One of the largest high school track meets in Michigan—with a 66 year legacy—will happen once again this Friday at Dickinson Stadium at St. Joseph High School. The Rotary Track Meet is one of the largest and most proudly presented community service activities of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club.
Dozens of high school athletes from throughout Southwest Michigan will compete with others they might otherwise never have the chance to engage in competition, due to schedules, conferences, etc. The event is truly a unique opportunity for track & field participants in the region.
The Rotary Track Meet is open to the public, with preliminary competition beginning at 4:30 pm and finals starting at 6 pm this Friday, May 3. Excellent spectator viewing is available at Dickinson Stadium.
The track meet this year will also be conducting a food drive, collecting unexpired non-perishable food items at the track meet itself. All of the goods collected will be donated to the New Heights CCDA.
The Rotary Track Meet has a rich history, as outlined in this background piece from the Rotary Club.
History of the Rotary Track Meet
This event began in May 1958 and was initiated by Joe Rogers, the Benton Harbor High School Athletic Director, Arnold Karsten, the St. Joseph High School Athletic Director, and Rotarian John Longacre. They wanted to develop a track meet where athletes could participate in a friendly competition in preparation for the State competition. This event would also serve as an opportunity for athletes in smaller schools to test their skills against their peers at larger schools.
The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor was tapped for collaboration because of the broad volunteer pool needed to support this type of event, especially in earlier years when the technology was limited. The event has grown since that time to become one of the largest high school track meets in Michigan and a great source of pride for the Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor.
Events included in the track meet include the 4X100, 4X200, 4X400, 4X800 relays, 100 and 400 yard dash, high jump, pole vault, long jump, shot put, and more.
The Rotary Track Meet Scholarship was added to the event in 1977 to assist talented track athletes with funding their college education. In the 40+ years of the track scholarship, over 125 seniors have been awarded these education grants. This year, there will be three $2,000 scholarships awarded. To be eligible for the Rotary Track Scholarship, the student must be a senior enrolled at a high school in Berrien County who has participated in either track or cross country during their senior year. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and must plan on attending a junior or four-year college in the fall after graduation. Plans for participation in college track or cross-country is not a requirement for eligibility. To apply, students submit an application form and are then interviewed by the Rotarian committee.
This committee had long been chaired by Rotarian Dennis Bowen who sadly passed away earlier this year. Renee Borah, Track Meet co-chair, stepped in to lead this effort along with Brian Berger, Jack Sukup, Jackie Winship, Matt Hanley and William Marohn.
The committee takes into consideration extra-curricular activities, community service, SAT scores, recommendation, and the interview to determine the winners. Students from 5 schools participated in the Track Meet Scholarship competition, including Berrien Springs, Coloma, Lakeshore, St. Joseph and Our Lady of the Lake.
