Wrapping up Richmond: Doin’ it right; doin’ them wrong

We really enjoy participating in the Fred Hardy Invitational at the University of Richmond. It is a perfect early season meet and a wonderful facility. The hosts are very accommodating. The 2013 edition of the meet was bittersweet as it signaled the beginning of the end of the men’s track program at Richmond, a program with an incredibly rich tradition and history, which will be dropped at the end of the 2013 outdoor track season. It is not my job to pass judgment on the decision-makers at that school or any school that makes such decisions. But whenever a program is dropped – for whatever reason – it is a sad day for our sport. Caught in the crossfire of such decisions are innocent student-athletes who just want to run, race and compete. Once glance at the Richmond men’s track school records will tell you that this is a program steeped in tremendous performances that goes back many decades. Sadly, these records will be frozen in time, probably forever. They do it right down there, when it comes to this meet and track in general. Too bad their men’s track program will not be able to continue and build upon this tradition after this spring.