The selection of Lawrence as the site of the 2017 USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Championships is exciting news.

The event, which will run July 23-30, 2017, is expected to bring about 9,500 athletes and 33,000 family members, coaches and spectators to Lawrence. It will be a huge undertaking for the community. The city’s visitors bureau, eXplore Lawrence, worked hard to attract this event, submitting a bid in mid-October and qualifying last month as a finalist, along with Des Moines. Lawrence’s selection was announced Saturday at the USA Track and Field convention in Houston.

Now that its bid has been accepted, Lawrence faces a huge amount of preparation to handle the event and the crowds it will bring to the city. The competition will be held at Rock Chalk Park in northwest Lawrence. The potential economic impact of events like the Junior Olympics was what justified the city’s investment in infrastructure to support Rock Chalk Park, and a few successful events may help offset some of the concerns about how that project was approved and financed. The track and field event has generated between $17 million and $22 million in business for previous host cities.

The impact of the event will stretch far beyond Lawrence. The bid was a joint project of eXplore Lawrence, its nonprofit subsidiary, the Lawrence Sports Corporation, and the Missouri Valley USA Track and Field Association. The 1,300 hotel rooms in Lawrence won’t be enough to accommodate all those who will attend the event, so work already has started to coordinate lodging in Topeka, Overland Park, Olathe and Kansas City.

It’s vitally important that Lawrence put its best foot forward for the July 2017 event, which will set the standard for similar events in the future. A well-organized meet that includes the necessary community planning and support could encourage other organizations to consider Lawrence and Rock Chalk Park for major athletic events.

Lawrence is a great athletic town that will rally in support of the Junior Olympics meet. Much work lies ahead, but hosting an efficient and enjoyable event is an exciting opportunity for Lawrence.