(RICHMOND, Virginia) – Crenshaw Field at the University of Richmond is getting a facelift with a new AstroTurf® System 12 field.
While Crenshaw Field serves many of Richmond’s athletic teams for practice, the Spiders field hockey team plays its home games there. The team is gaining a reputation as one of the premier teams in the country and will benefit from the new field surface.
“In our economic times, putting in a top water-based turf product might seem out of reach for many athletic budgets,” said Richmond Head Coach Gina Lucido. “AstroTurf® was able to come to the table and meet all of my needs to install an elite playing surface. I am thrilled the Richmond field hockey program will benefit from the installation of AstroTurf® in Fall 2011, and many years to come. I look forward to the collaboration between AstroTurf® and my staff and their commitment to lasting excellence.”
Lucido will be entering her fifth year at the helm of the Richmond field hockey program. While at Richmond, she has built a successful program which will be a contender in NCAA field hockey in years to come.
In her second year as head coach, Lucido advanced to the Atlantic 10 title game. In 2009, the Spiders won the Atlantic 10 regular season championship and the Atlantic 10 tournament championship. The Spiders advanced to the NCAA tournament and finished with a national ranking of 19th.
Lucido was a standout player at Ball State University, where she was also an Academic All-American. In February 2006, Lucido was inducted into the Ball State University Hall of Fame.
She began her coaching career at Bucknell University, aiding both field hockey and lacrosse programs. Lucido then spent time at Susquehanna University coaching field hockey and lacrosse before joining the start-up program at Indiana University. During her six-year career as an assistant field hockey coach at Indiana, Lucido helped guide the Hoosiers to an NCAA Final 8 appearance in 2005.
The new field will be an AstroTurf® 12 synthetic turf system. The field will be engineered with a premium knitted nylon system designed to provide uniform traction and consistent footing. It will improve playability when it is wet and absorbs water to maintain wet conditions longer.
AstroTurf® 12 systems were first used in an international field hockey event in 1975 in Montreal. The same field hosted the Olympics in 1976. Since then, they have become the preferred surface for field hockey events around the globe.
AstroTurf® surfaces were also used in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The AstroTurf® 12 system has also seen play in the Pan Am games, World Cup and numerous other field hockey events. The U.S. National team trains on AstroTurf® in Chula Vista, California, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Also, a new AstroTurf® 12 system is used by the University of Maryland, 2011 NCAA Division I Champions. To date, all NCAA Division I National Championships have been played on AstroTurf® fields. The 2011 event will be held at the University of Louisville, on a new AstroTurf® 12 surface just like the ones the Spiders will be playing on.
“Gina is an outstanding coach and the program is gaining momentum,” said Pam Hixon, hall of fame field hockey coach and Field Hockey Ambassador for AstroTurf®. “With momentum come increased expectations. Having a championship AstroTurf® field will help the Spiders exceed those expectations under Coach Lucido.”
The Spiders will begin their 2011 campaign at home against James Madison University, on September 17th.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. AstroTurf® offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport, and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging a vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com. You can also check out AstroTurf® on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/AstroTurf/124352067595110.
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