More than 450 students came out to celebrate the grand opening of the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center Saturday, March 2.
The event celebrated a building that took nearly 10 months and $7.5 million to complete. Now students will have full access to four tennis courts and an indoor track. The courts can also be converted into volleyball courts or used for baseball practice, indoor soccer, throwing events for the track team, and a wide range of recreational sports.
“The Biermann Center is a state of the art facility for varsity athletics, for intramurals, for student play of many kinds, for parties, and for academic ceremonies,” Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn said. “It should be a blessing in all those areas.”
The track material is the fastest in the world, according to Don Brubacher, director of athletics. The same track material was used in the 2012 London Olympics.
“The track is one of the fastest out there, and we are very grateful to have the new facility to practice and compete in,” sophomore and track sprinter Elise Byron said. “Watch out for some fast times by the Charger men and women next indoor season.”
The tennis team will also be able to practice in the winter months.
“We’re so excited and grateful to everyone who has made this facility possible,” senior tennis captain Brittany Parks said. “I know it will help the team grow and develop tremendously in the years to come.”
The Student Affairs office and the Student Activities Board threw a $6,000 opening day party with food, a dance party, six inflatables, a disk jockey, and a volleyball and dodgeball tournament.
“Because it was the opening of the Biermann Center, we wanted to go with something athletic,” said sophomore A.J. Maruna, director of men’s residence life. “I thought it was pretty chaotic but went really well. It was a ton of fun.”
After a ribbon cutting ceremony and lunch, 18 teams participated in a dodgeball and volleyball tournament for the afternoon. First place received a $500 cash prize, 2nd place a $200 prize, and the 3rd place team received $100.
Sophomore Vinny Delicata played for “Sons and Guns,” the team that won the entire tournament.
“When the sun comes out, the guns come out,” Delicata said.
Freshman Eric Walker played on “Team Rod,” the 2nd place team captained by junior Garrett Holt.
“Garrett Holt wanted to take a break from winning all the school events so we thought we’d throw the baseball guys a bone,” Walker said.
Some students expressed concern about being required to remove their shoes to walk on the track, but this was just for the opening and will not be standard procedure in the future, Brubacher said.
The building still needs some finishing touches such as completing the trim on the outside and doing some work in the locker rooms, according to Brubacher. The building will be open hours similar to the George C. Roche Sports Complex.
“The goal is to make it as usable for as many hours with as many activities as possible while protecting the facility,” he said.
