NASCAR top statistical performers at Richmond International Raceway, The Toyota Owners 400

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Ray M. Smith; COURTESY NASCAR COMMUNICATIONS

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia going into the Toyota Owners 400 on April 26.

RICHMOND-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 AAA Insurance Toyota)

· Two wins, three top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 10.1

· Average Running Position of 9.5, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 100.7, fourth-best

· 183 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

· 851 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.414 mph, fifth-fastest

· 5,140 Laps in the Top 15 (80.1%), fifth-most

· 485 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· One win, five top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 17.3

· Average Running Position of 14.4, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 92.2, seventh-best

· 364 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.386 mph, sixth-fastest

· 4,338 Laps in the Top 15 (60.1%), ninth-most

· 428 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)

· Four wins, 12 top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 7.2

· Average Running Position of 7.8, second-best

· Driver Rating of 111.9, second-best

· 529 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.749 mph, second-fastest

· 6,271 Laps in the Top 15 (86.9%), second-most

· 533 Quality Passes, third-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 FordAlwaysRacing Ford)

· One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 13.7

· Average Running Position of 14.9, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 90.1, ninth-best

· 291 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

· 957 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.290 mph, ninth-fastest

· 4,276 Laps in the Top 15 (59.3%), 10th-most

· 429 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Two wins, 16 top fives, 26 top 10s; six poles

· Average finish of 14.1

· Average Running Position of 13.8, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 96.0, sixth-best

· 343 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.375 mph, seventh-fastest

· 4,518 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), eighth-most

· 436 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

· Two wins, seven top fives, nine top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 8.9

· Series-best Average Running Position of 6.6

· Series-best Driver Rating of 114.8

· Series-high 584 Fastest Laps Run

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 116.782 mph

· 5,361 Laps in the Top 15 (89.2%), fourth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet)

· Three wins, seven top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 11.3

· Average Running Position of 7.9, third-best

· Driver Rating of 110.0, third-best

· 458 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· 854 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.658 mph, third-fastest

· Series-high 6,617 Laps in the Top 15 (91.7%)

· Series-high 613 Quality Passes

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)

· Three wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 17.3

· Average Running Position of 16.2, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 88.5, 10th-best

· 274 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.232 mph, 11th-fastest

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 18.0

· Driver Rating of 86.8, 11th-best

· 341 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

· 923 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

· 4,088 Laps in the Top 15 (56.7%), 12th-most

· 433 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

· One win, six top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 11.4

· Average Running Position of 11.7, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 91.6, eighth-best

· 921 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

· 5,419 Laps in the Top 15 (75.1%), third-most

· 550 Quality Passes, second-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.6

· Average Running Position of 12.1, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 96.5, fifth-best

· 276 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

· 875 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 116.498 mph, fourth-fastest

· 4,755 Laps in the Top 15 (69.8%), sixth-most

· 462 Quality Passes, fifth-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2014 Top 10 at Richmond International Raceway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Jeff Gordon	42	6	2	16	26	7	14.1	96.0
2	Matt Kenseth	28	1	1	4	12	1	15.8	84.7
3	Carl Edwards	19	1	1	4	10	1	13.7	90.1
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	29	1	3	9	12	1	13.8	85.4
5	Jimmie Johnson	24	2	3	5	8	1	17.3	88.5
6	Kyle Busch	18	1	4	12	13	0	7.2	111.9
7	Brad Keselowski	9	0	0	0	2	1	20.1	81.1
8	Joey Logano	10	0	0	2	2	1	17.8	72.9
9	Ryan Newman	24	1	1	6	14	0	11.4	91.6
10	Austin Dillon	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

* – Based on last 18 races at Richmond International Raceway.

Richmond International Raceway Data

Season Race #: 9 of 36 (04-26-14)

Track Size: 0.75-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  1,290 feet

Backstretch Length:  860 feet

Race Length: 400 laps / 300 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Richmond

Denny Hamlin………………………. 114.8

Kyle Busch…………………………. 111.9

Kevin Harvick………………………. 110.0

Clint Bowyer………………………… 100.7

Tony Stewart…………………………. 96.5

Jeff Gordon………………………….. 96.0

Kurt Busch……………………………. 92.2

Ryan Newman……………………….. 91.6

Carl Edwards………………………… 90.1

Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 88.5

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (18 total) among active drivers at Richmond International Raceway

Qualifying/Race Data

2013 Coors Light pole winner:

Matt Kenseth, Toyota

130.334 mph, 20.716 secs. 04-25-13

2013 race winner:

Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet

92.141 mph, (03:18:17), 04-27-13

Track qualifying record:

Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet

130.599 mph, 20.674 secs. 09-04-13

Track race record:

Dale Jarrett, Ford

109.047 mph, (02:45:04), 09-06-97

At Richmond International Raceway:

History

· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953 won by Lee Petty.

