April 22, 2003

Board of Regents awards contract for restoration of track at Hughes Stadium

By the beginning of the next academic year, Missouri Southern State College could have one of the premier facilities in the region for football and track & field.

The Missouri Southern Board of Regents on Monday awarded a contract to Beynon Sports Surfaces for the restoration of the track surface at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. The track project will be done in conjunction with a restoration of the football playing surface at the facility.

"A lot of credit goes to a lot of people," athletics director Sallie Beard said at a news conference on Tuesday. "Bruce Anderson and Keith Adams (co-chairmen of the Lion Pride Restoration Project) have been instrumental and the community has really rallied behind this effort."

The complete football field and track project will cost slightly more than $820,000. The Lion Pride Restoration Project has raised approximately $875,000 in pledges.

The Board of Regents voted unanimously on Monday to award the contract to Beynon for the track project. The Beynon bid of $371,900 was the second-lowest received, but several factors weighed into the decision to not accept the lowest bid. Included among the factors is a 10-year warranty that includes restriping and repair to high-stress areas. Beynon was the lone company of the six bidders to offer a 10-year warranty.

Another factor that led to the decision to chose Beynon, was their familiarity with Sprinturf, the company that has been contracted to replace the artificial football playing surface at the stadium. Officials feel the experience between the two groups, which have worked together in the past, should lead to a more coordinated effort. Sprinturf was awarded the football surface contract on March 28.

College officials also know Beynon and its work. The indoor track at Missouri Southern's Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is a Beynon product and has yielded very satisfactory results, said Dr. Julio S. Leon, College president.

Beynon met the specifications for a full-pore track surface, similar to ones the company installed at the University of North Carolina, the University of Tulsa, and James Madison University. The installation will begin with the removal of the existing track surface, milling asphalt and cleaning the surface. After new asphalt is in place, the new track surface will go on, and, finally, new paint and event markings will be added. Installation time is 60-90 days.

"We really feel that when this is completed, we'll have the premium track & field facility in the area," said Tom Rutledge, MSSC's head men's track & field and cross country coach. "We'll be up to standard to host NCAA-caliber meets."

Southern had three outdoor track meets scheduled for this spring, but altered the schedule to clear the way for construction to begin on the track and football projects. One meet, the Bill Williams Invitational was moved to April 26 in Pittsburg, Kan. Another home meet for MSSC, the May 8 Lionbacker Twilight Open, was cancelled. Patty Vavra, Missouri Southern's head women's track & field and cross country coach, said the renovation wouldn't prompt Southern to add any more outdoor meets to its three annual ones.

Crews for the restoration project are expected to begin work in Joplin on April 28. Both the track and football field projects are expected to be completed before the 2003 fall sports seasons open.