WHS Superintendent shares stadium project update

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Gazette
Winnebago High School’s stadium has been up-graded this summer.

The Winnebago High School Stadium Project is close to completion. The scope of the track and football field replacement project had three major goals:

To reconstruct and upgrade the existing track (which was in need of repair) to provide eight lanes, thus allowing for the hosting of Sectional track meets and relocating the sprinting straightaways to be in front of the higher capacity homeside bleachers. Since the existing bleachers and press box were recently reconstructed, this resulted in the entire facility, including the existing visitors side bleachers, shifting to the east to make space for the additional track lanes.
To relocate the long jump, triple jump, and pole vault field events from the interior of the existing track to the exterior, which will allow for more space and better event flow during track meets. This relocation also allows for centering the football field within the track boundaries and provides additional sideline space, thus a safer sideline during football games.
The third major goal was to replace the existing, outdated lights with a brighter, safer, more energy-efficient lighting system by Musco lighting.

In addition to meeting these three goals, other upgrades have been provided as part of the facility reconstruction.

These upgrades include the replacement of the old fencing around the facility; construction of a walking and standing path around 1/2 of the facility to allow on-lookers a paved area to stand/walk-on during games and provided ADA access for the visitors side bleachers; installation of an irrigation/sprinkler system, replacing the old football field playing surface with a new sod surface; replacement of the football goal posts; re-grading field, drainage improvements to alleviate the ponding that routinely occurred on and around the track, and improvements on lighting and field configuration that will allow the soccer team to play on the field.

John Schwuchow, Ph.D.

Winnebago CUSD #323 Superintendent