NGU athletic facilities: A history
Posted by The Skyliner on February 4th, 2009Paul Conner
Staff Writer
Crusader fans are well acquainted with Younts Stadium, the 5,000-seat football stadium erected in 2005, but some may be less familiar with the history of the other sports venues around campus.
Hayes Gymnasium, which hosts volleyball and basketball games, was built in 1950 to accommodate the newly formed basketball program. The building was named in honor of Joe Hayes, a Travelers Rest businessman, whose donation helped to fund the construction. Originally, the court ran perpendicular to the current court, and the current bleachers were not in place.
In 1976, Hayes underwent a transformation, according to LaVerne Howell, Director for Public Relations/Stewardship. The floor was turned 90 degrees, and the seating capacity was increased. In subsequent years, coaches’ offices, a concession stand, and a training room were added on, and the gym now holds around 1,200 spectators, according to athletic director Jan McDonald.
Ashmore Field, home of the Crusader baseball team, has also undergone changes since it was built in the mid-1980s. The team originally played home games at Legion Field in Greer, SC, before moving to their Tigerville home.
Former coach and current communications instructor Tim Nihart was largely responsible for organizing the construction of the fieldhouse, scoreboard, and batting cage. Nihart and the athletic department began raising money for the amenities in the spring of 1999, and in 2000, the team opened the 3,000 square foot clubhouse at Ashmore.
“When I came on board, we needed to get things up to NCAA standards,” Nihart said. “The Lord really blessed us, and we named it the Cornerstone Clubhouse because Christ is the cornerstone of everything we do that will last. He used so many people to donate funds and bring everything together.”
First year coach Travis Henson and the department have since increased the size of the batting cage area, repainted the inside of the clubhouse, and added a wind guard around the outfield fence ahead of the 2009 season.
Pepsi Stadium was constructed alongside Younts Stadium in 2005 and is the home of the men’s and women’s soccer teams. The grandstand seats approximately 500 people, according to men’s coach Chad Gfeller, but some fans prefer to sit on the hill opposite the stands to stay out of the sun. Gfeller and the department are working to add lights in the near future.
The softball field originally sat on the intramural field but was moved to its current location in 1989, said McDonald. When former coach Mike Taylor started the football program in 1988, the team began to use the current intramural field as their practice field, so the softball field was rebuilt in its current location.
The fieldhouse, which houses a press box and a concession stand, was constructed in 2001 under the supervision of late head coach Buster Sturkie.