A New Home for Bulldog Wrestling
May 06, 2010 | Wrestling
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb University administration in, conjunction with the athletics department and the wrestling team, are excited to announce a new home for Bulldog Wrestling.
The former YMCA gym on Branch Street, just across the street from
the main campus, will soon be the home of the Gardner-Webb
Wrestling program. The team has been using the facility off and on
over the past few years, and as a result of collaboration with the
town of Boiling Springs, the University has negotiated a deal which
will allow the team to move into the facility on a permanent
basis.
"To merely say we are excited would be a rather large
understatement. When renovations are complete, we will have,
perhaps nicest collegiate facility in the Carolinas," commented
head coach Dick Wince. "This takes our possibilities to a whole
other level. The facility will raise our practice efficiency,
hygiene, and recruiting exponentially, as well as greatly enhance
our recruiting."
While the building will need some renovations, when completed it
will be one of the largest, most up-to-date wrestling facilities
around. The facility will feature over 4,600 square feet of
wrestling area, a 36 to 42 men locker room, a full shower and
bathroom area, a washer and a dryer, an area of over 350 square
feet to facilitate exercise and weight equipment, as well as three
offices for the coaching staff.
With over 2.5 full mats of practice space, the wrestling area will
be one of the largest in the state. Current practice and wrestling
room conditions will be upgraded from a one-mat room and two
showers to a state of the art facility.
Our wrestling program is thrilled to make this move, and happy to
have the backing and support from Gardner-Webb University. Not
only will this new facility help with training conditions, it will
also increase the overall experience of all Gardner-Webb wrestlers
as they grow and spend their time on campus.
"This is a very exciting time for our program. I truly feel that
this move is going to help the Gardner-Webb wrestling program reach
its goals and vision for the future," stated Assistant Coach and
former GWU grappler standout Daniel Elliott. "This facility is
going to help in many areas for our program. I have no doubt that
this will help with recruiting as well as the general atmosphere on
the team. Probably the most important aspect of the move, will be
the mat space that we will have available. I have been associated
with the Bulldog wrestling program since our move to Division I,
whether as an athlete or as a coach, and this move may be the
biggest news for the program since the move to Division I. I am
excited about what the future holds for the Gardner-Webb wrestling
program."
"We are extremely grateful to the Town of Boiling Springs, the town
council, and the university, for their foresight and generosity in
helping the GWU wrestling program go to the next level," said
Wince.
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