Whitman dedicates new athletic field

Against a backdrop of two soccer games, Whitman College dedicated its new athletic fields on September 22. The fields are located north of the campus near Borleske Stadium.

The new fields are a boon to Whitman’s overall athletic program, said athletic director Travis Feezell, providing playing space not only for soccer teams but also for club sports like lacrosse, rugby, and ultimate frisbee. “A very large percentage of our students are involved in these athletic programs, and the new fields benefit them all,” Feezell said.

The varsity soccer field, complemented by its adjacent practice fields, “gives us the best soccer complex in our conference,” said women’s soccer coach Scott Shields, ’91. “It is comparable, in fact, to what a lot of the NCAA Division I schools have. Student-athletes who take soccer seriously will want to practice and play on these fields.”

Whitman purchased the 17-acre site from the city of Walla Walla a year and a half ago. Improvements in recent months have included underground drainage, irrigation, and fertilization systems, relocated light poles for the varsity soccer field, parking space, and restroom and storage facilities.