Morris Area Schools is in the process of several renovations to upgrade its athletic facilities, including a complete refinish of the 1991 gym where Morris Area / Hancock / Chokio-Alberta gymnastics typically practices.
“The 1991 gym is being refinished completely. That means sanding it completely down, taking off all the wax and paint off the court. We’re going to repaint with two basketball and two volleyball courts and put in standards for volleyball,” MAHS athletic director Mark Ekren said.
The floor was in dire need of TLC, Ekren said. The school has been looking at redoing the floor for the past 5 to 10 years.
“The ‘91 gym floor has not been touched since it was built in 1991, so you’re looking at 30 years of that floor,” Ekren said. “The floor was getting very slippery. It was very dangerous, not only for athletics but also Phy Ed classes in there… It’s a good feeling to know it’s done.”
The junior high basketball and volleyball teams will be moving from the 1968 gym to the 1991 gym this coming school year.
“There is more room and the safety factor, we can put the curtain down when both teams are playing at the same time. There is more room for fans in there as well,” Ekren said of the switch.
In other upgrades, Big Cat Stadium is getting new turf in July and the new softball complex is being built where the current University of Minnesota Morris softball field is. More on those upgrades when those processes begin.