EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - As the 2020 fall season ends and we finish our celebration of 50 years of Blugold women playing in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), we also recognize the long-time financial supporters of women's athletics.
During this time Blugold Athletics has seen tremendous support from alumni, Blugold families, staff and community members. Thanks to their generosity, over $26,000 has been raised for women's athletics with over $5,000 pouring in on UW-Eau Claire's annual Giving Day. Blugolds near and far have come through for the athletic department, and in total $13,365 was raised on Giving Day.
Though much has been raised already, there is still an opportunity to make a difference as several programs still have matching donations available, so any gift can have twice the impact. To see how you can contribute, visit the Foundation website for the celebration.
In addition, significant dollars were raised recently for the Simpson Field project which saw Phase I completed this summer.
The project is fully funded through gifts as zero state dollars will go towards any phase of the project. The $2.2 million Phase I is part of a more comprehensive improvement plan that will be contingent upon additional fundraising. These upgrades are a part of the Master Athletics and Recreation Campus Plan and was approved by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents in February of 2019.
"A project like this is a long, detailed process," said Director of Athletics Dan Schumacher. "This has been 5-6 years in the making and is all possible thanks to our great supporters and their philanthropic support. We are incredibly fortunate to have a shared vision with our donors to get this first phase completed and its true multi-purpose utilization by many teams and campus groups this fall."
Phase I was made possible thanks to significant contributions from Dick and Mary Johnson, Pete Eckerline, Tom Perrault, Tom Day, Steve and Julie Henseler and Jack Kondrasuk.
"UW-Eau Claire and the track program were a big part of my development, and I have wonderful memories of my time there," said Eckerline. "I've always wanted to give something back that was meaningful, and when the opportunity came up to help with Simpson field it just felt right. I have been very blessed and am proud to be able to help out a place that was so important to me years ago."
Located behind the McPhee Center, the space is utilized not only by athletic programs but also intramural and club sport teams. With the addition of field turf to replace the natural grass, the upgrade allows for more groups to use the field, including the Blugold Marching Band and also expands access to the facility for the women's soccer team. Prior to this fall, the Blugold women practiced and competed at Bollinger Field.
"Moving on campus has been amazing as it allows us to have all our needs met in one location, not to mention having over 4,000 fans only a block away from our beautiful turf field," said Head Women's Soccer Coach Sean Yengo.
The men's and women's track and field teams also saw improvements including new field event areas and a new track. Specifically, areas with cages were added for hammer toss and discus in addition to a new shot put pad and javelin runway. The Blugold men's track and field squads have claimed three national titles in the past five years despite not being able to host any meets for the past 18 years due to deficits in the Simpson Field facility. This portion of the project was something that donor Jack Kondrasuk wanted to see come to fruition.
"Both football and track and field were very important to me," said Kondrasuk. "Track was very important to me, because it allowed me to participate in a lot of areas. There were only three people on the team at one point which included me. There were twin brothers who did the running events, and I did the field events, and we still finished in the middle at the meets. I'd like to see more people go out for track and field and take advantage of the opportunity."
"The completion of Phase I of the Simpson Field project has finally allowed the track and field teams to have a throws venue worthy of the great athletes who throw for our university," said Head Men's and Women's Track and Field Coach, Chip Schneider. "We now have what I consider one of the best throws areas around, with all throws being in one area and with multiple shot, discus and hammer circles. Having lights on the track has also allowed us to practice outdoors later in the evening which has been a huge plus with the recent warm late fall weather."
Moreover, with the addition of men's soccer, women's lacrosse and the reinstatement of baseball, all three programs will make use of the field with both soccer teams and women's lacrosse playing their home games at the facility as well.
"For our brand-new women's lacrosse team, Simpson Field has been a total gift," said Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, Aubri Neubert. "It has brought more recruits to campus and sparked more commitments than anything else. Students want to practice and compete in the best facilities and environment, and that is exactly what the beautiful new Simpson Field provides. It has brought student-athletes from all over the country that are ready to become lifelong Blugolds."
The Simpson Field turf was installed in April, and lights were installed over the summer. An added bonus of replacing the natural grass with field turf is an annual savings of $60,000 in field maintenance costs.
The Blugold football program has also benefited from the upgrades, providing a better practice facility and allowing the team to keep all practices on campus.
"Simpson Field has been one of the greatest assets to our football program," said Head Football Coach Wesley Beschorner. "This is an area that allows us to develop our players nearly year-round. Our team gets great work in at one consistent venue rather than having to move practices to various locations in order to practice on turf or at a facility with lights."
"Along with the track team, football was also really important to me," said Kondrasuk. "When I played on the team it made no difference what your background or beliefs were; it was about how you played. We were a team, and we would defend each other. It taught me a lot about what it meant to be a team, and I think that is something that is particularly important right now in our society."
A potential second phase, contingent on additional philanthropy, could install spectator seating and a press box. A third phase could add a video board and additional seating.
"We are equally excited for Phase II of the project," said Schneider. "Having seating will allow us to host outdoor meets - something that has not happened outdoors on our campus in over a decade."
Phase II would include seating for 1,575 along with a small press box. This would allow UWEC to host track meets. The third and final phase would add an additional 4,000 seats to bring the total capacity over 5,000. Moreover, a building would be added with a larger press box which is needed to host collegiate football games.
"To play games on campus near your students and faculty is the way college football should be played," said Beschorner. "The spirit it will generate will be electric! Having a campus stadium can and will have a major impact on WIAC football."
Before construction can begin on the next phases, an additional $2-3 million must be raised for the project.
"The next two phases are key strategic initiatives that support enrollment attraction," said Schumacher. "These upgrades will allow us to host many different sporting events. It will also open the door to hosting other regional high school and youth events which brings potential students to see our beautiful campus. This facility will clearly enhance our current youth and high school camps and we know that having kids on our campus leads to more of them choosing to become Blugolds."
For more information about the next phases or how to be a part of the project, contact Dan Schumacher at schumadj@uwec.edu or (715) 836-5858.
Photo Gallery – April Update | Phase I completed | Simpson Flyover, May 2020
