CBR’s own Kristy Hartless helps to mark the last LJ Tiger Relays

La Junta, Colo. -
For Kristi Hartless, her presence at the final running of the storied Tiger Relays on La Junta’s history laden cinder track meant more than that of paying forward the gratitude garnered from relays past.
For Hartless, the final running on the cinders meant keeping a promise made long ago to a man she admires still today; a mentor to not only the sport, but to her everyday life.
A once discus and shot-put hurler at La Junta High School, Hartless claimed third in the disc and sixth in the shot put in 1992, her junior year in high school. During her senior tenure, Hartless suffered a horseback riding injury which ended her season and has since made her paralyzed and wheelchair bound.
She recalled the incident from the pit Friday.
“I was coming back to win it all, she said of returning to school her senior year under the supervision of former track and field coach Bob Murphy. “I got hurt during Christmas break and Murphy found a way for me to help out with the meet.”
Fourteen years later and since a field judge at the discus pit, Hartless recalled a promise made then to her former coach.
“He told me, ‘never let them take this away from you,’” she said. “And I haven’t. I hope I never do.”
Following Friday’s final round, Hartless took one final spin around the discus pit she once threw from as a high school competitor now from her wheelchair before rolling on to the storied infield where she picked pieces of the grass she says she plans to keep for herself and Murphy.
Hartless too took part in a commemorative 800 meter run / walk around Tiger Field intended for runners of relays past.
Amongst the runners were the familiar faces of La Junta’s Dave Bomar and Lorie Moreno-Roch, and along the infield the memorable faces of former La Junta High School athletic director Tano Paolucci, longtime volunteer Ron Davis, and former participants Jerry Church and Larry Fisher.
“It never was the track that made this a special meet”, said Vera Tate, wife of the late John Tate, son of founder Paul Tate, when referring to the forty-plus years of service dedicated by Paolucci, Davis, and countless others. “It’s the people that make the event possible that make this meet what it has become.”
Vera Tate, now a resident of Pueblo, says the relays will always hold a special place in her heart. “Before John I didn’t know much about track”, she admitted. “But because of him track will always be in my blood.”
In sharing the passion once displayed by her father and grandfather, Sue Tate, daughter of John Tate, too expressed undying passion for the sport, particularly on Tiger Field, saying, “I love the cinders. It’s a great place to compete and a place that I’ll never forget.”
In the sixty years that the Tiger Relays have taken place, Sue has, under her own count, missed only six meets dating back to 1949, the year that her grandfather started the relays. She was three years old then.
“It’s a sad time to see the events on this track come to an end”, said Sue. “But it is also a very happy time. The kids deserve better and the new track will give that to them.”
Construction on the new Tiger Field began April 1 and will be the new sight of the Tiger Relays beginning next season.
The new field will feature an artificial turf and nine lane all-weather track currently being constructed behind the existing La Junta High School. The current Tiger Field will soon be demolished to make room for the new Arkansas Valley Community Center, a $4.3 million project slated to break ground shortly after.
“It doesn’t matter where we hold this meet”, said long-time volunteer Ron Davis during this year’s relays. “There are people and coaches that will continue to support the relays as long as they are around, and for that reason, the Tiger Relays will never die.”

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This entry was posted on 28. April 2009 at 19:18 and is filed under CBR Staff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.