Austintown Unveils $12M Athletics Complex
A 44,000-square-foot athletic center will provide students at Austintown Local Schools with a place to practice sports and participate in extracurricular activities during inclement weather.
Austintown Fitch High School junior Jayden Lumsden, who plays on the offensive line on the Falcons football team, said the new center, unveiled with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting Monday, will allow him to “get better during the offseason, when it’s cold and rainy – just to get more work in so we don’t have to be outside.”
Abby Toth, a senior on the high school softball team, said players will be able to use the center for hitting and pitching practice and scrimmages during cold or rainy weather.
Evergreen, Colo., Begins Construction on New Natatorium
Contractors got the “on your mark” order from the Evergreen Park & Recreation District Jan. 27 when the board approved moving forward with its aquatics expansion.
The competition-level pool at Buchanan Recreation Center will have eight lanes, a diving board and a diving well, and is expected to open in about a year.
The natatorium will also feature three garage doors that can be opened, leading to an outdoor gathering area with a planned splash pad and possibly a future fire pit.
A climbing wall is also planned in the new structure. While it will be connected to the current pool and the rest of the Buchanan Recreation Center, it will have its own entrance, bathrooms and changing area.
At an estimated $10.5 million, it is the most expensive of the many major projects EPRD currently has on its very full plate.
“It’s the biggest ticket item EPRD has funded and designed, so we want to make sure it meets the needs of all the users,” board President Mary McGhee said. “The plan is still to do eight lanes and a diving well and make it a good competition pool for the Hurricanes.”
Oklahoma AD Reaffirms Commitment to Building Entertainment District
Incoming University of Oklahoma Athletic Director Roger Denny reaffirmed the university’s commitment to building an entertainment district in University North Park during an introductory press conference Wednesday.
Denny, whose employment was officially accepted by the OU Board of Regents Friday, is an attorney with experience in executive compensation, tax, corporate finance, licensing and representing college athletics departments and sports businesses.
His legal experience provides a foundation for leading major athletics programs, overseeing coaching contracts, managing complex operations and working to achieve student-athlete success, according to a university press release announcing Denny’s hiring stated.