· The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.

· The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.

· The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.

· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.

· The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.

· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.

· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.

· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.

Notebook

· There have been 115 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway, one NSCS event from 1953 – 1958 and two races per year since 1959.

· 472 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond; 306 in more than one.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Richmond with 63. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 42 starts.

· Buck Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Richmond in 1953 with a speed of 48.465 mph.

· 52 drivers have Coors Light poles at Richmond, led by Richard Petty and Bobby Allison with eight each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

· Seven drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond. Bobby Allison holds the record for most consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond with five (1972 – 1974).

· Youngest Richmond pole winner: Brian Vickers (05/15/2004 – 20 years, 6 months, 21 days).

· Oldest Richmond pole winner: Mark Martin (04/28/2012 – 53 years, 3 months, 19 days).

· 48 different drivers have won at Richmond International Raceway, led by Richard Petty with 13. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with four.

· Petty Enterprises has the most wins at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 15; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 10, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing each have nine.

· Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Richmond with 36 victories; followed by Ford with 29 and Toyota with seven.

· 22 of the 115 (19.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from the Coors Light pole. Only three active drivers have been able to accomplish the feat: Kasey Kahne (2005), Jimmie Johnson (2007) and Kyle Busch (2010).

· The pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners than any other starting position at Richmond (22).

· 35 of the 115 (30.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond have been won from the front row: 22 from the pole and 13 from second-place.

· 90 of the 115 (78.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· 13 of the 115 (11.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Richmond International Raceway was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the spring of 2008.

· Youngest Richmond winner: Richard Petty (04/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).

· Oldest Richmond winner: Harry Gant (09/07/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).

· Bobby Allison and Richard Petty are tied for the lead in runner-up finishes at Richmond with nine each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

· Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Richmond with 34; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 16.

· Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Richmond with 41. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 26.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Richmond International Raceway with a 7.643.

· Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond International Raceway with a 7.222.

· Two active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Richmond: Kyle Busch (7.2) and Denny Hamlin (8.9).

· There have been two NSCS race resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway: spring of 2008 (400/410) and spring of 2013 (400/406).

· Only four of the 115 races at Richmond International Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1962, spring of 1977, spring of 1982 and spring of 2003.

· Bobby Labonte (09/11/1993) and Brian Vickers (05/15/2004) posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Richmond.

· Tony Stewart (09/11/1999) and Kasey Kahne (05/14/2005) posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Richmond.

· Eight drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond International Raceway. Richard Petty leads the series in consecutive wins at Richmond after posting seven consecutive wins from the fall of 1970 – 1973. Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep) is the only active driver with consecutive wins at Richmond.

· All of the 13 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Richmond International Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart won at Richmond in their second appearance.

· Joe Nemechek competed at Richmond International Raceway 18 times before winning in 1994; the longest span of any the 13 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

· Dave Blaney leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond without visiting Victory Lane at 26.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway was the (09/12/1998) race won by Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.051 second.

· Two female drivers have competed at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	13	12	2/27/1977
Janet Guthrie	14	12	9/11/1977
Danica Patrick	30	29	4/27/2013
Danica Patrick	36	30	9/7/2013

NASCAR in Virginia

· There have been 283 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among nine tracks in Virginia.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville	131
Richmond International Raceway	Richmond	115
South Boston Speedway	South Boston	10
Langley Field Speedway	Hampton	9
Old Dominion Speedway	Manassas	7
Southside Speedway	Richmond	4
Starkey Speedway	Roanoke	4
Norfolk Speedway	Norfolk	2
Princess Anne Speedway	Norfolk	1

· 171 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Virginia.

· 19 drivers from Virginia have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; 11 have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Joe Weatherly	25	0	0
Denny Hamlin	23	11	2
Ricky Rudd	23	1	0
Jeff Burton	21	27	0
Curtis Turner	17	0	0
Ward Burton	5	4	0
Glen Wood	4	0	0
Elliott Sadler	3	9	1
Emanuel Zervakis	2	0	0
Lennie Pond	1	0	0
Wendell Scott	1	0	0
Tommy Ellis	0	22	0
Jimmy Hensley	0	9	2
Rick Mast	0	9	0
Hermie Sadler	0	2	0
Elton Sawyer	0	2	0
Stacy Compton	0	0	2
Jon Wood	0	0	2
Jeb Burton	0	0	1

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Cincinnati at Ohio State September 27 at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network

Ohio State picks up a fourth night game for 2014 and a third at Ohio Stadium.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State will play four regular season games at night for the first time in program history in 2014. The Big Ten Network revealed its slate of eight primetime night games for the upcoming season and Ohio State’s home game against Cincinnati Sept. 27 has been selected to start at 6 p.m.

