The new Angela Athletic Facility opened Tuesday at Saint Mary’s after more than a year and a half of construction on the building that hadn’t been previously renovated since the 1970s.
The facility is now open to students and faculty with brand new cardio and strength equipment and a larger indoor running track. Construction is still ongoing in the facility to finish work on the new cafe, two TV lounges and new locker rooms that will be finished after winter break.
Saint Mary’s athletic director Julie Schroeder-Biek said after having offices in separate buildings, she is ready to have all of the athletic staff back in one place.
“One of the things I’m so excited about is the staff being back together again,” Schroeder-Biek said. “It’s been a challenge to just stay on the same page. We have monthly meetings and we’re a tight staff, but I can’t wait until we’re back together again.”
Schroeder-Biek said she is most excited about what the new Angela facility is going to do for the larger community.
“It’s going to have something for everybody,” she said. “If you want to workout, if you want to grab coffee, if you just want to hang out, meet friends or study, it’s going to be a real hub of community.”
Sophomore soccer captain Callie Doyle said she thinks the new building and equipment will help get everyone in the door to workout.
“I think the improvements that they made to Angela with benefit everyone whether they do a sport or not,” Doyle said. “The new equipment and track will help everyone get motivated to work out even when it’s cold outside.”
Freshman soccer player Brianna Smith said she is excited that student athletes will finally have the room they need for workout classes, after spending seasons without a practical workout area.
“I’m excited about the new space in the athletic training rooms,” Smith said. “We won’t be crowded in small rooms anymore getting taped up, and there is room for new ice baths which will help athletes a lot through their season.”
After trying out the new facility, senior Gabby Moody said she was pleasantly surprised by the renovations.
“It just seems like a very clean space and it just has so much more variety and options for us to take care of our physical and mental health,” she said.
Students are looking forward to the new cafe that is going to feature new choices for on-campus dining. Sophomore Molly Murphy, also a member of the Saint Mary’s soccer team, said she and her friends will finally find it easy to get nutritious food.
“I’m really excited for the cafe,” she said. “It will be an easy and convenient way to get a healthy post workout snack that everyone would want after a hard practice or workout.”
Schroeder-Biek said she is ready for people to visit Angela and test out the brand new equipment and new spaces for athletes and the community.
“The whole potential of what we can do with the building, expanding programs, and the things that can happen in this space, and how we’re going to bring it to life — I'm just so excited thinking about what we can do,” she said.
