HUNTINGDON, Pa.- This past Saturday, ground was broken for the new Winton Hill Athletic Complex which will open this coming September. The $3.5 million construction project will create a new soccer and lacrosse field and stadium complex, as well as six tennis courts, locker rooms, and a press box.
A brief ceremony was held prior to groundbreaking. Speakers included Bob McDowell '60, chairman of the Board of the Trustees, President James Troha, Athletic Director Greg Curley, junior women's soccer player Erin Mueller, and Henry H. Gibbel '57, who along with his wife Joanie established a Leadership Gift to build the soccer field and grandstand.
"This space is going to be for many of us, a new gateway into the campus community," said Troha. "It won't just help recruitment, it's also about retaining the students that choose us."
"What makes this place special is our commitment to our students and the student experience," remarked Curley. "The impact on our athletic department for a moment like this is very hard to quantify. We will have a premiere athletic facility in our league and in Division III Athletics. For our department, for our student-athletes, for our coaches, a very sincere thank you to the Gibbels."
Mueller, who is a goalkeeper for the Eagles, expressed her enthusiasm for the new soccer fields. "The new sports complex will completely change the game for both the women's and the men's programs," she stated. "With the full size turf field, locker rooms, and stadium lights, this gives us the feeling of a home field advantage that we are proud of and one we will care for."
Gibbel retired as chair of the Juniata Board of Trustees in 2006 and is currently chairman of Lititz Mutual Insurance Company. "It's truly a great day for Juniata College as we embark on this project," Gibbel remarked. "For the student-athletes, they deserve this."
Players from both the men's and women's soccer teams were in attendance at the event along with representatives from both the men's and women's tennis teams. Also in attendance were members of the Gibbel family, Board of Trustees, and former Juniata Presidents Robert Neff and Tom Kepple.
The Juniata College Winton Hill Athletics Complex, featuring The Henry H. and Joan R. Gibbel Stadium, is designed by Derck & Edson Associates, a design company specializing in landscape architecture, land planning, and engineering based in Lititz, Pa. Naming opportunities are still available and can be done by accessing the Juniata giving page here: https://www.juniata.edu/offices/gifts/make-a-gift/index.php?src=index