This game time also represents the third night game at Ohio Stadium in 2014 – another first for Ohio State – as it comes after ABC/ESPN had previously chosen Ohio State games at home against Virginia Tech, at Penn State and home vs. Illinois as primetime affairs on its networks and with 8 p.m. starts.

Ohio State is officially 39-22 in night games (those starting after 5 p.m. local time). Ohio State is 29-19 in night games played on the road (20-10) or at a neutral site (9-9), and 10-3 in Ohio Stadium night games. (Records reflect vacated night game wins in 2010: Marshall, at Minnesota and vs. Arkansas).

2014 Ohio State Football Schedule \

Aug. 30 – vs. Navy (12 Noon kickoff at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium)

Sept. 6 – Virginia Tech (8 p.m. on ESPN)

Sept. 13 – Kent State

Sept. 20 – Off

Sept. 27 – Cincinnati (6 p.m. on BTN)

Oct. 4 – at Maryland

Oct. 11 – Off

Oct. 18 – Rutgers

Oct. 25 – at Penn State (8 p.m. on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)

Nov. 1 – Illinois (8 p.m. on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)

Nov. 8 – at Michigan State

Nov. 15 – at Minnesota

Nov. 22 – Indiana

Nov. 29 – Michigan

Dec. 6 – Big Ten Championship Game

Ohio Stadium Night Games

1. Sept. 14, 1985       Ohio State 10, Pittsburgh 7

2. Sept. 11, 1993       Ohio State 21, Washington 12

3. Aug. 28, 1997        Ohio State 24, Wyoming 10

4. Sept. 11, 1999       Ohio State 42, UCLA 20

5. Oct. 6, 2001           Ohio State 38, Northwestern 20

6. Aug. 30, 2003        Ohio State 28, Washington 9

7. Sept. 10, 2005       Texas 25, Ohio State 22

8. Oct. 25, 2008         Penn State 13, Ohio State 10

9. Sept. 12, 2009       USC 18, Ohio State 15

10. Sept. 2, 2010         *Ohio State 45, Marshall 7

11. Oct. 29, 2011         Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 29

12. Oct. 6, 2012           Ohio State 63, Nebraska 38

13. Sept. 28, 2013       Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 24

14. Oct. 26, 2013         Ohio State 63, Penn State 14

*Win vacated

###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###

 

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Jerry Emig, Adam Widman; COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

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Ohio Dominican Softball getting ready to finish regular season strong; one game behind Saginaw Valley in GLIAC

Full Game Notes

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Dominican softball team will look to finish the GLIAC regular season strong as they host two conference rivals this weekend. The Panthers will have a chance to finish the regular season with an overall record above .500 with all four wins. Also, ODU has a chance to take the top spot in the GLIAC tournament being only one game behind Saginaw Valley.

ODU will host Ashland on Friday for a doubleheader, and then host Malone for Senior Day on Saturday for two games.

This past week the Panthers put themselves in great position to win the regular season GLIAC title by going 4-2 including a sweep on the road over then conference leading Grand Valley State. Last week was the first time ODU had an extended trip away from their home field since the beginning of March. The Panthers started the week with a split at Northwood, followed by another split at Ferris State, and ended with the sweep over Grand Valley.

ODU was led by freshman Allie Hinton (Newcomerstown, OH) who earned her third GLIAC Player of the Week honor with her performance. Hinton hit .350 (7-for-20) with a .750 slugging percentage. Hinton scored five times, hit two homeruns, drove in seven, and had two doubles. She also hit her first career grand slam against Northwood. Hinton is now batting .328 with a team high 29 RBI.

Senior shortstop Caitlin Jividen (Wheeling, WV) also had a solid week at the plate batting .368. Jividen scored four runs, had two RBI, two doubles, and two stolen bases. She continues to have a strong senior season batting .385 on the year with 25 RBI. Jividen now leads the team in walks with 20, and in runs scored with 28.

Junior pitcher Rachael Stanzel (Angleton, TX) has continued to have a nice season, as she now leads the GLIAC in wins with 16. Last week Stanzel pitched 29.0 innings, while recording a 4-2 record with a 1.21 ERA. Stanzel is now 16-13 on the season with a 2.18 ERA and is fifth in the conference with 99 strikeouts.

