SYRACUSE – During the past year the athletic facilities at Wawasee High School have undergone quite an overhaul in appearance and that process is finally nearing its completion. Anyone who has driven through the parking lot north of the school since last summer has seen the battle scars of an ongoing war against time. Maybe that is dramatizing things too much, but the results have been a long time coming. Damaging storms and other factors delayed completion of the outdoor facilities last fall but things are finally taking shape at 1 Warrior Path.

The new gate and concession stand at Warrior Field is completed and will be ready for Wawasee football’s home opener in August. The brick campaign that went along with the new entrance project allowed alumni and fans to put purchase a brick for the “Warrior Way Walkway” which will welcome fans once inside the new entrance.

The athletic department received a good response to the campaign, but the time frame for purchasing was small and not everyone had a chance to place an order. Due to that the department will be offering a final wave of the campaign for those who did not get a chance to purchase a brick last year. Those interested in ordering can contact the athletic department for more information.

While the finishing touches are added at the football field, fans can get excited for the new appearance across the parking lot at the fútbol field. It has been no secret Wawasee’s soccer facilities have paled in comparison to its Northern Lakes Conference counterparts. It was a day of celebration when brick dugouts were built for the teams to use on the sideline. Now, the Warriors can have a lot more pride when taking the field as a new gate and concession stand have been added. The new entry for soccer gives the feel of an actual soccer facility instead of just a grassy lot behind fences.

The old concession stand was put on risers and will now serve as a PA box to announce lineups and game updates. The experience for players will certainly be better but it will also be better for fans as well as new bleachers were brought in for the field. The new bleachers sit higher, allowing fans a better vantage point for the game. The new gate and concession stand will also double in use with the tennis courts.

New ticket booths were placed at the varsity and junior varsity baseball fields as well as the softball field. The softball diamond also got an upgrade with new bleachers, providing more seating for one of the school’s most successful programs. All of these changes finally put Wawasee at par or ahead of its NLC counterparts with its facilities and that is something to be proud of if you are a Warrior.

“I think it’s important that we made these upgrades,” stated Wawasee athletic director Steve Wiktorowski. “We definitely have some of the best facilities in the NLC now. Better facilities create more enthusiasm and interest in your programs.”

“Our new bleachers at the soccer and softball fields are handicap accessible and will give fans a better experience at both fields,” Wiktorowski continued. “The new gate and concessions at soccer will also be used for tennis, we’ll be one of the few schools that will have a concession stand for tennis matches. There are new rest rooms there as well. Those additions really improve the experience of going to a contest for either sport now.”

Wawasee also did a big makeover for its spectator gymnasium last year. New paint and air conditioning helped make watching a game, or graduation, in the Hardwood Tee Pee a very nice experience. The spectator gym recently got a little more Wawasee spirit with a mural from local artist Dave Butler. New banners will be added to the gym as well.

The annex gym and training room are the newest parts of the Wawasee athletic family to get much needed attention. Last season a new mural was put up in the annex gym along with some fresh paint. This time around the annex will receive another mural, this time boasting the gymnastics program, as well as new floors and scoreboards.