For the first time since World War II, the Southwestern Maine indoor track championship will not be held in the Portland Exposition Building.

The meet, held in the historic building since 1928, is being moved to the USM Field House in Gorham.

“The move will allow our student athletes to compete in a venue that is similar to the venue for the state championship meet a week and a half later,” Bonny Eagle athletic director Gary Stevens said. “Most of our athletes do not have that option during the regular season. Essentially they are running in a gym as opposed to a real indoor track.”

Long jump, triple jump and pole vault are not contested in the Expo but are events at the state championship, usually held at USM or Bates. It remains undecided whether the Southwestern championship will keep its historic format of events, schedule and divisions or convert to the format used in state meets.

Historically, running at the Expo has not hurt the performance of SMAA teams that go on to states. Since 1980 girls track teams running their regular season and league championship meets in the Expo have won 13 of 27 Class A state championships.

On the boy’s side Expo teams have won all but two Class A championships since 1968.

Helping to motivate the change was a desire to move the Western Class A and B boys’ and girls’ quarterfinal basketball tournament games from the Cumberland County Civic Center to the Expo.

“For several years the feeling has been that the Civic Center has been too large a venue for the quarterfinal rounds because of the small attendance and the spaciousness of the venue,” said Thornton Academy Athletic Director Dick Agreste.

Agreste is on the Maine Principal Association’s Class A and B West basketball committee.

Accommodating the basketball tournament required a shuffling of the Expo’s schedule. The 37th Annual Maine Camper & RV Show had to be moved back a week to the date normally reserved for the track championship.

“Making change is difficult and sometimes an external force can make it convenient to make change,” Stevens said. “I think it can be argued that this was the case here.”

Some indoor track coaches in the SMAA have a problem with the move.

“Apparently basketball took precedence over our championship meet and that really makes me mad,” said Kevin Campbell, girls track coach at Deering. “Track seems to be viewed by most administrators as a second-tier sport. They’d never move a football game to satisfy a field hockey matter.”

A common worry is that USM’s facility will not be able to handle the number of spectators and athletes attending the event.

“A big regular season meet does not fill the Expo but would definitely overwhelm USM seating capacity,” said George Mendros, boys track coach at Thornton Academy.

USM has handled state championships in the past but those meets have specific qualifying times, limiting the number of athletes. Mendros said he has brought over 50 athletes to a Southwestern meet, but usually has less than 20 competing in the state meet, a scenario common with many teams.

According to USM’s website, the field house has seating for 750 people.

Other coaches are in favor of the move, and some even wish the entire season could be moved.

“The Expo is great as far as spectators,” said Scarborough girls coach Ron Kelly.” The excitement, the people right on top of you, nothing can match it, but as far as facilities there is no comparison to being able to run at USM. You are able to do more events and run the complete distances.”

The atmosphere created by the Expo during the Southwestern meet is what many agree will be impossible to recreate anywhere else.

“It’s a major move in terms of indoor track,” said Stevens. “It’s a major move for our conference. So much of the SMAA is tied to the Expo with one of the most exciting events being the SMAA indoor track champs.”

It is that history that made the decision so difficult for Gorham athletic director Gerry Durgin, who played a large role in the decision.

“I labored long and hard,” Durgin said. “I believe in tradition but I also believe this is a great opportunity for the kids. To go to a site where you are going to run the same events you can do in the state meet.”

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