“We are excited and honored to be hosting the 2024 State Track Meet at Welcome Stadium,” said Dayton Public Schools interim superintendent David Lawrence. “The district and community have invested a lot into the stadium renovation project, and it is rewarding to now be hosting a state tournament as a result of those efforts.”
The high school track and field championship will return to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in 2025 and 2026.
The 2024 track and field meet is set for May 31 and June 1.
Jesse Owens has hosted the state meet since 2004 with the exceptions of 2020, when the event was canceled, and 2021, when each division was held at a high school in central Ohio.
“We are very impressed with the renovations at Welcome Stadium,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA executive director. “It’s great to see what Dayton Public Schools has done to the facility and they were very excited right away when we called.”
Mike Penner, executive associate athletics director for internal operations at Ohio State University, said construction will take place from May to September at Jesse Owens.
DPS has not hosted the track and field event since 2003. At that time, construction at Ohio Stadium, where the tournament was previously held, moved the meet.
More information including event schedules, meet management details, etc. will be shared at a later date.
According to the contract available through Dayton Public Schools, OSHAA will be paying about $60,000 to DPS to host the meet in Dayton. The money listed in the contract will go towards DPS staff, Dayton police and fire employees and others working at the event.
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