Coast Guard Academy Dedicates New Track & Field Members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors joined the Academy administration and Corps of Cadets in dedicating a new track and field during an impressive ceremony at the beginning of Homecoming Weekend.
The October 20th event unveiled the Foundation’s largest capital project to date, a state-of-the-art track and synthetic turf field that transformed the Academy’s waterfront and lower campus. The $3.3 million project was completed with a combination of appropriated and non-appropriated funds, with the Foundation contributing $1.1 million toward the project.
“This was an exciting public-private partnership,” reported CGF Chairman Ross Roeder, “one that couldn’t be completed without the Foundation’s generous support.” Thanks to the advocacy of retired Vice Admiral John Costello, Past Chairman of the Coast Guard Foundation Board, CGF directors rallied behind the project and approved funding at the end of 2004. Construction began in the spring of 2005.
Ten percent of the Corps of Cadets participates in the inter-collegiate outdoor track and field program. Despite having indoor facilities to allow training during cold weather months, Roland Hall could not accommodate the needs for outdoor track and field events. Prior to the project’s completion, cadet-athletes were relegated to traveling to a number of locations in order to accomplish their training goals.
These included area high schools and Connecticut College. “Having the team separated and spread out at several venues made coaching a virtual nightmare,” reported Dr. Ray Cieplik, CGA Athletic Director. “Distance runners were at one place, middle distance athletes and hurdlers at another, and our field event athletes were at still another venue for practice,” he added.
For nearly 30 years, the Academy had not been able to host a home outdoor track meet. The old cinder track was not conducive to training or competing. It became a jogging track for casual runners, and was incapable of supporting training and competition for intercollegiate sports. As a result, track teams were traveling every weekend to compete at various colleges around New England. This meant that cadet-athletes were always on the road, spending time traveling, competing, and away from the Academy for large blocks of time. It was also costly, since the Academy was providing transportation, meals and lodging nearly every weekend.
In addition, not having home facilities prevented many alumni, parents and faculty from seeing the cadets compete. Not having an outdoor track and field facility was also a significant deterrent to recruiting the best and brightest high school athletes.
“This facility puts us on the map,” said Head Coach Dan Rose. “It makes us look like the first-class operation that we are.”
