The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- October 11, 1999

Notes

Facilities: Central College (Iowa) dedicated a new $3.1 million fitness center recently. Dubbed the Ron Schipper Fitness Center after the school's longtime football coach, it features a 7,200-square-foot strength and conditioning area -- one of the largest in the state. Also included is a multipurpose room that will be used for aerobics and other group activities. As part of the project, the Kuyper Fieldhouse indoor track has been enlarged to 200 meters, and the training room has been doubled in size. Ron Schipper retired in 1997 after a 36-year coaching career and 36 consecutive winning seasons. His teams won a record 18 Iowa Conference titles, made 12 NCAA Division III tournament appearances and played in three championship games, winning the national title in 1974 ... Kroehler Field, a new 5,000-seat football stadium, made its debut a few weeks ago at North Central College's home opener.

Sports sponsorship: Connecticut College is adding men's and women's water polo in 2000-01 thanks to a $60,000 grant from the United States Olympic Committee. The grant from the United States Water Polo Association, the sport's governing body, will help the school cover start-up costs and operational expenses ... A football team will take the field for the first time at Rockford College next fall. School officials said the recently announced program is designed to increase enrollment and to correct the gender imbalance on the campus, which currently is 68.3 percent female and 31.7 percent male. The addition, expected to cost $350,000 its first year, will give Rockford 13 varsity programs. Officials also expect it to draw an estimated 75 new students. Rockford also plans to add at least one additional women's sports team, as yet undetermined.

Milestones: Augie Schmidt IV, Carthage College, 350 victories in baseball ... Bob Sullivan, Carleton College, 100 victories in football.