With the facility updates happening at our partner’s campus, we can continue to drive opportunities for our Juniors! We cannot wait to see progress and the finished product. Read below for the full story!
College of Saint Mary plans new $20 million Wellness and Athletic Center
KETV, Feb 2020
There’s a large pile of dirt sitting on the field east of the Lied Fitness Center on the campus of College of Saint Mary. In more than a year, administrators expect it to turn into an 82,000 square-foot Wellness and Athletics Center.
“I see the strength and grit of pairing athletics with academics,” said Dr. Maryanne Stevens, President of College of Saint Mary.
Stevens knew it was time to expand. When she started in 1996, there were four sports. Now there are 11 and the facilities are 20 years old. She said there is not enough space.
“We don’t have enough offices for the offices. Softball needs to practice and it’s hard to practice outdoors when there is still snow on the ground,” she said. “They need to be practice inside but the basketball season is still going.”
Dr. Maryanne Stevens looks at renderings.
Student athletes said it’s tough cramming all the teams in the locker rooms and weight room.
“It takes a toll because you are so crunched in the weight room and you can’t do the full workouts to your ability,” said volleyball player Makenna Freeman.
The school added the track and field program recently but athletes can’t compete in certain events since CSM doesn’t have the facility.
“I feel like there are a lot of schools in the GPAC (Great Plains Athletic Conference) where we fall behind because we don’t have the facilities we can train on,” said runner Samantha Ochoa.
The assistant athletic director said the facility will help recruit athletes and provide even more space for the community programs they sponsor for young girls.
“When we have new space and new amenities, it’s going to be wide open. We are going to be able to help so many more programs and people,” said Jamie Adams.
“What’s more important to us is that we are helping young girls in the community and if they choose to come here and if it’s the right fit for them, that’s great,” Stevens said. “But even if they don’t, what we’ve done is help them get through those early teenage years fit and with some grit.”
The school expects to break ground in March and open the facility in spring 2021.
