GAINESVILLE, FL (9/20/19) –The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) announced Friday that the Florida High School Track & Field State Championships will return to the University of Florida campus as part of a three-year partnership with the Gainesville Sports Commission (GSC).
“It gives me great pride to announce that the GSC will be hosting the Florida High School Track & Field State Championships on May 13th-16th, 2020 at James G. Pressly Stadium, Percy Beard Track” said Gainesville Sports Commission Executive Director, Joleen Cacciatore Miller. She went on to say, “The GSC is excited to bring back the State Championships to our community, which has not been hosted here since 2004.
Today’s announcement comes from the incredible collaboration of the FHSAA, GSC, Alachua County, University Athletic Association and University of Florida. Hosting the FHSAA Track & Field State Championships in Alachua County will allow our high school athletes to stay local and compete on this elite track. Additionally, this will create significant economic impact in our community by visiting attendees from all over the state of Florida. We look forward to welcoming the state track and field participants and spectators to Alachua County!”
In a change from the previous years where all four classifications competed simultaneously, the new schedule of events will feature a format where just two classifications for both girls and boys compete at the same time over a two-day period. The first two classifications will compete on Wednesday and Thursday, with the remaining two classes having their competition on Friday and Saturday.
“James G. Pressly Stadium, Percy Beard Track has been the historical training ground for some of the world’s best track & field athletes over the years”, FHSAA Executive Director George Tomyn said. “We would like to thank the GSC for their commitment, and we are excited to give our member schools and student athletes a memorable experience they remember for a lifetime.”
A listing of hotel options can be found here. Meet schedules, parking, and advanced ticket information for the event will be announced in the near future. Dates for the 2021 and 2022 events are yet to be determined. For more information, follow the FHSAA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat by searching for “FHSAA.”
ABOUT THE FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association supervises and regulates interscholastic athletic programs for high school students at member public, private and charter schools. The organization also recognizes and honors academic achievement among student-athletes at almost 800 middle, junior and senior high schools statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida.
ABOUT THE GAINESVILLE SPORTS COMMISSION
The Gainesville Sports Commission is a liaison that brings sporting events to our local community and assists with hosting, creating and supporting over 45 events annually. Since its inception, Gainesville Sports Commission has directly contributed more than 300 million dollars of economic growth. By bringing participants and spectators to sporting events, Gainesville Sports Commission creates approximately 20 million dollars annually of direct economic impact for our community.
