(GENEVA, New York) - For the William Smith Herons field hockey team, it’s AstroTurf®……again.
The highly successful NCAA Division III program has announced the selection of an AstroTurf® 12 system to replace the current AstroTurf® system at H.J. McCooey Memorial Field.
The team, coached by longtime veteran Sally Scatton has made an undeniable impact on collegiate field hockey. In her 22 years at the helm, the Herons have won NCAA Division III titles in 1992, 1997, and 2000, with 20 post-season appearances. Under Scatton, the Herons have never had a losing season. The team has also won the Liberty League title 9 times since it was formed in 1995.
Scatton has chaired the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Committee and was selected as the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Regional and National Coach of the Year three times. Scatton is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she played field hockey and lacrosse for four years, and basketball for three years. In 1997, she was inducted into the Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame. In 2007, she was inducted into the William Smith Heron Hall of Honor, and on January 9, 2010, Scatton was inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame.
The successful pedigree of Scatton and her team are also reflected in the stadium where they play. H.J. McCooey Memorial Field seats 1,500 and features an AstroTurf® 12 field which was installed in 2000. The field has hosted three NCAA Championships; the 2002 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship, the 2006 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship, and the 2007 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
“When it came time to replace our current AstroTurf® surface, it quickly became clear that a new AstroTurf® system was the right choice for William Smith,” said Coach Scatton. “For the past 10 years, our team has practiced and competed on AstroTurf® and I love the quality and durability of the product. The approval by our president and Board of Trustees to install AstroTurf® 12 reinforced our commitment to providing the best possible playing experience for our student-athletes. This project will allow us to continue to have one of the finest collegiate field hockey facilities in the nation.”
The new surface will also be an AstroTurf® 12 system. The field will be engineered with a proven, premium knitted nylon fiber designed to provide uniform traction and consistent footing. It will improve playability when it’s wet and absorbs water to maintain wet conditions longer.
Construction is under way and will be completed by early July.
“William Smith has truly made a mark in collegiate field hockey,” said Pam Hixon, hall of fame field hockey coach and Field Hockey Ambassador with AstroTurf®. “Coach Scatton, the athletes, and the support of the college have made this program so successful. That success is also in no small part due to the AstroTurf® field they play on. It’s the finest surface in the world. Having a brand new AstroTurf® surface for next season will, no doubt, make the program even more successful.”
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 Herons will be playing on.
The Herons will open their season on the new AstroTurf® field on September 1, 2011, when they face Oswego State.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; TurfAide™, a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment