University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Grand Reopening held for Karl Straus Track
09.23.2023 | Cross Country, General, Track and Field
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The first project in the "ALL IN" comprehensive campaign was officially unveiled Friday afternoon (Sept. 22) as members of the UNC Asheville community gathered to commemorate the reopening of the Karl Straus Track.
"Today marked a monumental day for Bulldog Athletics as we celebrated the opening of the newly renovated $4.5M Karl Straus Track," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "This project would not have been possible without the support of our Board of Trustees, Bulldog donors, and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. We are grateful for their generosity and excited to see our campus and community members use this track to improve their health and wellness and host competitive track meets."
The newly renovated Track is now a premier Olympic-level track facility in Western North Carolina. These facility enhancements will not only impact current and future Bulldog student-athletes, coaches, and staff but also allow Asheville and Buncombe County the opportunity to host premiere local, regional, and national athletic events.
"Today was a wonderful celebration of all of the hard work that so many individuals have put into making this renovation project a reality," said Head Cross Country Coach/Associate Track & Field Coach Adam Puett. "The improved Karl Straus Track Facility will help UNC Asheville stand out in the Big South Conference and regionally. This facility is amazing in that we can now host meets, train at the level needed to be at the top of the Big South Conference, and recruit the next level of high school athletes needed to see our program continue to improve."
The ceremony was attended by members of the UNC Asheville Board of Trustees, members of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, Bulldog Alumni, many of the donors who helped make the renovations possible, and current UNC Asheville staff members and student-athletes. 
Construction on the track began in October of 2022. The improvements to Karl Straus Track include an eight-lane resurfaced track, brand new video and scoreboard, and additional seating.
"The track reopening represents the finish line victory for the efforts led by A.D. Cone and our dedicated Bulldog supporters," said Joel Williams, Head Track & Field/Associate Cross Country Coach. "It is a phenomenal facility with a truly world-class surface. This facility will provide both an effective and safe surface for our student-athletes to train and compete on and serve as a tremendous venue for summer track & field meets and camps. It's already become a recruiting draw for future Bulldogs! There is no surface I'd rather have for our home facility than a Mondo product."
The facility will be accessible to all UNC Asheville students, faculty, and staff. To use the facility, please show your Rocky Card or visit the Sherrill Center Box Office to pick up a reusable wristband. The box office is open daily from 1-4 p.m.
Community members wishing to use the facility may apply for a membership HERE. This membership will grant access to the track from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to dusk when the track is not being utilized for University events.
For more information on the facility, including policies on parking and camp/group reservations, click HERE.
