Improvements made to Wheaton's McCully Field Complex

Wheaton, Ill. (8/27) Wheaton College's McCully Field, home to the Thunder football and track & field teams, has been undergoing changes in recent weeks. A resurfacing of the Oury Track that encircles McCully Field has been completed. The track (RIGHT) now features a Rekortan surface. Installation of lights for the facility is currently underway and completion is expected in the next few weeks, well before the first home game for the Thunder football team on Sept. 17.

While no football games will be played at night this year, future schedules could include night games, as well as track meets under the lights (INSTALLATION SHOWED AT LEFT). The track and football teams will immediately benefit from the use of the lights for practices in late fall and early spring when the days are shorter. The two recently completed projects follow the installation of a FieldTurf playing surface to McCully Field last summer, that has made for a new look to the facility. McCully Field was opened as home of the Wheaton football program as New Lawson Field on Sept. 29, 1929. The field was renamed McCully Field in 1956, when a concrete grandstand with a seating capacity of 3,200 was added.

Wheaton Athletics Director Dr. Tony Ladd, says of the improvements, This is the completion of major renovation efforts at the McCully Field Complex. He adds, We are very appreciative of the college's effort for the total athletic program noted by the completion of this project, as well as others that have been completed or have been committed to by the institution. Ladd noted, We are also grateful to the donors, alumni and special friends that have not only helped financially but also encourage the vision of what can be done through athletics.