment and location.
Maupin is located on a shelf below the rimrock along the Deschutes River Canyon. In the rain-shadow of Mt Hood, the climate allows for over 300 days of sunshine each year at an elevation below 1000 feet. The result is moderate weather and springtime sunshine when much of the state is experiencing rain.
The project involves leveling of the land to allow for the creation of a track and field facility as well as a football field that overlooks the Wild and Scenic Deschutes River on the SWC School District’s campus.
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The complex will include an 8-lane track, field event facilities, football field, and related spectator facilities that will accommodate a wide range of uses with opportunities for significant local impacts.
FACILITY HIGHLIGHTS
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K-12 PE curriculum and local teams will get a boost by having an all-weather facility. For the first time, track and field athletes will get the opportunity to perform for a home audience for regular season meets and for District and other events. The football field will be aligned with the viewing stands.
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DRAC will provide a safe and level walking, jogging, and running facility that will contribute to community fitness and well being.
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Simply by hosting a high school meet, restaurants, the local market, and other businesses will benefit from a crowd coming to Maupin during part of the shoulder season away from our busy summers.
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The track will be built with 8 lanes and an inside rail, qualifying it for international time trials. Working with Portland Track and Sport Oregon leading up to the Oregon21 World Track and Field Championships, DRAC could host “pop-up” events during the spring and fall when finding a dry facility in Oregon may be a challenge.
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The facility site also includes a magnificent view of the Wild and Scenic Deschutes River, making it great for an outdoor concert or a sports camp opportunity.
Maupin and the surrounding communities have a great track record of over-achievement.
The small town of Maupin with a population of 430 serving a largely unincorporated 1000 square mile area has recently completed a $2 million fiber-to-the-door project as a public-private partnership and a $2.5 million Civic Center housing the regional library, City Hall, and a public meeting space. Groundbreaking is also scheduled on a new medical clinic. Maupin accomplishes these through citizen involvement and support as well as investments from the State of Oregon, Wasco County, private foundations, and many other sources.
This project will be completed in the same manner as the others-with strong local support, leveraging volunteer expertise and financial contributions while also engaging with funding resources throughout Oregon.
It began with the generous commitment of the Oregon National Guard, preparing the site before the facility construction begins, and takes advantage of the skills of many community members contributing technical expertise and organizing to move a project forward.