Western debuts new cross country trail June 5th

The new Western Albemarle High School Cross Country Course will open Sunday, June 5th, with an event at 4pm.
 A regulation course for competition, the loop at Old Trail Village is
3.2 miles (5k) and covers ground through the Western Park, recently
dedicated to the County of Albemarle by Beights Corporation.  Friends of
Western Albemarle High School Cross Country, Track and Field (WAHS CCTF) is a registered non-profit (501c3) organization with the
mission of supporting cross country, track and field at Western
Albemarle High School.  That organization raised the money to help
create the new course in Old Trail.   Beights Corporation, developer of Old Trail Village
in Crozet, Virginia made the land available and the Friends of WAHS XCTF raised
the necessary funding to get the project underway. Kim Connolly,
President of the Friends of WAHS XCTF organization, is thrilled that the
Western Albemarle student athletes will have a true course on which to
practice and compete.  “The boys and girls cross country teams are
considered among the best in the state, year after year. Now they will
have a course of which they can be proud. And it is a win for the Crozet
community to have a well-groomed trail through fields and woods on
which to walk and run. We are so grateful to the Beights Corporation for
their generous support of this project.” Scott Collins, Old Trail
Village resident and head of local engineering firm Collins Engineering,
donated his services to design and oversee construction of the course.
Collins is also working with two Western Albemarle cross country team
members who are building a bridge on the course as their Eagle Scout
projects.  Already planned are additional course loops to add variety
for the students’ practices and additional challenges.  The location in
Old Trail Village and adjacent to the public Old Trail Golf Club will
allow for regular VHSL scheduled meets and future invitationals. Gaylon
Beights, Chairman of Beights Corporation, said of the new course, “My
partners and I are really pleased to accommodate this course here in Old
Trail Village.  The new Park already serves hundreds of County
residents who play soccer, lacrosse, fly kites, and enjoy the community
garden.  This course adds another 3 miles to our planned 6 miles of
trails here, all open for everyone to use.  The new course is a true
symbol of the great community spirit here in Crozet.” The cross country
course will officially open at an event Sunday, June 5th, 4pm.
 Parking will be in the field across from the Village Center, on Old
Trail Drive.  The event will feature a ribbon-cutting, remarks from key
individuals involved in the project, and then the general public is
invited to run, walk, jog, and stroll along the new course that begins
in the Western Park, wraps around behind the Village Center, continues
across to the golf course, and concludes back at the park.