DEFIANCE, Ohio – Major improvements to the athletic facilities at Defiance College will be under way this month. The project will be launched with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, March 15, at 12:15 p.m. at the Karl H. Weaner Community Center on Webster Street.
A 4,156 square foot addition of four new locker rooms will be made to the McMaster Center. Renovations will also be made to the Weaner Center and Justin F. Coressel Stadium, totaling 7,600 square feet.
“We’re thrilled to improve and expand our athletic facilities,” said Lois McCullough, Vice President for Finance and Management. “This not only impacts our current student athletes, but will give us a competitive edge for future student athletes.”
Jodie Holava, Interim Athletic Director, noted, “We are grateful that President Mankey and the Board of Trustees have invested in athletics to enable our programs to be more competitive with surrounding institutions and within our conference. The facility upgrades will assist in recruiting quality student-athletes and continue to support retention within the basketball, volleyball and football programs.”
The additional locker room space will bring new opportunities for student-athletes at DC with added sports teams. “We are excited to be able to support wrestling on campus again,” said Holava.
The project includes:
- Renovation and expansion of men’s and women’s locker rooms, restroom improvements, new display area, and enhanced security to existing spaces in the Weaner Center.
- Addition of four locker rooms designed to allow for future expansion in the McMaster Center.
- Upgrades to the senior football locker room and other improvements in the Coressel Stadium.
To ease disruption to student life and campus events, work will be completed in stages throughout the next several months.
Design Collaborative, an architecture and engineering firm, and Weigand Construction, both of Fort Wayne, Ind., are teamed together to create these state-of-the-art athletic support spaces. Also working on the project are Highland Electric and Leever Glass of Defiance.