The meet was created by coaching legend Fred Hardy Jr. In 1990 the meet started with a respectable turn out and a very elite field. In years before it's creation the Estes Center was just a giant hole in the ground awaiting the necessary funds for completion. The original idea was to put in a hardwood floor and not have a track at all. Fred Hardy convinced the Academy that a track could be a positive for the school. Thirteen years later there are no regrets about building the track.
The early years of the meet were dominated by Hardy's teams which featured elite distance runners like Martin Keino and Pole Vault sensation Braxton Davenport. In recent years however, the meet has become very difficult for any team to dominate.
While other meets feature larger tracks and more spacious surroundings, they lack the aura and mystique of this unique facility. Winning at the Estes Center proves an athletes' ability to block out all that is going on around and get the job done. And winning at the Estes Center also earns an athlete the distinction of succeeding in a meet with a tradition of excellence.
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