CASSOPOLIS — It had been six years since the Cassopolis track program hosted a home meet.

But that all changed on May 9 when the Rangers hosted Marcellus and Decatur in a Southwest 10 Conference meet.

The Cassopolis track had been deemed to have too much damage to continue to hold meets six years ago. So, the Rangers have been on the road ever since. They have had to find alternative places to hold practices, including using Dowagiac’s track.

Years went by as the district tried to figure out how to pay for a new track.

The district finally passed a bond issue a couple of years ago and a new track was one of the top budget items.

The Rangers should have began competition on its new track in 2017, but when construction began it was discovered that one end of the football field was much higher than the other end.

That meant tearing up the football field, leveling it off, and another year of waiting to host a home track meet.

The Cassopolis girls split their double-dual meet by defeating Decatur 62-48, but losing to Marcellus, 81.5-46.5.

The Ranger boys track team suffered a similar fate as it defeated the Raiders 73-36, but lost to the Wildcats, 85-52.

But the scores were not the most important thing that day. Being able to finally compete at home in front of friends and family was the highlight of the day.

“It was great to finally have a home meet,” said Cassopolis girls coach Janice Gatson, who has been with the Ranger program for 12 years. “It was also bittersweet for the seniors to be able to compete one last time on the new track.”

“Having a home meet was great for the athletes,” said boys coach Steve Green. “Not having to travel for the first time in the last five years was also a plus for the coaches.”

Another plus for the Rangers is the fact that they can better prepare, not only for regular season meets, but for the regional and state meets, which Cassopolis has always been successful at even without a home track to practice on.

“Having our own track is great and allows for us to practice and get better every day versus once a week,” Gatson said.

“More importantly we have been able to run practices on a consistent basis without travel, which has prepared us much better this year than last for regionals,” Green said.

In the girls meet against Decatur, Sophie Fiala captured the 100- and 300-meter hurdles with times of 16.34 and 48.58 respectively.

She was also a part of the winning 800- and 400-meter relay teams that took first place.

Also on the team were Gabby Rowan, Lizzy Ocampo and Santaja Gibson.

Amy Adams was a triple winner as she captured the 1,600-meters with a time of 6:21.96, the 800-meters with a time of 2:42.81 and the 3,200-meters with a time of 13:45.

Cassopolis also won the 1,600-meter relay as the team of Kierra Smith, Terryn Williams, Rowan and Jasmine Kadlec ran a time of 5:17.

In the boys win over the Raiders, Robert Ward won the 1,600- and 3,20-meters with times of 5:30.75 and 12:04 respecetively.

Mason Polomcak won the long jump with a leap of 19-3, Jonathon Leach won the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 14.67, Kyjuan Lanier won the 400-meters with a time of 1:01.56, Jon Meyers won the 800-meters with a clocking of 2:40.71 and Kiambu Gary won the 200-meters with a time of 23.39.

The Rangers also won the 3,200-, 800- and 400-meter relays.

Cacy May, Ward, Aiden Ward and Meyers made up the 3,200-meter relay unit, while Eian Forrest, Gary, Tyrese Hunt-Thompson and Kyanite Buck made up the 800-meter relay team.

The 400-meter squad consisted of Forrest, Gary, Polomcak and Hunt-Thompson.