The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) indoor track and field conference championships are underway at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. The second championship this weekend is expected to bring thousands of people to area hotels.
"Having two conference championships with not only the athletes, the coaches and staff, but many parents as well who will come in and watch the kids come to us. So, we'll generate probably close to 3,000 room nights this weekend," said Shelli Fine, Director of Sports Development, Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.
Fine said those room night numbers are crucial this time of year.
MPSF commissioner Foti Mellis said his conference spent four years at another facility in the west, but coaches encouraged him to stop by the Biggest Little City.
"It was on our radar, and we had been going to another facility for our championship up in Spokane," Mellis said. "But the coaches said, 'We got to go to Reno. We hear great things.'"
Fast-forward to this weekend, and here they are.
Latanya Sheffield is the Director of Track and Field at Long Beach State University. She said the move to reno has paid off for her athletes.
"They started out with the sprinting and they were zooming today," Sheffield said. "I'm really super excited that we had two of our men, even PR. so I would love to just say that this facility here is really fast."
One of the men who set a personal record is Aidan Turner. Turner got off to a hot start in the heptathlon, winning three of the first four events.
"[I'm] really happy with the performance, especially in shotput. That's been a long time coming. We've been working a lot on it. And really happy that it finally came through," Turner said.
At the end of the first day of competition, Long Beach State leads all men's teams with 69.99 points. UC Irvine paces the women with 67.50 points.
Alin Beane shows us how the events have been a huge benefit for the Reno-Sparks area.
