By Mike Specht
Staff Writer
The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team will have revamped locker room facilities, thanks in part to an initiative by the athletic department and various contributions from alumni and friends of the university. A total of $300,000 was raised since the project was announced last March. Construction will begin soon after commencement this May and will be complete in time for the 2013-14 season.
“The project really started by a $75,000 contribution from John (’58) and Kay Meisch,” Associate Athletic Director Steve Mest said. “We received two contributions of $25,000 each, both of which were from anonymous contributors.”
An additional $80,000 was raised through contributors donating for individual lockers, with a commemorative plaque of the donor on the locker.
In order to raise sufficient funds for this project, a volunteer committee was established, led by Head Coach Jim Crowley and former coaches Mary Jane Telford and Marti Whitmore. The rest of the group consisted of former players Shannon O’Connell, Dan (’01) and Denise Dee (’89), as well as Board of Trustees members Marv Stocker (’65) and Bob Crowley (’71). This group collected donations from alumni, family and friends in order to make the new locker room possible. In total, there were 143 donors for this project, according to Mest.
The plans for renovation include 15 lockers for the players, along with a large-screen TV and a smart board for game planning. There will also be a lounge area, complete with couches and computers, and a modified shower and bathroom area.
The focal point of the room will be its entrance, where a large plaque will cover the front of the wall. It lists all the former players of the women’s basketball program, for the current players to remember who came before them, according to Mest.
“When the coaches and players enter the locker room, the first thing they see is those who walked in their shoes before them, which is a really nice feature,” Mest said.
The renovations to the locker room reflect the improvements of the women’s basketball program under Crowley’s leadership. In the last four seasons, Crowley coached the women’s team to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) three times and the NCAA Tournament last year, reaching the Sweet Sixteen.
While the locker room is set for renovation, more changes are in the future for Bonaventure athletics. A $3 million athletic field complex overhaul is set to include artificial turf on the soccer and softball fields, as well as lighting and seating. Over $1 million has already been raised, according to gobonnies.com.
Mest said he sees the improvements in the locker room facilities as a vital piece to improving the program as a whole.
“It will certainly help them in recruiting. We will now be comparable to other schools’ facilities in the Atlantic 10,” Mest said. “These are things that are necessary in order to maintain the level of success we’ve had in recent years. This project is also a clear sign that all our supporters, our alumni, fans, and donors have given us a vote of confidence for other projects as well.”
