SD Mines puts focus on gym floor

By Jeff Budlong,

Journal staff Monday, July 07, 2008

RAPID CITY — The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has made several updates to its athletic facilities over the past several years with the addition of a new track and field turf for the football team as well as completion of new locker rooms for both the men and women.

Now the latest project — the construction of a new floor in Goodell Gymnasium — has been completed.

“We have been trying to get it done for the last couple of years, and last fall we had the funds in place to do it,” Hardrockers athletic director Hugh Welsh said.

The new floor is a welcomed addition for any athlete who uses it as the old parquet floor was considered one of the hardest in the Dakota Athletic Conference.

“It was a very hard floor and it was rough on all sports, especially men’s basketball where you are dealing with bigger, stronger kids,” head men’s basketball coach Jason Henry said. “Over the course of the season it would kind of get to them and wear them down.”

While no major injuries were caused by the old floor it did contribute to some nagging problems.

“We didn’t have any big injuries but we would have shin splints and just the wear and tear that led to heavy legs,” Henry said.

The problem with the old court goes back to its instillation when the court was glued directly onto the floor with no sub-flooring which made it extremely hard.

The new court uses the old court as sub-flooring with the maple hardwood floor laid down on top of it using a channel lock system — where the court was put together similar to a jig-saw puzzle.

The new court also has a different look with a large “M” for Mines now painted at center court replacing the old conference logo. The “Hardrockers” painted at each end of the court were also given an updated look.

The project began in May and was given the final OK Monday.

“The state engineer and architect were here to look at it and give it their approval,” Welsh said.

The total cost of the project came in around $162,000 and was completed a couple of weeks ahead of schedule by Derksen Floors Inc. The money for the project came from the state which gives state schools funds each year for improvements.

Getting the hardwood court laid was not the end of the project because its addition raised the floor about 2½ inches meaning the baskets and bleachers had to be raised as well as doors in the gym.

Now that the project is completed, it figures to benefit many throughout the community.

“We have a couple of big basketball camps the week of July 14 so kids in the community will get a chance to be on the new floor before many of our athletes,” Welsh said.

The new floor should also benefit the school when it comes to recruiting.

“There was no doubt our old floor was the hardest floor in the league and in recruiting it was used against us,” Welsh said. “This will help in the recruiting process and it will help our existing athletes.”

Henry said while a new floor may not seem to be a big improvement to current and perspective athletes, it certainly can make a difference.

“With all the improvements it has kind of been a theme around here … and it shows our athletes that we are doing things to make it better for them,” he said. “We needed a new floor and the school stepped up.”