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DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College dedicated its new 84,411-square-foot field house on Friday and officially named it the George M. Smart Athletic Center. Smart, a 1967 graduate of Defiance College serves on the board of trustees and is chairman of the capital campaign that has raised $4 million for the field house.
“One of the first things I heard about when I came to Defiance was the proposed field house for the college. This is a long-awaited dream, and we are now just a short time away from opening our new George M. Smart Athletic Center,” said DC President Mark C. Gordon during the dedication ceremony on Friday evening. “The construction of this facility is ultimately thanks to all who donated to the project and especially thanks to the true heroes of the project: George Smart, Dick Small, Randy Buchman and Duane Hocking.”
The new athletic center is 40 feet high at the center of the indoor peak, and includes a regulation 200 meter indoor track and a multi-purpose floor inside track that will accommodate tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. The facility will also include a student training room, weight room, locker area, offices, and the relocated fitness center which will continue to be a dual partnership with the Defiance Area YMCA.
“I believe this athletic center will be very important to the College’s future,” said Smart. “It will be a terrific facility for all students to use including athletic teams, intramural teams, and individuals.”
Smart is the chairman of the board of FirstEnergy Corporation and vice chair of the board of trustees of Defiance College as well as chairman of the College’s capital campaign, the Transforming Difference: A Campaign to Defy the Ordinary. Smart and his wife, Sandy, have been instrumental in helping the College reach the field house campaign goal.
Additionally, during Friday’s ceremony several other features of the Athletic Center were named to honor people whose careers at DC have impacted the lives of countless students. The track was named the Richard M. and Carolyn M. Small Track; the fitness center will be called the Randall L. and Marilyn A. Buchman Fitness Center; and the student training room will be called the Duane C. Hocking Training Room. These individuals have also been instrumental in raising funds for the facility and in mentoring, teaching and coaching generations of DC students.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
September 19, 2011
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