Meridian Community College’s student athletes get a place to call their own
Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, October 15, 2019
- Bill Graham / The Meridian Star Meridian Community College Athletic Director Sander Atkinson shows off the school's new athletic performance center, which will be unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Since arriving on campus last fall, Meridian Community College baseball player Austin Huggins has dreamed of a space to exercise and work out.
Now, instead of sharing the school’s gym with other students and the community, Huggins and his fellow student athletes have a place to call their own.
“It’s somewhere we can go so we can be the best on the field without worrying about other people being there,” Huggins said of the school’s new athletic performance facility, located between between Thornton Hall and College Crossing Apartments.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the building is planned for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
The 4,200 square feet center, designed specifically for student athletes, cost about $1.2 million, with funding coming from school money and donations.
The center offers free weights, TRX bands, battle ropes, bench press stations, dumbbells and a cardio room.
“It’s a great example of pulling together a lot of resources to create something that will serve the needs of the students while serving the needs of the college,” said Thomas Huebner, president of the college.
Huebner hopes the new facility will not only help student athletes prepare for the next step in their careers, but also attract potential students to MCC.
The facility is located between the school’s three dorms, making it easy for student-athletes to stop by before and after class.
“It’s very convenient,” said Huggins, who said he likes the center’s up-to-date workout equipment. “It’s a three-minute walk from my room.”
Sander Atkinson, MCC’s athletic director, said that before the new facility was built, teams would have to schedule a time to use the school’s main gym.
That often caused problems when students and faculty members wanted to use the gym, he said.
The new facility, which Atkinson described as the missing piece in the school’s athletic program, will free up the main gym for other students and faculty members to use.
“With a dedicated space, we are excited about what this means for the future of MCC athletics,” Atkinson said.
