The Marysville High School cheer team performs during the Oct. 30 ribbon-cutting celebration for the school’s new track and field facility. The upgrades mark a new era for student athletics.

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Orange and black aren’t just the colors of Halloween — they’re the proud colors of the Marysville High School Indians.

On Oct. 30, students, staff and community members gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the school’s brand-new track and softball facilities. The $5 million project features an all-weather track and field, new lighting, a sound system, scoreboard and soccer field — all designed to serve generations of student-athletes to come.

“These new facilities are more than just fields and lanes — they represent opportunity. The opportunity for our student-athletes to train and compete at the highest level,” said Marysville High School Principal Joe Seiler.

Fresh stretches of orange and gray mark the lanes of Marysville High School’s newly completed all-weather track, unveiled to the community during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 30.

The day carried special meaning for Seiler, whose first memories of the track date back to his early years as a P.E. teacher at Ann McKenney. Back then, the track was little more than dirt, and Seiler and his colleagues would line it with chalk by hand for their students’ practices.

“I remember those days fondly,” Seiler said. “And standing here now, seeing this beautiful facility, is truly remarkable.”

Marysville Joint Unified School District Board President Doug Criddle called the project a vital investment in the future of every student.

“This is where speed will be honed, personal bests will be shattered, and championship victories will be won,” Criddle said. “It’s where lessons of dedication, discipline, and teamwork will be learned with every stride, jump, and throw. This new facility is a source of profound Marysville High School pride that will benefit us all for decades to come.”

Marysville High School Principal Joe Seiler addresses the crowd at the Oct. 30 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school’s new $5 million track and field project, flanked by orange-and-black balloons and community supporters.

Criddle encouraged students to view the new grounds as a “blank slate” — one on which to write the first of many winning chapters for Marysville athletics.

Marysville Joint Unified School District Superintendent Jordan Reeves echoed that optimism, noting that the upgrades will not only elevate athletic training but also enhance the district’s ability to host regional competitions and community events.

“We’re excited to host league events, hopefully sectional events which would certainly bring people into the community - and hopefully people spending money in our community,” Reeves said. “We’re very excited about the direction that our district is heading, and more importantly the opportunities that are being created for students of Marysville.”