Facilities: Northern Arizona University recently completed a five-year project when the school revealed its new indoor track and utility surface inside the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome. The Skydome, the second-largest clear-span timber dome in the world, is a major multi-purpose facility in northern Arizona as well as the home of Northern Arizona's football, men's and women's basketball and indoor track and field programs. The Skydome project was spearheaded in 1997 under the supervision of Athletics Director Steve Holton and 22-year head track and field coach Ron Mann. Holton finalized the $900,000 deal in November 2000, and work began after the completion of the 2000-01 athletics season. The new track is made of Mondo (14-millimeter Super-X), and is a highly regarded surface for competition. It is the same surface that was used for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and the USA Track and Field Trials in Sacramento, California. "This brings the best surface available on the market to the international athlete," said Mann. "All the international athletes who might be coming to Flagstaff will be able to compete on a great surface. It's not only a great practice venue, but now it is a great place to compete." The renovation to the Skydome floor has brought 96,000-square feet of Mondo in 14, 10 and 6-millimeter sizes. The track contains a six-lane, 300-meter nonbanked loop (eight sprinting lanes) made of 14-millimeter Mondo (Super X) colored blue and gold. The infield is a green 10-millimeter surface containing enough area for six NCAA-standard basketball and volleyball courts, as well as two regulation tennis courts. When the turf is up, the facility can be used for intramural and camp sports, and has enough room for a varsity soccer practice.

-- Compiled by Gary T. Brown