Athens-like construction in our back yard


Athens was abuzz with citywide construction prior to the Summer Olympics, as the Greek officials rushed to complete extensive projects to ensure the games’ safety and success.

When in Mount Pleasant, do as the Greeks do.

Though not quite the Parthenon or Acropolis, the wake of progress was evident in the Central Michigan summer, as the south end of campus was littered with cranes, bulldozers and excavators.

The crown jewel of the work — CMU’s $638,000 football field turf installed at Kelly/Shorts Stadium — will be unveiled on the Chippewas Sept. 18 home opener against Southeast Missouri State.

In addition is a fresh field hockey facility, which will give the team a home of its own. The drainage problems at Theunissen Stadium also were cleared, finalizing the MAC’s finest baseball complex.

Critics will argue these projects are unwarranted in the university’s time of bleak financial prognosis. However, they are indeed necessary to give Athletics Director Herb Deromedi the tools he needs to construct a competitive Division I-A program.

The state-of-the-art field turf at Kelly/Shorts above all, alleviates a serious health risk. The ancient AstroTurf surface was stiff and unforgiving and served as a 12th defender to players like MAC Freshman of the Year Jerry Seymour, who relies on quick cutbacks to chew up yardage.

The turf also provides a shot in the arm to the stale gameday atmosphere of the past couple of years. Its slick look is a severe upgrade from the faded color and lettering of the old surface.

With a modern paint job including the word “Chippewas” in each endzone, the FieldTurf could be a major asset for coach Brian Kelly to attract the 15,000 fans a game he needs to stay off NCAA probation.

And field hockey coach Cristy Freese finally secured a home for her team. This is a solid upgrade from cavernous Kelly/Shorts, a venue much too spacious for field hockey.

The playing fields are not the only things having changed at CMU — the field generals have as well.

Three of the six fall coaches will enter their rookie seasons, as Kelly, volleyball coach Erik Olson and soccer coach Tony DiTucci are new head men.

In Kelly, the Chippewas landed a coach with national success. An energetic and intense leader, Kelly led Grand Valley State to consecutive Division II national titles. He was the perfect fit for a team that needs direction after four consecutive losing seasons under Mike DeBord.

Olson and DiTucci look to continue the success founded by their predecessors. Their goal — to consistently put the volleyball and soccer programs into the upper echelon of the MAC.

Coupled with veteran fall coaches Freese, Craig Fuller (men’s cross country) and Karen Lutzke (women’s cross country), the athletics department is in good hands.

The exterior and interior of CMU Athletics received a facelift this summer, just as Olympic Athens did.

Blood, sweat and bulldozers as evidence, Deromedi ensured facilities and leadership will not be CMU’s Achilles’ heel.

Share: