MOUNT VERNON — A nearly $1.3 million project is under way at Cornell’s Richard and Norma Small Multi-Sport Center to increase the size of the wrestling and weight rooms and improve the indoor track surface.
By the start of fall classes, the nationally rated Ram wrestling program will have an expanded 7,000-square-foot wrestling room in space once occupied by the indoor swimming pool, which was closed in 2000; the pool was filled in during the spring. The Meyer Strength Training Facility, which opened in 2001, will stretch into the former wrestling room — nearly doubling in size to 5,800 square feet — and will receive several pieces of new equipment. These improvements come less than a year after the Small Multi-Sport Center’s gymnasium floor was refinished, the front lobby was renovated and new lighting was installed in the gymnasium and arena.
Cornell’s wrestling team has won a record 29 duals over the past two years and last March finished 12th in NCAA Division III, its highest placing in 19 years. The Rams will return two All-Americans in seniors Chris Heilman (fourth, 125 pounds) and Pat McAuley (seventh, 157 pounds), and a third national qualifier, sophomore Nick Nothern (133 pounds).
“This wrestling facility will be state-of-the-art,” Coach Mike Duroe said. “We will have as much room as any complex in the country. This is a great recruiting tool and now we’ll be able to increase our squad size to give us depth.”
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Cornell’s NCAA and AAU national wrestling championships. The 1947 squad will be honored June 1 in Stillwater, Okla., at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony.
“The legacy that the 1947 team left — specifically the athletes and Coach Paul Scott ’29 — has made the Cornell College wrestling program one of the most recognizable in the nation,” Duroe said.
In the Small Multi-Sport Center arena, work begins June 25 on the installation of a purple, six-lane Mondo 14mm Super X indoor track surface, replacing the original surface installed in 1985. The job should be complete in early August. In addition, the arena’s walls are being painted.
“For our current student-athletes, this is a better surface for our daily training and for our home meets. This should also help us attract the type of recruit we want in our program,” Coach Lonnie Speidel said.
Cornell traditionally holds the Hilltop Invitational on the first weekend in February, as well as an occasional quadrangular or triangular as the schedule dictates. The Rams hosted the 2007 Iowa Conference indoor championship and can expect to host the league meet every five years.
Renovation to the Meyer Strength Training Facility also should be completed by August. New equipment valued at more than $80,000 will be added to the expanded space.
“This will allow Cornell student-athletes every opportunity to not only increase their athletic performance, but to decrease the likelihood of injury during competition,” said Jeremy Frey, strength and conditioning coach. “These renovations demonstrate Cornell’s dedication to developing our student-athletes on and off the field.”