School Track Meets Make The Most Of Mall Garage

WEST NYACK, NY —Suffern school district athletic officials came up with an inventive way to host the New York State Public High School Athletic Association High School Varsity Track Meets this month — they're doing it at the Palisades Center in the underground parking garage.

The track meets started Wednesday and will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the month of March.

The first meet included Suffern High School, Tappan Zee High School, Nanuet Senior High School, Clarkstown North High School, and Albertus Magnus High School.

Finding venues to host indoor track and field events has been difficult. The usual local indoor facilities, such as college tracks, arenas and large gymnasiums, are closed due to the pandemic. Meets have been taking place outdoors but with these volatile weather conditions and low temperatures, outdoor spaces weren't an option right now.

Enter the Palisades Center, with a parking garage under the mall that is basically a ventilated, covered space.

"None of this would be possible if Palisades Center was not so gracious and accommodating," Jeff Dempsey, Suffern XC, Track & Field Head Coach said in a news release. "They really stepped up to save the kids. We have been making do with running outside, but this could be another level compared to our previous conditions."

Palisades Center officials said all their comprehensive safety and sanitizing measures and protocols will be enforced to ensure the safety of the coaches and athletes.

"Palisades Center is proud to provide a safe space where these athletes can still compete," said Darrin Houseman, general manager of the mall. "Serving the needs of people in the community, especially our kids, has always been important to us. It’s certainly an innovative use of the space and shows that anything is possible."

Meets are closed to parents and spectators. However, you can watch via live stream.