ODU will welcome Ashland this Friday for a doubleheader. Ashland (21-14, 10-8) will look to improve their seeding position for the conference tournament. The Eagles currently sit in the seventh position in the conference and are two games back from Walsh for sixth, but they are also only one game ahead of Findlay, who is ninth, with only the top eight making it to the GLAIC tournament. Ashland comes in losing four of their last five games. The Eagles are led by junior pitcher Sarah Alley. Alley is leading the team in both pitching and batting categories. Alley is batting .416 on the season with a team high 31 RBI. She also leads the team in wins with an 8-6 record with a 2.37 ERA. Taylor Menhart is batting .404 and is leading the team with 13 doubles. Ashland will host Findlay for a doubleheader on Wednesday before traveling to Columbus on Friday. The doubleheader will begin at 3:00p.m. at Panther Field.

After hosting Ashland, the Panthers will hold Senior Day on Saturday against Malone. Malone comes into the week with a 10-24-1 record overall, and a 2-18 mark in the GLIAC. The Pioneers are currently riding a nine game losing streak. Last season the Panthers took both games from Malone winning 4-0, and 9-1. Emily Isla leads the charge offensively for the Pioneers with a .422 batting average, which is ranked fifth in the GLIAC. Isla also has 21 RBI, nine doubles, and three home runs on the season. Desi Hengoed is batting .402 and is leading the team with 31 RBI, 11 doubles, and four home runs. The two game set will begin at 1:00p.m. with the recognition of the senior players occurring at the conclusion of the second game.

GAME PREVIEW WRITTEN BY Sarah Twiggs, Tyler Jester; COURTESY ODU SPORTS INFORMATION

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Minor League Baseball Charities donates $10,000 to Oso, Washington Mudslide Relief

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Minor League Baseball^™ Charities announced today that it is donating $10,000 to the United Way of Snohomish (Wash.) County’s Disaster Recovery Fund to aid in the relief efforts related to the March 22 mudslide in Oso, Wash. More than three dozen people have lost their lives and several others are still missing as a result of the devastating incident. The mudslide occurred just 30 miles from the Everett AquaSox, a Minor League Baseball club in the Northwest League.

“Through MiLB Charities, we are able to give back and offer support to the communities in which our clubs are a part, especially in times of need when natural disasters like the Oso mudslide occur,” said Tina Gust, MiLB™ Vice President of Business Development.

The AquaSox will present the $10,000 check, on behalf of MiLB Charities, to the United Way of Snohomish County on Friday. A formal check presentation will be made to the organization prior to an AquaSox game this summer.

The club is also donating all walk-up ticket sales from its June 16 game to the relief and recovery efforts.

“As we enter our 30th year in Snohomish County, this is the least we can do to try and help those affected by this tragedy,” said AquaSox Executive Vice President Tom Backemeyer. “We are very appreciative of Minor League Baseball and the support they have offered to our community through this generous donation.”

Through donations and support it receives from fans, teams and partners, MiLB Charities is able to contribute to local organizations in times of need and support causes that are important to its extended baseball family. Minor League Baseball Charities is a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues.

Visit http://milbcharities.milbstore.com to make a tax-deductible donation to MiLB Charities or http://charities.milbauctions.com for additional opportunities to show your support.

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Steve Densa, Mary Marandi; COURTESY MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COMMUNICATIONS

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Ohio State athletes benefit from new and improved facilities

Athletics has invested more than $45 million recently into facilities used by 23 varsity sports

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Department of Athletics has invested in the past year, or is in the process of investing, more than $45 million into the building of new facilities and the revitalization of others that are used throughout the year by hundreds of student-athletes in at least 23 different varsity sports.

The projects include everything from a new practice gymnasium and training area, locker rooms and weight room at the Jerome Schottenstein Center to new offices for lacrosse coaches to three new FieldTurf fields to a new golf facility at the OSU Golf Course.

Enhancing the student-athlete experience, and in some cases the game day atmosphere for fans, is a goal for many of these projects. Other projects are simply upgrades and routine maintenance that have to get done.

“We have an ongoing list of deferred maintenance projects and capital construction needs,” Don Patko, associate director of athletics facilities, said. “We certainly can’t get to all of them, but budgeting through the general athletics fund as well as gifts from our donors has enabled us to keep the majority of our facilities, regardless of age, among the best in college athletics.

“We are very proud to be able to provide our student-athletes outstanding facilities and competition venues.”

