WARNER – It has taken a while to get the baton around the track, but the moment has arrived.

Warner will christen its remodeled track and field complex with the first organized meet on Tuesday during the Dial-A-Move Last Chance Meet.

“It’s a beautiful track set up very, very nicely for spectators,” said Warner coach Jeff Larson.

The facility underwent a face lift a couple of years ago complete with new turf for the football field and a new eight-lane track. Unfortunately, the unpredictable spring weather has prevented Warner from hosting a track meet until now.

“The whole idea was to get it in early, because you’re trying to fight other schools who have already pre-existing meets and not trying to conflict with those,” Larson said. “So, initially we thought we’d just go in and do an early bird meet or something. Of course, the snow and whatnot came, and it got to February and I’m thinking we’re off and running this year, and now the rain has slowed us down. So, if it’s not snow, it’s rain.”

Now, it appears that the track is ready to make its initial debut with a 10-team meet set for Tuesday.

Larson said the facility is top notch and ready to go.

He said the community has been a driving force in helping to bring the facility to fruition.

“The kids are excited, but I think the community is excited to have it again. It’s amazing for a small town like Warner, the support that we have,” Larson said. “When we decided to do this track, at first it was only going to be a six lane, and we were trying to fit it in with the constraints that we had. And I went to the board and I said, look if we’re going to do this, we have to do it right, because what we put in is what the kids are going to know that we supported, and support them. And kudos to the administration and the board at the time. They did it right. They did their homework. We have a great facility.”

Warner used to host meets back in the day, including the annual Warner-Stratford Lions meet.

Larson wants to make sure that the new track will host annual events again in the future, although much like next week’s inaugural meet, he expects that it could take a little time to get things off the ground.

“We’re starting baby steps, because this new timing system has really taken a toll on a lot of programs, so small baby steps to get our program running, our event running,” Larson said. “We want to do two events. We want two there every year for sure.”

And one of those would have a flair all its own.

“We’re talking about adding a twilight meet, but we’re going to do a true twilight,” Larson said. “We’re in the dark. The lights are going to be on.”

LEADING THE WAY: There is a new four-event leader in open events this week.

Sioux Falls Washington’s Nyariek Kur continues to have a stellar spring. Kur now tops four events in the Class AA girls: the 100-meter hurdles, and the high jump, long jump and triple jump.

There are also four other athletes this week that top three open events. In Class AA boys, Griffin Fischer of Sioux Falls Lincoln leads the 100, 200 and 400, while Dylan Payer of Yankton has the best times in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

Other three-event leaders include Braden Peterson of Hot Springs in the Class A boys 100, 200 and 400, and Reagan O’Neill of Bennett County in the Class A girls 100, 200 and long jump.

There are nine athletes who lead a pair of open events this week. Included in that group is Ella Boekelheide of Northwestern, who tops the Class B girls in the 800 and 1,600. The sophomore is also second in the 3,200 and third in the 400.

BY THE NUMBERS: The team leaders have tightened up a bit in recent weeks.

The Ipswich boys are the current team leader in Class B topping four events. Other team leaders include Rapid City Stevens in Class AA boys (four events), Brandon Valley, Pierre, and Sioux Falls Washington in Class AA girls (four events), Hot Springs in Class A boys (four events), Sioux Falls Christian in Class A girls (five events), and Burke in Class B girls (three events).

The state meet is set for May 23-25 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.