Turf Field Dedication Set for September 2

Harrisonburg, VA – On Saturday, September 2nd, Eastern Mennonite University President Loren Swartzendruber will be leading the dedication of the new athletic turf field. The program, which is open to the public, will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 12 noon. The Field Hockey team will then host Dickinson College at 1 p.m. The previous turf field was in place for 17 years, far longer than the eight-year warranty it had and than the 12 years it was predicted to last. Its poor condition made it no longer safe to play on, and so it needed to be replaced. Initial funding for the project came from alumni and donor friends. Removal of the old turf began on April 18, 2006, when head field hockey coach Brenda Bechler, former field hockey coach Sandy Brownscombe, and several current field hockey players ceremoniously removed the first section of turf. Over the next several days, the rest of the turf was removed by athletic department staff and other university faculty, staff, and students. Installation of the new turf was done by A-Turf, which worked alongside Good Services, Maust Enterprises, and the Physical Plant staff. The process, which was completed on May 23rd, involved removing the old surface and rolling into sections. The older sections of turf were later given to local high schools and youth sports organizations. The new surface covers a larger area than the previous field, and is composed of cut sections of turf with a sand and rubber mix to cushion the base. A new EMU athletics logo is displayed at the center of the field, which will be home to the field hockey program, all men’s soccer home matches and some women’s soccer home matches. It will also be used for intramural sports competition and for the summer adult soccer league.