The Department of Athletics operates and administers to approximately 18 million square feet of space among its 19 athletic facilities and eight additional practice fields. Below is a list of new projects or projects in progress/completed within the last year.

Addition of Second Basketball Practice Gym (& More)

Location: Schottenstein Center

Sports: Basketball, Hockey

Cost: $19 million

Details…

- A new practice gymnasium was built opposite the initial, original practice gym and the men’s and women’s basketball teams now have their own designated practice facilities.

- Locker rooms, meeting space and lounge areas were renovated for the basketball teams and new weight room and training rooms were built for use by the basketball teams and the men’s hockey team.

South Stands Expansion, Permanent Lights & Water Proofing

Location: Ohio Stadium

Sports: Football, Lacrosse

Cost: $13.7 million

Details…

- The south stands seat expansion work will add approximately 2,600 seats and create a wide, rubber-surfaced tunnel for the Buckeyes to walk down to enter the field.

- This new seating will not compromise the integrity of the “horseshoe” design of the stadium as created by architect Howard Dwight Smith.

- The installation of permanent lighting above the east and west walls will “crown” the stadium with high definition sports lighting from MUSCO.

- And completion of the concrete waterproofing project that was started last year will preserve the 1922-circa coating and concrete in portions of A deck.

Walt & Jane Dennis Golf Performance Center

Location: OSU Golf Course

Sport: Golf

Cost: $6.3 million

Details…

- Ohio State’s tradition-rich golf programs have a new indoor golf facility that will provide comprehensive year-round practice capabilities.

- The facility features an indoor chipping and short game pavilion, a putting lab and five heated hitting bays that enable “outdoor” hitting during any season.

- The facility also includes new locker rooms, a weight room, golfer’s lounge, coaches’ offices and state-of-the-art computer and video technologies.

New Football Locker Room

Location: Woody Hayes Athletic Center

Sport: Football

Cost: $2.5 million

Details…

- The angular locker room in the “Woody” is being opened up and redesigned into a 10,000 square foot home for the fifth-winningest football team of all time.

- The renovation will include new locker, shower and restroom areas, lots of technology and HD TVs, a lounge, nutrition area and a water wall that separates the lounge area and the training room’s hot and cold wet areas.

Four New Fields

Location: Ohio Stadium, Woody Hayes Athletic Center and adjacent to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium

Sports: Football, Lacrosse, Soccer, Track & Field

Cost: $1.7 million

Details…

- Three turf fields – Ohio Stadium, the Woody Hayes Athletic Center indoor field and one outdoor field at the WHAC – will receive new FieldTurf surfaces this spring and summer.

- The Ohio Stadium field was installed in 2007 but the athletic department will save approximately $400,000 by replacing this field now while the other two fields are being done.

- The FieldTurf company will use its advanced recycling technology to reuse the rubber infill and use it as part of the new fields, while the old turf rolls on these fields will also be recycled into other products.

- The natural grass practice field west of the “Jesse” is also being replaced this summer.

New Video & Sound Scoreboards

Location: Bill Davis Stadium, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and Buckeye Field

Sports: Baseball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Track & Field, Softball

Cost: $1.6 million

Details…

- The old scoreboards at these three venues were replaced this winter/spring with state of the art video and sound boards that have high definition video screens and improved information capabilities.

New Lacrosse Office

Location: Woody Hayes Athletic Center

Sport: Men’s Lacrosse

Cost: $162,000

Details…

- The men’s lacrosse coaches moved into renovated space near the Biggs Lobby at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

New Soccer Locker Rooms

Location: Woody Hayes Athletic Center

Sport: Men’s Soccer

Cost: $80,000

Details…

- On the heels of the women’s soccer locker room being renovated a couple years ago, the men’s soccer team has a new locker room with upgrades that include HD televisions, lockers and expanded video capabilities.

Details on Some Additional Projects…

- A new backstop safety net was installed at Bill Davis Stadium prior to the season;

- Both the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium track and the courts at the Varsity Tennis Center have received new surfaces;

- The lights in the indoor facility at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center are currently being replaced;

- New flooring will be installed in the weight rooms at the Biggs Facility and French Field House this summer;

- The men’s volleyball team will have its locker room space in St. John Arena renovated this summer;

- An important project in the planning stages, and estimated to cost about $4.5 million, is a new pump-house and irrigation system at the OSU Golf Course;

- Ventilation work and exterior painting at the Steelwood Facility, the practice facility for gymnastics, wrestling and fencing, will begin in May; and

- A new irrigation system for the field hockey field is in the planning stage.

###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Dan Wallenberg, Jerry Emig; COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

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