Graham Wrestling Training CenterSay "wrestling room" and many will immediately picture a dark, dank room deep in the basement of a gym ... a cramped, tight space with so little actual wrestling practice area, athletes spend more time fighting for workout space than actually working out.
The new wrestling training facility at Bucknell University -- officially dedicated this week -- is none of those things. It's spacious, bright and airy, with huge windows letting in natural light ... and advanced features and plenty of space for the mat Bison to maintain top condition.
It features a 50-foot-by-100-foot mat room providing enough space for 36 wrestlers to grapple simultaneously in 18 circles, as well as a fitness area with weight benches and exercise equipment. Next to the mat room are a weigh-in area, coaches' offices, team room and a glass-walled trainer's office with hydrotherapy and ice baths, which allows coaches to keep an eye on recuperating wrestlers.
Bison head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger said it's "the best wrestling-specific training facility in the country."
Assistant coach Kevin LeValley described the new room as "state of the art."
One of the facility's most intriguing, high-tech features: a camera system mounted in the ceiling above the mats, which provides instant-replay capability via monitors along the walls, allowing wrestlers to observe and adjust their technique in near-real time.
"The cameras in the wrestling room are going to be awesome," said Victor Lopez, captain of the Bison wrestling team. "It's easier to learn by watching yourself than by having someone else tell you what to do."
In addition, the new wrestling center also features coaches' offices, team study area ... and, for the first time, specially designated locker rooms for the Bucknell wrestlers. (No more having to share with users of the campus fitness facility.)
These impressive new facilities that comprise the new Graham Wrestling Center are located, appropriately enough, on the second floor of the brand-new Graham Building on the Bucknell campus in Lewisburg, Pa.
Named in honor of lead donor and former Bison wrestler William "Bill" A. Graham IV, Chairman and CEO of The Graham Company, and 1962 Bucknell graduate, the new building is intended to serve as a resource to the entire campus. The first floor is the new home for Bucknell Student Health, the Counseling and Student Development Center, Bucknell Nutrition, Physical Therapy, and the Be Well Program. The entire 36,000 square foot structure was built at a cost of $12 million.
Most of the facilities were opened in August. However, the official dedication of the Graham Building took place this past week. In addition to Bill Graham and his wife Frances, other dignitaries at the dedication included 1972 Olympic gold medalist and retired University of Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable, retired Bucknell coach Bob Ferraro, and Michael Moyer, chief of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
"Bucknell helped me develop into the person I am, and I think it's important to try to pay back a small part of what you've gotten from an institution," said Graham, a four-year wrestler who was captain of the Bucknell mat squad in 1961. "I think it's important to give back after all I've taken away, and I think more people should do that."
Graham was also instrumental in bringing wrestling back after Bucknell dropped the program in 2001, and the new wrestling and wellness complex is his second major gift in just over a decade. A prior gift of approximately $8 million led to the installation of Graham Field for field hockey and women's lacrosse, created an endowment to support women's varsity sports -- primarily women's crew -- and allowed the wrestling program to regain varsity status in 2006-07.
Graham's latest gift for the new building named in his honor totals more than $7 million.
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts school located in central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846, the school has a total enrollment of approximately 3,600 students. The Bison wrestling program and other Bucknell sports teams compete in NCAA Division I.
Video
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now