Grace's Miller Field Getting Facelift
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WINONA LAKE - Grace College's Miller Field is going through a major face-lift over the next few months. The 65-1/2 acre sports facility is in the midst of a massive overhaul that includes three phases.
Since 1970, when Miller Field was first constructed, the area to the left of Pierceton Road in Winona Lake heading away from the college has remained virtually the same. But the addition of a track, tennis courts, another soccer field, a second parking lot and the paving of the old one will make for a larger and more aesthetically pleasing sports facility.
However, the renovations that are in store will involve more paving than just that of the parking lots. It also paves the way for a new gym to be built in the near future.
Groundbreaking for a new gym could take place as soon as the spring of 1999 if everything falls into place financially, according to Grace College athletic director Roger Hahn. However, for now, the renovations at Miller Field will be a large lift to the athletic program.
The biggest part of the three phase program involves the building of a track and field facility. For a track program without a track, life can be hard. But for Grace, that will soon change.
"We've been grateful to Warsaw High School for allowing us to use their track facilities, but with their expanded program, it limits our time," Hahn said. "It helps from a recruiting standpoint, and it shows the school's commitment to the track program, something that people have questioned for years."
The renovations include plans to improve the softball field, pave parking lots, build more parking space, add a soccer field and build a tennis facility. In the past year, the soccer field used for matches now has undergone some renovations and a concession stand that includes lockerrooms and showers has been built.
"The cake is here, and we're hoping to see some people ice it," Grace women's soccer coach Mark Sproul, who is overseeing the renovations, said.
The cake that he's talking about was an anonymous donation that paid for the cost of phase No. 1, approximately $225,000. Because of that, the first steps are already taking place. Phase 2 and 3 will not begin until money is in hand to complete each individual phase and that's the icing that Sproul is talking about.
"For 20 years, Miller Field has stayed almost the same," Sproul said. "We want the community or alumni to step up and say, 'Let's get the track done.'"
The track is the important step and most of it will be completed with phase one. However, it will not be totally finished until phase two. Much of the final two phases is basically window dressing and each phase can stand on its own, but for the completion of the renovation to take place, a bit more than $400,000 is still needed.
"We're going to be able to take an area of campus and give it a finished look," Grace College President Dr. Ronald Manahan said. "Miller Field always looked like a project in work. It will also give us more flexibility as we design and plan the student rec center."
The student rec center that Dr. Manahan talks about is the new basketball gym. Because there will now be tennis courts and a third soccer field at Miller Field, the new gym can be built where the tennis courts and practice soccer field are now, just across the parking lot where Lancer Gym now stands. That area has not officially been decided upon for the placing of the new gym, but it is a strong possibility.
"One problem is putting a very large building buried in campus," Dr. Manahan said. "If we want the community to take part in it and come to games, we would be better suited to have it on the edge of campus."
That new gym will probably include an indoor track along with other facilities that Lancer Gym does not have now.
"Having the outdoor design tells us what we need with the indoor track," Hahn said. "We would hope to have a proposal by the October board meeting."
So while those in charge ponder over the new building, of which $1.5 million has already been donated, Miller Field will be bulked up. Kirk Heng, the men's and women's track coach has been researching what track surface is best suited for Grace College.
"It will be a training track that anyone could come and jog on and not get injured," Sproul said. "This can really be used by the other athletic teams, physical education classes and the community."
Another benefit from the renovations will be the centralization of the athletic program. When all the work is finally finished all of the athletic teams will compete at Miller Field except for those that take part in Lancer Gym.
That first phase should be done by the end of August, according to Sproul. However, there is no timeline for either of the last two steps.
"Other people may say that athletics are not the most important thing at Grace," Sproul said. "But at the same time, we need to keep up with these things. This isn't priority No. 1 at Grace. The track could be done by the end of summer, by next spring, or five years down the road." [[In-content Ad]]
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WINONA LAKE - Grace College's Miller Field is going through a major face-lift over the next few months. The 65-1/2 acre sports facility is in the midst of a massive overhaul that includes three phases.
Since 1970, when Miller Field was first constructed, the area to the left of Pierceton Road in Winona Lake heading away from the college has remained virtually the same. But the addition of a track, tennis courts, another soccer field, a second parking lot and the paving of the old one will make for a larger and more aesthetically pleasing sports facility.
However, the renovations that are in store will involve more paving than just that of the parking lots. It also paves the way for a new gym to be built in the near future.
Groundbreaking for a new gym could take place as soon as the spring of 1999 if everything falls into place financially, according to Grace College athletic director Roger Hahn. However, for now, the renovations at Miller Field will be a large lift to the athletic program.
The biggest part of the three phase program involves the building of a track and field facility. For a track program without a track, life can be hard. But for Grace, that will soon change.
"We've been grateful to Warsaw High School for allowing us to use their track facilities, but with their expanded program, it limits our time," Hahn said. "It helps from a recruiting standpoint, and it shows the school's commitment to the track program, something that people have questioned for years."
The renovations include plans to improve the softball field, pave parking lots, build more parking space, add a soccer field and build a tennis facility. In the past year, the soccer field used for matches now has undergone some renovations and a concession stand that includes lockerrooms and showers has been built.
"The cake is here, and we're hoping to see some people ice it," Grace women's soccer coach Mark Sproul, who is overseeing the renovations, said.
The cake that he's talking about was an anonymous donation that paid for the cost of phase No. 1, approximately $225,000. Because of that, the first steps are already taking place. Phase 2 and 3 will not begin until money is in hand to complete each individual phase and that's the icing that Sproul is talking about.
"For 20 years, Miller Field has stayed almost the same," Sproul said. "We want the community or alumni to step up and say, 'Let's get the track done.'"
The track is the important step and most of it will be completed with phase one. However, it will not be totally finished until phase two. Much of the final two phases is basically window dressing and each phase can stand on its own, but for the completion of the renovation to take place, a bit more than $400,000 is still needed.
"We're going to be able to take an area of campus and give it a finished look," Grace College President Dr. Ronald Manahan said. "Miller Field always looked like a project in work. It will also give us more flexibility as we design and plan the student rec center."
The student rec center that Dr. Manahan talks about is the new basketball gym. Because there will now be tennis courts and a third soccer field at Miller Field, the new gym can be built where the tennis courts and practice soccer field are now, just across the parking lot where Lancer Gym now stands. That area has not officially been decided upon for the placing of the new gym, but it is a strong possibility.
"One problem is putting a very large building buried in campus," Dr. Manahan said. "If we want the community to take part in it and come to games, we would be better suited to have it on the edge of campus."
That new gym will probably include an indoor track along with other facilities that Lancer Gym does not have now.
"Having the outdoor design tells us what we need with the indoor track," Hahn said. "We would hope to have a proposal by the October board meeting."
So while those in charge ponder over the new building, of which $1.5 million has already been donated, Miller Field will be bulked up. Kirk Heng, the men's and women's track coach has been researching what track surface is best suited for Grace College.
"It will be a training track that anyone could come and jog on and not get injured," Sproul said. "This can really be used by the other athletic teams, physical education classes and the community."
Another benefit from the renovations will be the centralization of the athletic program. When all the work is finally finished all of the athletic teams will compete at Miller Field except for those that take part in Lancer Gym.
That first phase should be done by the end of August, according to Sproul. However, there is no timeline for either of the last two steps.
"Other people may say that athletics are not the most important thing at Grace," Sproul said. "But at the same time, we need to keep up with these things. This isn't priority No. 1 at Grace. The track could be done by the end of summer, by next spring, or five years down the road." [[In-content Ad]]