West Liberty University has much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. West Virginia’s oldest institution of higher learning recently broke ground on a new soccer-track complex. Named after major donor and alumnus Gary E. West and his family, the athletic complex will be the home to men’s and women’s soccer, cross country and track and field programs.
“We are so thankful to Gary West and his family for stepping up once again for our students and Hilltopper Athletics. If all goes as planned we will begin using the West Family Athletic Complex next August, in time for the start of the 2018 school year,” said Dr. Stephen Greiner, WLU president. “It is a major recreation asset for the entire student body.”
The $1 million gift from West was announced last spring at the university’s Great Gala.
McKinley and Associates are the architects and project manager for the complex, which is currently in the beginning stages of ground preparation and utilities infrastructure work.
The new athletic complex will be constructed near the Edgar Martin Tennis Complex, on the northeast side of campus. It became a more urgent need when WLU added the sport of men’s soccer this past February.
Beginning next Monday, Nov. 27, the campus gravel parking lot will be closed to allow for more work on the utilities.
Greiner described the project as consisting of four phases. The first being the construction of the athletic facility itself, which includes the field, track and parking, the second is the installation of lights, the third is the field house and the fourth is the press box.
“This is a big project that is much anticipated and we are still actively fundraising for the various components and phases of the facility. We are very grateful to Gary and his family,” said WLU Vice President Jason Koegler.
The WLU Foundation also played a significant role in the funding of the project and assisted in the financing.
A 1958 graduate of West Liberty University, West has endowed the Hilltop campus with many gifts, including the West Family Football Stadium in 2014. In 2010, WLU honored him by naming its business college the Gary E. West College of Business after he made another significant gift.
West also is a member of the Foundation Board of Directors and serves on its executive committee.
The Hilltoppers are a charter member of the NCAA Division II Mountain East Conference with nearly 400 student-athletes participating across a broad spectrum of 18 intercollegiate sports. These include men’s football, cross country, basketball, wrestling, track, tennis, baseball and golf along with women’s softball, volleyball, cross country, basketball, track, tennis, golf and soccer. For more information on WLU, please call 1.866.WESTLIB or visit westliberty.edu.
