After recently approving a football locker room project for Chelsea High School, the council voted on Aug. 16 to award $95,000 to the school’s track and cross country teams. 

Track coach Trey Lee and several seniors on the team were in attendance at the city council meeting when the award was approved to purchase new equipment. Items will include javelins, shot puts, hurdles, a high jump mat, bungees, tarps, dollies and carts. 

Mayor Tony Picklesimer said that the key to having a good organization of any kind is having an inspirational leader, and that Coach Lee came to Chelsea last year and brightened up the school just by his presence. 

“Our track team is excelling in so many ways, and having a new track by itself is great, but you need equipment to run that track,” he said. “I met with [principal] Dr. [Brandon] Turner and asked him to get with Coach Lee to get a list of equipment our track team needed in order to compete on this beautiful new track.” 

Coach Lee addressed the mayor and council, thanking them not only for the equipment, but for also believing in their team. 

“I brought a group of seniors to show you how much these athletes appreciate you showing up and supporting something they'll only have for a year,” Lee said. “Not just for them but athletes that will come after them, probably not ever even meet. This is the team that's laying the groundwork.”

Lee shared successes from last season, when the boys cross country won in Shelby County for the first time in history and every girl in attendance was part of the Shelby County championship team. 

“We know now the next time we’re going to win and that is going to mean more because we’ll have the entire support of Chelsea behind us,” Lee said. “We appreciate your vision for us and for the team. We're going to work as hard as we can and not let you down in our first year in 7A.”

As part of the turf and track project improvements at the high school stadium, Chelsea will have the ability to host meets for both middle school and high school. Money raised from these events will allow the team to pay for meet entries, transportation and more. Meets will also bring visitors into the city. 

“For our seniors, I was wanting to send them out with a bang,” Lee said. “They’ve been waiting since 6th grade for this track so we want to honor them and send them out with the best possible high school career.”

The track is scheduled to be completed after football season and be ready in time for outdoor track season, which begins in March. The football field is scheduled to be completed in early September in time for the first football home game of the season. 

Another group of athletes were recognized during the meeting. The Chelsea Hornets 6U baseball team was honored for winning at the Mississippi Gulf Coast American All-Star World Series. The mayor presented each member of the team with a poster and city of Chelsea pin, while the team presented Picklesimer with a signed ball. 

Also during the meeting, the council:

Sept. 5: City Hall closed for Labor Day

Sept. 6 and 20: City council meetings, 6 p.m.

Sept. 16: Nick Grant application deadline