California added a concrete runway to the throwing area for javelin this year. The school started offering the javelin throw event three years ago.
California Athletics Director Rick Edwards said they added the concrete to make the surface better than just the grass, which can be pretty wet.
Superintendent Dwight Sanders said the school paid for the concrete to be poured.
"The district paid for it," Sanders said. "It was about $1,700. We have facilities and grounds money that is set into the budget every year and it is for things like that. If it is a small purchase and it is something that a specific team has a need for, they have their own budget so every athletic department has their own budget. If it is a facility improvement and it is a more expensive purchase then that comes out of our buildings and grounds."
Edwards said the school added javelin to their track team so students can participate in it at the state meet, as the state recently added it as well. Javelin throwing was added to high school track and field in 2015 and it was added to the state championships in 2017.
"When the state added it, we wanted to add it, to give our kids an opportunity to compete," Edwards said. "We have a really nice athletic facility right now. We have an area that is specific to throw and that makes it really nice. It gives an area to where we can throw and be safe."
He said they looked at the Jefferson City High School as a model on how to pour the cement.
"What we did, we went down to the Jeff City High School and measured what they had, because that's where the state meet is, and we poured it exactly like what they have," Edwards said.
When it comes to throwing javelins in practices, Edwards said there is a coach watching them as they throw. The students also use javelins that don't have the point to them.