An Oklahoma high school has secured $1.8 million in funding for a new artificial turf field at its football stadium as part of a rebuild following a tornado that damaged the facility back in April.
The Shawnee Board of Education accepted $1.8 million in funding toward a new turf project for Shawnee High School's Jim Thorpe Stadium.
Shawnee athletic director Dax Leone says the new turf is a point of pride for Shawnee, as the venue is the largest outdoor facility in town.
Leone told News 9 that the turf is unique and that Shawnee is one of the first in the state to have it.
“It's kind of plays like a natural grass surface; it does not have the black pellets; it's got these cooling agents that are actually in the turf that makes it 30 degrees cooler," Leone said.
Leone says the new turf project should get started at the end of November. Future upgrades also include a new pressbox, scoreboard and goalposts.
