GREENSBORO, N.C. – Maria Esch ushered in an exciting era in UNC Greensboro (UNCG) athletic history when she stepped inside of the renovated Speed, Strength & Conditioning Center at 6:49 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Monday morning.
The UNCG volleyball team was the first squad to workout in the well-lit facility complete with state-of-the-art and high-tech weightlifting, fitness, and training equipment like glute/ham developers, lat pulldown/low row apparatus', jump mats, chains, and a pit shark.
It was also a special day for the UNCG strength-and-conditioning staff of
Danny Wheel,
R.J. Goubeaux and
Kelly Self, who enjoyed watching the excited expressions of the student-athletes and working with them.
"This has been a day that I've been thinking about and working for since I got here in 2009," UNCG director of athletics
Kim Record said. "To see the faces of our student-athletes and know that this will be an outstanding recruiting tool for us is tremendous."
As giddy team members entered the room with smiles, their heads swiveled like a pendulum on a grandfather clock as they looked around in gasping amazement while capturing many of the sights with their colorful phones.
The overall day was a success for the Spartan student-athletes, who enjoyed their first opportunity to utilize the transformative facility.
"It felt like Christmas morning because we all were feeling lucky and excited to start our workouts," Esch said. "I loved the old weight room, but this one is just amazing. I am excited for the new generations of Spartans, who will be able to work out in a place of this caliber."
Sweat trickled off foreheads and muscles churned from the rigorous repetitions of curl-up holds, front squats, back extensions and isometric power squats with chains and tendo units, which measures power output, that members of the volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball and cross-country programs completed during their workouts.
"I've been hearing about this new facility being renovated for a few years now, so it's a thrill to see it come into fruition," UNCG senior women's basketball CeCe Crudup said.
This was a significant milestone for the Spartan athletic department as this was the second completed project of the
Campaign for Champions, a fundraising campaign to transform student-athlete academic and support facilities, and to recruit and retain top coaches to lead UNCG's 17 Division I athletic teams.
The Academic Success Center opened earlier this year, as stage one of the campaign. The third project, the Men's Basketball Nutrition Center and Player & Recruiting Lounge is scheduled to be finished at the end of this year. There has been $2.8 million raised toward the goal of $5 million. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the philanthropic spirit has shined and helped UNCG's student-athletes reap immediate rewards.
"It was so exciting stepping into the Speed, Strength & Conditioning Center this morning," volleyball senior Stephanie Meysembourg said. "Being a member of the first team to use it made it feel even more special. When I arrived as a freshman, this space looked much different. They did an amazing job on it and I can't wait to continue to lift in our beautiful new facility."
