Grand Opening Set for New Lewis Athletic Facility

Lewis President Br. James Gaffney will unveil the new, $3.3 million with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Friday. The complex includes a nine-lane track, artificial-turf multi-sport field, stands, a press box, lighting, scoreboard and additional parking for spectators.

The ribbon cutting is scheduled to take place on the field between the mens and womens soccer games. Both games are part of the first-ever nighttime outdoor sporting event hosted by Lewis. The doubleheader kicks off with the womens game at 5 p.m.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at around 7 p.m. during the brief intermission between the two games. The mens soccer team will take the field against Maryville University at 8 p.m.

“There are a few new features to the track that make it great for Lewis,” said Dan Schumacher, director of athletics at Lewis. “Now, the track team can finally host events for the first time in eight years and, more importantly, the artificial playing surface makes the field safer during weather conditions for the athletes.”

The new field boasts an AstroTurf playing surface that uses an efficient draining system capable of draining up to six inches of rain from the field, making it dry faster.

Officials are also excited about the fact that the new field is lighting, allowing Lewis to host nighttime sporting events outdoors.

“All the competitions can take place at night now," Schumacher said. "Along with making the game more exciting, we are hoping that student attendance at the events will increase if they take place in the evening."

The field has already hosted several mens and womens soccer games as the fall season has gotten under way. It was even used during the freshman “welcome days” event in August. 

According to Schumacher, the new track and field will be used for more than sports. The facility can host anything from intramurals to recreational events, he noted.

Is football in Lewis' future?

The new state-of-the-art complex has rumors swirling on campus about the potential for further expansion of Lewis sports facilities.

“There have been talks about possible sports expansion in the future,” said Schumacher. “A special designated task force has been created to debate and decide what sports we would like in the future. Currently, the two sports under discussion are a Lewis football team and a women’s lacrosse team.”

Schumacher said he was excited for the athletes and what they are feeling about the new track.

“I think the student athletes are on cloud 9," he said. "I think they feel valued in a new way. They may even feel a new sense of affinity to the university.”

Major work on the sports complex were completed in early August, just four months after the April groundbreaking. All that remains to be completed is for the grass to grow around the actual playing surface.

While giving Lewis the capability of hosting larger events in the future, the track may also succeed in encouraging more students to pursue a sports career at the university. 

“The opportunity to host more events is a huge upgrade, we also have a good advantage when it comes to recruiting new talented athletes in the future,” said Schumacher.