Hare Field

Hare Field
Location 1151 NE Grant Street
Hillsboro, Oregon, 97124
Owner Hillsboro School District
Capacity 5,000+
Surface Field turf
Construction
Opened 1965
Renovated 1997
Tenants
Hillsboro High School
Glencoe High School

Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District. Hare Field includes a baseball stadium, a football stadium, practice fields, and track and field equipment. The venue hosts high school sports, open track meets, youth sports, and occasionally college sports. The football stadium seats over 5,000 fans, was the first high school field in Oregon with an all-weather field, and was named one of the best venues to watch high school football in the state.

History

Hare Field opened in 1965 when the Hillsboro High School (Hilhi Spartans) baseball team started using the baseball stadium.[1] The field was named for civic leader and former state legislator William G. Hare.[2] The first football game was held on September 9, 1966, when Hilhi played Gresham High School.[2] Hilhi won that game 7-0 and would become the season’s state champions.[2] From 1948 to 1965 school football teams had used Goodman Field, located on the north side of NE Lincoln Street to the east of the high school building (later J.B. Thomas Middle School).[3] With the addition of Glencoe High School in 1980, that school also began using the facilities at Hare Field.

In 1991, coach Rich Brooks held the Oregon Ducks spring scrimmage at the stadium drawing 5,183 spectators.[4] The football stadium was used in 1997 for a memorial service to Hondo, a police dog killed in the line of duty and namesake for the city’s dog park.[5] Century High School became the third school to use Hare Field in 1997, but moved to the new Hillsboro Stadium when it opened in 1999.[6]

The following year the facility began a multi-year renovation that was funded by private money, including a controversial deal with soft drink maker Coca-Cola that raised $1 million.[7][8] The total cost for the project were $3.5 million and included the installation of an all-weather surface for the football and soccer field, a new track surface, locker-room improvements, and upgrades to some seating areas among others.[9] As a result of the sponsorships, the artificial turf has Coca-Cola logos in both end zones,[9] and it became the first all-weather high school football field in Oregon.[7] Following the installation of AstroTurf in 1998, the facility was used to host OSAA state playoff games that year.[10]

Hare Field hosted the Oregon State Beavers football spring game in 1999, the first year under coach Dennis Erickson.[11] In 2003, The Oregonian newspaper named the football stadium as one of the ten best places to watch a high school football game.[12] The Hilhi versus Glencoe football series was selected in 2007 for the Great American Rivalry Series.[13] The all-weather playing surface is scheduled to be replaced with a new all-weather field in 2009.[10] Hilhi boosters began renovations to the baseball diamond (Ad Rutschman Stadium) in 2014.[14]

Facilities

Main grandstand from west with football field in foreground

Hare Field consists of Craig Ruecker (football) Stadium that includes locker rooms and a covered grandstand.[7] The football field is also used for soccer, and a track surrounds the field. Other track equipment and open fields also make up the western section of the facility. The track is named the Elden Kellar Track.[15] On the east side of the complex is Ad Rutschman Baseball Stadium, with a portion of the south part composed of ticket stands and paved parking.[16] There is a jogging track around the perimeter of the complex.

The complex hosts home football games, track, and soccer for both Glencoe and Hilhi.[7] Oregon School Activities Association state playoff games for football are also held at the stadium.[17] Hilhi uses the baseball diamond for their teams. Hare is also home to the annual Elden Kellar Invitational amateur track meet,[18] while occasionally hosting high school district championship meets.[19] A weekly all-comers track meet is held during the summers.[15]

In addition to athletic venues, Hare Field houses and hosts other items and events. The facility serves as the staging ground for parades such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade[20] and the annual Fourth of July Parade.[21] Hare Field’s grounds also house an air quality monitoring station owned by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.[22] The school district also receives revenues from a cellular phone communication tower located at the site.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ McKinney, Dick. Sparts win first game at Hare. The Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 McKinney, Dick. Sparts trim Gresham in first game. The Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
  3. ↑ McKinney, Dick. Footballers excel during tenure at Goodman. The Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
  4. ↑ Wheeler, Ken. Ducks still have 4 quarterbacks. The Oregonian, May 5, 1991.
  5. ↑ Danks, Holly. Police, public remember Hondo. The Oregonian, March 19, 1997.
  6. ↑ Fentress, Aaron. Stadium on target for fall opening. The Oregonian, May 12, 1999.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Gaynair, Gillian. Hillsboro thinks things will go better with Coke. The Oregonian, May 21, 1998.
  8. ↑ Feit, Josh and Seth Walls. The Pepsi Challenge: The Portland School Board looks to corporate advertising to prop up its sagging budget. Willamette Week, April 1, 1998.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Fentress, Aaron. Track around Hare Field is completed: the privately funded effort spurred Glencoe High’s Craig Ruecker moves into the next renovation. The Oregonian, June 26, 1999.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Forbes, Ron. Local news: Hare Field will get a new turf next summer. The Hillsboro Argus, August 15, 2008.
  11. ↑ White, Ryan. Good spring has OSU talking good game. The Oregonian, May 2, 1999.
  12. ↑ Charbonneau, Dave. 10 great places to watch prep football. The Oregonian, August 29, 2003
  13. ↑ Forbes, Ron. Rivalry football series will shine at Hare Field. The Hillsboro Argus, October 02, 2007.
  14. ↑ Leone, Hannah (November 21, 2014). "Spartan Baseball community rallies to renovate Ad Rutschman Stadium". The Oregonian. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Fitzgibbon, Joe. Everyone ends up a winner at All-Comers Track Meets. The Oregonian, July 14, 2005.
  16. ↑ Forbes, Ron. Ad Rutschman joins Hare Field 'legends list.' The Hillsboro Argus, May 13, 2008.
  17. ↑ Charbonneau, Dave and Tim Sullivan. These teams look familiar. The Oregonian, November 27, 1998.
  18. ↑ Blue, Molly. Top meets. The Oregonian, March 30, 2007.
  19. ↑ Blue, Molly. Countdown to state track meet. The Oregonian, May 5, 2005.
  20. ↑ Demlow, Kay. Neighborhood Roundup – West Hillsboro: Heart of Hillsboro/Downtown Hillsboro: Wear green to march in St. Paddy's Day parade. The Oregonian, March 15, 2007.
  21. ↑ Mandel, Michelle. All hits, no misses for Fourth of July events. The Oregonian, July 1, 2004.
  22. ↑ Air Quality Monitoring Station - Hillsboro Hare Field. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, accessed October 29, 2007.
  23. ↑ Dang, Shirley. Hillsboro board to reconsider tower. The Oregonian, February 23, 2004.

External links

Coordinates: 45°31′44″N 122°58′24″W / 45.528779°N 122.973361°W