The Ceremony - University of La Verne

As he took in the thundering approval of
the home fans packed into Ortmayer
Stadium during the closing seconds
of his team’s Homecoming victory over Chapman,
La Verne head football coach Chris Krich
may have been tempted to think, “It doesn’t get
any better than this.”
But in the back of his mind, he knows it
can. This time next year, Krich’s Leopards
will be pounding artificial turf during home
games, as plans for a stadium renovation
went into action at the end of the just-completed
football season. The bulk of that plan
involves resurfacing the football field as well
as the rubberized track and field areas.
The university will replace the football
field’s weary natural turf with the artificial
12 VOICE Summer/Fall 2011
ATHLETICS
A new artificial turf football/soccer/lacrosse field and a new rubberized track and field surface surrounding the field will not only
give the facility an eye-catching facelift, but also open the area to sports science classes, intramurals and other student activities.
Leveling The Playing Field
New track, football grid will serve more of the student body, heighten athletic recruiting allure.
By Rusty Evans
stuff, called FieldTurf, which resembles the
AstroTurf of the 1970s only in that it is
green. FieldTurf is just as weatherproof and
provides excellent traction, but is much softer
than some of its predecessors. It also looks
fabulous.
“It will definitely be a plus for recruitment,”
Krich said. And that’s how things will
get better. The better the facility, the better
the chance of attracting more of the very athletic
student-athletes. That generally translates
to more victories on the field, bringing
more fans and alumni out to the games, creating
more excitement all across campus.
“Anytime you have something new like
this to show a recruit, it’s exciting,” Krich
said. “They see the new field and the new
track and they get excited. I think it’s great.
Anytime you’re building something new,
something like this is always a good thing.
Especially in this economy, it shows how
strong La Verne is, to be able to give Ortmayer
Stadium a different look.”
The football program is not the only beneficiary.
With the resurfaced track, La Verne will
once again be able to host a track meet. Gone
will be the current patchwork quilt of a track.
There are new areas for long jump and triple
jump, and the steeplechase course has been
re-routed.
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams,
displaced by removal of the baseball field that
served as their home, will play their home
games on the new field, which will have permanent
field markings. There are also plans
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Continued from 12
to add a women’s lacrosse team, which will
use the field as well and have its own markings.
One other effect that is likely to boost
morale lies in bringing a few teams back
onto campus. The return of the men’s and
women’s track team and both soccer teams
doubles the number of sports playing on
campus. The lacrosse team makes nine.
“This is a win-win situation, for both the
Athletic Department and the entire university,”
La Verne Athletic Director Julie Kline
said. “It will be a point of pride, a point of
engagement for the community. It’s great
from a recruiting, retention and student life
standpoint. I’m beyond thrilled.”
The durability of FieldTurf also opens the
door for use by more of the student body.
For La Verne’s Movement & Sports Science
Department it means access to what is, essentially,
a new one-acre lab. Intramurals and
other fun events will also be staged on the
new field.
“It’s an opportunity to expand our recreation
and expand our fitness and wellness
needs of the students,” Kline said. “With the
addition of lights, we’ll be able to expand the
hours of use to meet the student body needs.”
Some of those lights will be affixed to
100-foot-tall poles designed to help direct
the light downward and not outward into the
surrounding neighborhood. That wouldn’t
be good for the university’s image, one that
has been enhanced greatly by recent projects.
“This project reinforces the growing sense
of a vibrant campus, and not only in Athlet-
“Especially in
this economy,
it shows how
strong La Verne
is, to be able to
give Ortmayer
Stadium a
different look.”
Chris Krich
Head Football Coach
ATHLETICS
A jumble of patches that has kept the track together, and depressions and bare spots
on the grass are telltale signs of the need for the stadium renovation at La Verne.
Rusty Evans image
ics, but with the Movement & Sports Science
program as well,” said Phil Hawkey,
Executive Vice President and the person in
charge of campus construction. “There’s a lot
of satisfaction, in the larger scope. We have
rebuilt our campus. More than 50 buildings
have been built or remodeled. We’ve doubled
our property and positioned ourselves for a
“It’s great,
from a
recruiting,
retention and
student life
standpoint.
I’m beyond
thrilled.”
Julie Kline
Athletic Director
successful future.
“We’ve created an environment in which
students may supplement the educational
experience they have here outside the classroom.
Along with a school’s academic reputation,
parents and [prospective] students
make judgments based on what they see.
We’ve created a very nice setting here.”
“Along with
a school’s
academic
reputation,
parents and
students make
judgments
based on what
they see.”
Phil Hawkey
Executive Vice President
Summer/Fall 2011 VOICE 13