Newburgh - A multi-million dollar athletic complex, the result of several years of planning and months of construction, will open at Mount Saint Mary College in September. The complex will feature an all-weather, synthetic turf field, six tennis courts, and a natural grass practice field and will serve as the new home for the men’s and women’s soccer teams, the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, and the men’s and women’s tennis teams.
The synthetic turf field, which will now permit year-round use, will measure 225 feet wide by 350 feet long with lines for soccer, men’s lacrosse, and women’s lacrosse. The tennis courts will be surfaced with DecoTurf, the same surface used at the US Open.
"Sixty percent of undergraduate students at Mount Saint Mary College are engaged in athletics," noted Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, president of the college overlooking the Hudson River in Newburgh, N.Y. "These new facilities are an impressive addition to the excellent academic and student life programs we offer."
Scott Hughes, the architect at HMH Site & Sports Design in Ithaca, New York, has been the driving force behind the design of the project. Hughes started with aerial photographs of the site and recognized the project as being transformational for the Mount Saint Mary College campus.
"The project enhances our already beautiful campus and provides additional athletic opportunities to the college community," said John Wright, director of athletics. "It will certainly propel recruiting for our soccer, lacrosse, and tennis teams."
Mount Saint Mary College offers seventeen intercollegiate sports and is a member of the NCAA Division III. The Knights are a member of the Skyline Conference.
