FALL BRINGS EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS IN ATHLETICS

Track Renovation Begins Whiting Field Makeover

Whiting Field is getting a major makeover. The track and field facility is being renovated as the first phase of work in the complex that also houses the baseball and softball fields.

Lawrence President Laurie Carter broke ground at George A. Whiting Memorial Field Oct. 3, and plans call for work on the track complex to be completed by fall 2023.

“The track and field project is one of many ways Lawrence is investing in our future,” Carter said. “Student-athletes and coaches do a fantastic job of elevating the Lawrence brand through their work on the field, courts, and in the classroom. I am thrilled that we are upgrading our athletic facilities in a way that honors their commitment to Lawrence.”

Lawrence is investing $4.3 million to renovate the facility, which opened in 1925. The old track will be completely razed, and the new lighted track will be situated near the site of the existing oval. Infrastructure work on the track facility took place this fall with the asphalt and track surface being put in place in 2023. The grass infield will house the throws area and include a space for high jump. The pavilion north of the track will be for long jump, triple jump, and pole vault.

Alexander Gym Is Looking Good

Venerable Alexander Gymnasium continues to receive a makeover. The 93-year-old building has seen its share of improvements in recent years.

The gymnasium floor received a stunning new design to go with new bleachers and a new scorer’s table, and the lobby now houses the Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame.

The summer of 2022 saw the transformation of other areas of the gym. Windows were reinstalled in the weight room to allow natural light to flood back into that space. The windows had been covered when the building was renovated in 1985. Lawrence’s new athletic logo is at the center of a rebranding effort throughout the gym. From the gym entrance to the hallways, spectacular graphic designs featuring the new logo are everywhere. Upgrades to the weight room and home locker rooms include additional equipment and new wooden lockers.

Welcoming A New Class To Athletic Hall Of Fame

This Lawrence University Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame class was a long time coming. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020, the group of five individuals and one team were forced to wait until October 2022 for induction due to the pandemic.

• Coached by Hall of Famer Gene Davis, the 1967–68 swimming and diving team put together a perfect 10-0 dual meet record before winning the Midwest Conference Championships. Peter House ’68 won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle at the conference meet. John Fease ’70 won the 500 freestyle, and the 400 medley relay team of House, Ken Melnick ’68, Steve Steenrod ’70, and Carl Liebich ’69 also raced to victory.

• Alex Goodson Ruikis ’10 provided the power in the middle of the lineup for Lawrence softball in the first decade of the 2000s. The Plainfield, Ill., native was a stalwart at first base and was a fourtime first-team All-Midwest Conference selection and a three-time All-Great Lakes Region pick.

• Hayley Vatch ’09 was one of the finest distance swimmers in Lawrence and Midwest Conference history. The native of Elmhurst, Ill., was a seven-time Midwest Conference champion and the 2009 Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Year.

• Joe Loehnis ’06 is the only golfer in Lawrence history to earn the title of All-American. An Appleton native, Loehnis was a Golf Coaches Association of America All-American in 2006 to cap a stellar career.

• Andrew Wong ’06 put together a great career at the plate and in the classroom during his time at Lawrence. The Wauwatosa, Wis., native hit .385 over his final three seasons and finished with a .345 career average. An economics major, Wong was a two-time College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American.

• Sue Schneider Harrison ’78 was the first great distance runner in Lawrence women’s track and field history. The native of Glendale, Wis., was on Lawrence’s inaugural women’s track and field and cross-country teams. She was a three-time Wisconsin Independent Colleges-Women’s Athletic Conference champion in the mile and two mile and set Lawrence records in both events.