The weight room located in Edwards Gym had been moved to a basement level garage in Hamilton Williams Campus Center due to construction, but coaches say they’ve made the most of the switch.
When construction for the Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center began this summer many of the rooms and offices in Edwards were closed off, including the weight room.
“We made the best situation out of a bad situation,” said Tom Watts, the head football coach.
The weight room needed to be moved because some demolition had to occur to install new plumbing, according to Peter Schantz, the director of physical plant for Buildings and Grounds.
The garage in HWCC seemed to be the only workable location that had enough space for the majority of the equipment to be transferred over. The space was originally used for snow equipment and salt storage Schantz said.
The Mailroom and dining services still have access to the area as well. Most of the equipment is in the center of the space and along one wall. The other side of the room is separated by fencing and is a storage area for the Mailroom and Chartwell’s.
“The important thing to remember is that this is a temporary renovation until we get back into the full swing of things,” said Seth McGuffin, track and field assistant coach. “One of the things I love about Ohio Wesleyan is that we were all able to come together as a group and make sure we could move forward with this and not put anybody out.”
Both coaches said there has been no problem coordinating with different teams on when the space is available, even though it is half the size of original room in Edwards.
Because of the smaller size not all of the equipment was moved over, such as the cardio machines, said McGuffin. Instead, they often use the machines already in the Belt Fitness Center located in Welch Hall.
Watts said everything will be moved back into Edwards after the renovations are complete. The weight room had just been redone in August 2012 due to a donation by Bob and Barbara Morrill.