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Extreme makeover, college edition |
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 |
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By NICK BEDARD
Staff Writer
This is our house, and it just got an extreme makeover.
For the past 40 years, the Mackenzie building has been the home to game-winning shots, intense rallies, elite competition and school spirit for the Niagara Knights men's and women's athletics.
Come fall 2010, the home of the Knights will be moving to the opposite
end of the Welland campus into a brand-new sports complex.
The
Mackenzie gym has served to provide great memories for Niagara College
athletics. All good things must come to an end, however; Niagara
College's approach is out with old and in with the new.
For 30 years,
Ray Sarkis has been the co-ordinator for athletics and recreation.
Sarkis says he will miss the Mackenzie gym but he is eager for the
opening of the new complex.
"The Mackenzie building has a lot of
great memories. Some great games, great events have all happened right
here."
Sarkis says the thing he will miss the most is the athletes
who have stepped foot in the gym.
"There have been elite athletes
that have played here. You build a good relationship with these kids,
and it's hard to forget that. With this new facility I am expecting a
new generation of elite athletes taking part in an elite facility."
Expected
to be open by fall of 2010, the new sports complex will feature a
15,000-square-foot double gymnasium seating 1,000 spectators. Lamar
Grant is the men's basketball team captain at Niagara College. Grant
says he is really excited to call the new sports complex his home court.
"The
thing about this gym [Mackenzie] is that it's really small. I am
looking forward to playing in front of a big crowd. This upcoming season
will be a fresh start for us."
The men's basketball team will
experience a massive change this upcoming season. The team will not only
have to adapt to the new gym, but will also have to accommodate a new
head coach.
John Gittings is the college's manager of planning and
development. As an architect, Gittings has watched the three-year
project's evolution.
"The new gym will be an outstanding facility.
The old gym had a temporary structure to it, and this gym will be state
of the art."
The new sports complex will be more of an attraction,
as it will neighbour the main entrance of Welland's campus.
"As an
architect I like to imagine coming in for a game and the pub that
overlooks the gym being packed with people and seeing a pep rally at the
new Student Administration Council's building, students spilling out of
there and going to the gym for a big game. For me to see that, that
would be great!"
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