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A Dome to Call Home
For Utica College's track and field athletes, the Dome's opening marks a new beginning.
"We are taking advantage of getting in the actual sand and having a full runway; our runway outside is only 50-feet long. It's just great having a home of our own." --Sarah Wiatr, Sprint/Jump
Utica, NY (12/11/2015) - The numbers are impressive: 500 feet long, 270 feet wide, 82 feet high, with 135,000 square feet of useable space. One of the largest structures of its kind in North America. But for UC’s track and field team, the impact of the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center goes far beyond the stats.
Until now, the team had no designated place on campus to practice or compete. As a result, athletes often trained in makeshift spaces (like hallways in the Clark Athletic Center) or made the 20-minute bus trip to nearby Hamilton College for early-morning practices. With the opening of the Dome, the track and field team finally has a place to call home. The first competition held in the Dome, the Jen and Todd Hutton Invitational Track and Field Meet. takes place immediately after tomorrow's dedication ceremony. It will be an emotional milestone for members of the team and the coaching staff. We talked to some of the athletes about what the new facility means to them:
Until now, the team had no designated place on campus to practice or compete. As a result, athletes often trained in makeshift spaces (like hallways in the Clark Athletic Center) or made the 20-minute bus trip to nearby Hamilton College for early-morning practices. With the opening of the Dome, the track and field team finally has a place to call home. The first competition held in the Dome, the Jen and Todd Hutton Invitational Track and Field Meet. takes place immediately after tomorrow's dedication ceremony. It will be an emotional milestone for members of the team and the coaching staff. We talked to some of the athletes about what the new facility means to them:
“We are taking advantage of getting in the actual sand and having a full runway; our runway outside is only 50-feet long. It’s just great having a home of our own.” —Sarah Wiatr, Sprint/Jump
“The dome gives us a place to workout instead of just in the hallway. It’s a multi-sport facility, so I think it will benefit the campus as a whole. I feel like students will be able to do more things because there is more space.”
–Kyle Sikes, Pole Vault
“Now that we have this facility, it gives us more of an opportunity to work as a team; there are over 100 of us. It’s nice to be in here with our whole team so we can cheer each other on.” –Mikey Maxwell, Sprint/Hurdle
“I think we are going to have a lot more recruits with this freshman class because they’ll see that we have this place to practice. Prior to the dome, we didn’t have a place to practice together. So now that we have the dome and the track, I think a lot more athletes will be interested in Track and Field.”
–Nicodemus Gambill, Sprint
“I’m from Connecticut, and we have some domes there so I’ve been in athletic domes before. But nothing as large as this one. Most indoor facilities only have maybe two throwing circles; in here we have 12. There is just so much space. It was awe-inspiring walking in for the first time. We don’t have to be cooped up in the gym for practice now. Everyone on the team has his or her space, which is great because our indoor track and field team is continuing to grow.”- Sam Kaczmarek, Thrower (Shot Put)
