The 'Warrior Elk Challenge' is far from your typical dual meet. Firstly, it pits two of the state's most storied track and field programs, Wayne and Centerville, together for a day of great competition. How great? Well the record book resembles that of what you might expect to see from performances achieved at a large invitational, as opposed to a mid-week meet with just two teams.
Secondly, and more importantly, these friendly rivals from the greater-Dayton area work in unison toward a common charitable cause each year. Launched by coaches Mike Fernandez and Matt Somerlot many years ago, the outlet to where donations have been forwarded has changed over time, but the underlying theme of the meet has held firm. That being to contribute to the local community and to have a lot of fun in the process.
Centerville's Coach Somerlot joined the 'Buckeye State Breakdown' to supply more context on the annual gathering. View his interview above and check out additional information on the meet's history and all-time best marks on the following pages.
Time Stamps ~
- 1:05 -- Meet history and its evolution over time
- 3:50 -- All-time great performances by both teams
- 7:05 -- Structuring the line-up to be competitive
- 8:30 -- Meet hosting responsibilities
- 10:15 -- The memorable 'dance-off' during year 4
- 11:25 -- The pride of taking the 'Winners Flag' back to your school
- 13:20 -- The charitable efforts demonstrated by both teams
- 18:10 -- Tradition continuing in 2020 despite canceled season
- 20:45 -- Detailing the future of the dual meet