When the decision was made to rebuild Mount Rainier High School, funding was not available for a new track.

Over the past three years, Ray Prentice, parent of Mount Rainier graduate Ryan Prentice, and others have worked to gather the funding to give the students and the community a track,. Their persistence appears to have paid off.

Prentice said he expects the new track to open on Sept. 17. The track will be named after former Mount Rainier coach Jim Kennett.

"It's overwhelming, " Kennett said. "I am not really sure I am worthy of it."

Kennett led Mount Rainier to its only team track state title in 1972.

The initial cost of a new track would have been $300,000 and $400,000 thousand dollars. The school district decided not to spend that amount of money on a new track.

"They just didn't see it in the cards, they had to make some tough choices and the track was a casualty of that," Prentice observed.

Prentice and others felt that coming up with that kind of private funding would be difficult as well and brainstormed ideas to cut costs.

The biggest cost cut was made by deciding to make the new track a practice track instead of a competition track. That decision, along with a few other tweaks, made the final cost of the new track around $185,000.

The new track will be used by the students for practice and by the community as well. School track meets will still take place at Highline Stadium.

After receiving a King County Youth Sports Facilities Grant of $75,000, things started to fall into place. The Highline school district then contributed $61,000, State Rep. Shay Schual-Berke (D-Normandy Park) facilitated finding another $12,000.

The cities of Des Moines and Normandy Park contributed $10,000 and $2,500 respectively. The remainder of the total cost was made by a variety of donations from the community, alumni and others.

"The interesting thing about this project was how many good things have come out of it," Prentice said. "We thought it would be something to bring the Mount Rainier community together."

One good thing that came out of it was getting Kennett inducted in the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame. After deciding to name the new track after Kennett a list of his accomplishments as a coach was developed.

On a whim that list was sent to the Hall of Fame, who decided to induct Kennett, which happened at the state track meet in May.

It isn't a secret why Prentice was so active in making the dream of the new track a reality. Track is very important to the Prentice family.

"Myself and many of my friends have benefited from track and field, I think we want to do something to pay it back," Prentice said.

Prentice's wife Jenny is the assistant track and cross country coach and Mount Rainier. Both he and his wife were on the track team at the University of Idaho.

Their son Ryan is touted as one of the top ten track recruits in the country. Ryan has received a full ride scholarship to Oklahoma State University.

Last season, Ryan's senior year he won the track "triple crown," taking the 3A state championship in cross country, and both the 3,200 and 1,600 meter races in track.

Ryan is also happy to see that there will be a new track.

"I think it signifies how much the Mount Rainier track program has come along in the past few years," he said. "I think it is going to help a lot of our athletes improve."

Added his dad, "The benefit of track and cross country is all you need is a pair of running shoes. It's a team sport, but also individual. It's not for everyone, but it's a great sport."