By Cameron Smith | Prep Rally

Building new athletic facilities are expensive, and the onus they put on school districts is sky high given the dire financial straits that many states find themselves in. Amidst this sea of financial concerns and general uncertainty, one Oregon school came up with a novel way to get a desperately needed, professional quality running track: It traded a waffle iron for it.

As reported by the Portland Oregonian, Condon (Ore.) High was in desperate need for a new track and runways for the long jump, pole vault and javelin events. Two years after the program was nearly eliminated because of budget cuts, volunteer coaches Jon and Melissa Bowerman knew they needed to do something to improve the school's facilities if the tiny combined team from Condon and Wheeler (Ore.) High was ever going to compete at a viable level.