JEFFERSON CITY — Adkins Stadium was built to host the MSHSAA Track & Field Championships.
In the construction of a high school stadium, the track is often seen as an afterthought, with football taking center stage. However, when Jefferson City Public Schools overhauled the pre-World War II venue ahead of the 2008-09 school year, the district designed and constructed the new Adkins Stadium with hosting the state track meet in mind.
One of the district’s main consultants for the project was Dennis Licklider, the Jays’ storied track and field coach and a future inductee to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. However, it was a long way to come for the Owensville native, who didn’t have a track at his high school when he competed.
Licklider won nine state championships during his 24 seasons as head coach at Jefferson City High School, and in 20 of those seasons he helped the Jays go undefeated.
The Hall of Famer began coaching at Jefferson City as an assistant football and boys track coach in fall 1977. He jumped in immediately to assist at the 1978 state track meet, spending his first year on the hurdles crew. The Jays went on to win the 4A boys state championship that year.
The 1978 championships marked Jefferson City’s third time hosting the event just across the street at Reed Stadium at Lincoln University.
Lincoln began by only hosting the boys 3A championship in 1976. Reed Stadium then became the primary site for all championships in 1979 after hosting the 3A and 4A championships for the two previous seasons.
Licklider became more involved in the operations of the state championships as the years went on.
“Every year, they gave me something else to do. I was never smart enough to say no,” Licklider said jokingly.
Licklider and his wife, Roberta, fell in love with Jefferson City and the school at which they coached.
Roberta worked alongside Dennis as an assistant girls track coach and continued coaching track when Dennis was named head coach in 1997. Roberta also served as Jefferson City’s volleyball coach for 11 years.
The two settled down in the state’s capital and raised four children, three of which went into teaching after graduating college. One of their sons, Ben, was a pole vaulter and volunteer assistant coach at MU while getting his degrees. This summer will mark Dennis and Roberta’s 40th year of marriage.
For the two, volunteering at the state meet has always been an opportunity to give back to the community they loved.
“We ask, and any school asks, a lot out of the community,” Dennis said, “whether it be taxes or buying ads in prom or graduation programs. This is something we can do to bring people into town and pay back the community for all the support they’ve shown us over the years.”
In turn, Jefferson City activities director Damon Wells says the community has supported the events put on by Jefferson City schools.
“I think this community’s willingness to embrace large-scale events is unparalleled,” Wells said. “It matters to a lot of people, and so many people step up to welcome people to the town.”
When it was time to refresh Adkins Stadium, Jefferson City knew who to consult when it came to the track. The seasoned Licklider came up with several different ways to make the track more appealing to host the state meet. While Licklider admits the updates were small in the grand scheme, he says they make a world of difference on meet day.
“One of the things that makes our track unique is that we installed four-inch conduits underneath the track,” Licklider said. “Timing companies can hook up directly from the press box to any of the four corners on the track. When it’s on top of the field, you have to constantly watch and make sure no one trips over them.”
Additionally, the runways were intentionally put on the visitor’s side of the field, allowing for greater sightlines of the long and triple jumps during meets. Licklider adds that these track-specific designs also enhance the football viewing experience at Adkins.
“By putting it on the backstretch, the football field is actually scooted (closer to the home side),” Licklider said.
Licklider retired in 2009, allowing him to coach his final season in the stadium he helped build. A small yet incredibly meaningful addition would be made after his retirement.
Following decades of service to Jefferson City and its track program, the Jays named the track at Adkins Stadium “Roberta and Dennis Licklider Track.”
Lincoln University hosted the championship for the last time in 2015, before it moved down the road to Adkins Stadium.
While the venue change allowed the city to flaunt innovative stadium design, the event continued to give the community exposure for its friendly nature, Licklider said.
“It’s just a great way to show off the city,” he said. “People appreciate that we greet them with a smile.”
The track meet provides a boost in Jefferson City’s tourism industries, specifically its hotels and restaurants. However, its biggest impact is on activities and athletics at Jefferson City Public Schools.
Capital City and Jefferson City High School squads alternate weekends fundraising for their programs by working concession stands or taking cash at parking lots.
Jefferson City prides itself on keeping prices low amid rising costs of living and high ticket prices for state meets, which are set by MSHSAA officials. However, the money raised by the event funnels back into supporting the teams at all of the schools around the district.
On Friday, Dennis will be up before 6 a.m. to close down Stadium Boulevard and begin preparations to host the first weekend of the championships. For two weekends, he will be the first to arrive and the last to leave the track named after him. In the end, he says it’s all worth it if it means an excellent experience for the athletes being celebrated for their achievements.
“It’s really rewarding to watch the kids compete,” Licklider said. “Being a track coach for 35 years, I know what it means just to get here. We’ve had some incredible athletes over the years.”
Adkins Stadium has played host to some of the greatest athletes around the state, including Olympic pole vaulter and Lee’s Summit native KC Lightfoot, who set the all-time state record and second-best high school jump in the nation of 18 feet, 4¾ inches. Lightfoot went on to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics and jumped 19-8¼ in 2021 to set a new collegiate record.
Now complete with what the Jays claim to be the largest high school scoreboard in the state of Missouri, Adkins Stadium is once again ready to open its gates to athletes from across the state.
According to Licklider, “there’s just no better place to host this meet.”
