Bouchard Gift Spearheads Selby Field Renovation

March, 2006

DELAWARE, OHIO -- The installation of an artificial playing surface at Selby Field and the replacement of the George Gauthier Track - together one of the most visible portions of the Remembering Mr. Rickey campaign - have taken a couple of large steps toward becoming reality.

A lead gift from Morty Bouchard '80, designated for the artificial surface, got the ball rolling. Then, in January, the Board of Trustees gave its stamp of approval to the project on the condition that funds are available.

The trustees' approval opens a narrow window of opportunity for installation and construction.

"The Bouchard gift has given us a jump start on this whole project, and we are feverishly trying to get other contributions that will allow us to proceed with the field and track portions of this project," said Jack McKinnie '54, interim vice president for university relations. "I have confidence that we can come up with enough to do the field and track. We would start after Commencement and have it for next fall."

"We are getting final drawings in place with hopes that we will move forward in late spring or early summer," said Roger Ingles, Ohio Wesleyan athletics director. "We know that to play on it this fall we would need to start by early May - it's a four-month process to install the field and the track."

"(Installing an artificial surface) is a national trend," said Mike Hollway, Ohio Wesleyan football coach. According to numbers compiled by the athletics department, for example, seven of the 10 schools in the Ohio Athletic Conference and four of the other nine schools in the North Coast Athletic Conference already have installed or have announced plans to install artificial surfaces.

The artificial surface at Selby Field will result in a regulation-sized men's lacrosse field, allowing Ohio Wesleyan to once again host NCAA Division III playoff games after a decade-long absence.

"I'm extremely delighted and excited - the renovation of Selby gives the athletics department and the University a positive facelift," said Sean Ryan, Ohio Wesleyan men's lacrosse coach. "The coaches and players are extremely thankful to Morty and his ability to help out not only the men's lacrosse program but Ohio Wesleyan and the athletics department as a whole."

Not only will the artificial surface give Ohio Wesleyan the potential to extend its home season later, it will allow the Bishops to extend their outdoor practice schedule in the other direction as well.

"It will allow us to get outside earlier, and weather will not be a factor as it has in the past," Ryan said. "This year, we had two preseason scrimmages held at two off-campus sites because of poor field conditions. Not only will the turf field allow us to get outside earlier, it will allow us to hold preseason scrimmages at home. This will improve field conditions by eliminating the wear and tear that the field gets from hosting football, lacrosse and track."

Bouchard agreed wholeheartedly. "We put a turf field in at Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) High School for the community, and what it has done is unbelievable -- (in January) the boys lacrosse team can practice on a field."

Removing preventative maintenance as a reason why the field can't be used for practice isn't the only way that artificial turf allows teams to scoff at the weather.

Another is the superior footing that is provided by an artificial surface on a wet day, an advantage that both Ryan and Hollway - whose teams depend on speed as an asset - are eagerly anticipating.

"The players are extremely ecstatic about having a turf field," Ryan said. "It will help our overall play -- being a fast, up-tempo type team, the turf will fit in with our scheme of things."

"Technological advances over the last decade have made this surface the state of the art for the game of football," Hollway said. "Even in heavy rain, through the drainage and absorption of moisture, the system keeps the turf relatively dry and you can play almost as if it were a dry day."

"This project is going to allow our student-athletes to have a quality surface every time they walk out there," Ingles said. "We will not have to worry about multiple sports played in the same venue (causing irreparable damage to the field). It will provide access on weekends to do intramural or club sports that we've never thought about before."

The widening of the field area, though, means that the jump runways and pits currently located in front of the home grandstand must be moved.

"In preliminary drawings, the long jump and triple jump pits will be moved behind the east grandstand of Selby, and with the jumps it's essential to be close so that student-athletes can hear calls for their events," said Kris Boey, men's and women's track & field coach. "It's not going to be as good (a layout) as we currently have but it's the best possible way to provide an appropriately competitive environment for all of our student-athletes.

"For us, this is an essential project - we have an aging and decaying track. This ensures that we'll have adequate facilities for our athletes and will remain a focal point of the track community in Ohio by continuing to host quality meets."

Finally, from an aesthetic standpoint, the artificial surface will eliminate the uneven look of the current field, and when the renovation of the Selby wall is complete, the jewel on the Olentangy will sparkle as it did when it was new nearly 80 years ago.

"Aesthetically, it will be a great improvement," Hollway said. "Our buildings and grounds staff has worked hard in creating a unique venue for the Ohio Wesleyan student-athlete, and with the artificial surface, I think it will be even better. I think it will help recruiting without question - I think we're playing in the premier NCAA Division III facility, and this will only make it better."

"Selby is the one of the largest stadiums in NCAA Division III, and when a recruit walks into Selby, he's amazed at the size of the structure," Ryan said. "A turf field adds to that and will help recruits pick Ohio Wesleyan over another school."

Which is exactly what Bouchard had in mind.

"As a recruiting mechanism, this is going to bring top-quality student-athletes (to Ohio Wesleyan), and hopefully what it will foster is these student-athletes contributing back when they graduate. You've got to give back - Ohio Wesleyan was very, very good to me and was a very strong influence on my business career. It gave me a disciplined lifestyle, a work ethic and the ability to relate to different individuals in business and social atmospheres. You get a great education and grow socially, and I don't know too many universities that can offer that," Bouchard said.

Bouchard's involvement in the Selby project has extended beyond writing a check - he also has contributed to the effort to raise the entire amount for the project before the projected May starting date.

"With the help of Annie Seiler '75, we got some alums together (while in Florida earlier this year), and we stressed to them that we have a very unique opportunity as an alumni group to give back to the University. I walked around and spoke to some alums about how we can't let this opportunity go by - we have to take advantage of it. Not only lacrosse alums, but football and field hockey alums should look at this project and get it done. The window is very short - we want to start in May or June. When this stadium is done, it will draw top-notch student-athletes.

"It will be the premiere Division III lacrosse stadium in the country, and it will be achieved not only by myself but by other lacrosse alumni - we had a great meeting in Florida (earlier this year) and they are committed to making this field a great facility. I get a lot of energy speaking to Roger Ingles and Mark Huddleston about making this happen. I think the facility's going to be unbelievable."

Bouchard's enthusiasm has been contagious.

"I think the announcement that it could potentially begin this summer is exciting on a lot of levels. It will generate support among our alumni, it's a sign to student-athletes that Ohio Wesleyan is making an effort to enhance its facilities and (in turn) their experiences, and for staff and coaches, it's a rallying point - the first tangible sign of the campaign," Boey said.

For more information on the Remembering Mr. Rickey campaign, click here.

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