New Division III Athletics Facility Takes Shape
Construction is underway on the donor-funded Appleton Arena George W. Karpus ’68 Athletic Center with plans to open in September 2024. The project will be completed as phase two of the Appleton Arena project, and $11.3 million in gifts and pledges have been raised so far.
The Karpus Athletic Center includes an expansion of the Michael “Buddy” Cornacchia ’74 Strength and Conditioning Center for all student-athletes, as well as new locker rooms and team facilities for the field hockey and softball teams, and the men’s and women’s lacrosse and rowing teams. An athletic training and treatment center for Division III student-athletes, a dedicated strategy room for coaches, a player’s lounge, and a video/media room are also part of the project.
When the new Division III complex is complete, it will also positively impact the entire campus community. The University will revamp the current strength and conditioning space utilized by Division III student-athletes in the Stafford Fitness Center in Newell Fieldhouse, allowing open access to a larger fitness area for all students, faculty, and staff.
A $2 million gift from Tom Dolan ’74 and the Dolan Family Foundation, an additional $1 million gift from Karpus, as well as a pair of anonymous Laurentian donors, each making $500,000 gifts, have enabled the project to move forward. These donors built upon a $5 million lead gift from George W. Karpus ’68, announced in 2020, to support the second phase of the Appleton Arena renovation and expansion project.
“I am grateful to Tom Dolan, George Karpus, and our anonymous donors for their vision and leadership in helping to make this project a reality. Their combined philanthropy will impact thousands of Saints athletes for generations to come.”
— President Kathryn A. Morris
The University recently received additional gifts to name the following key spaces:
McGinn Video and Media Room
Mark ’77 and Martha Reichert McGinn ’80 once again showed their unwavering support for the evolution of the St. Lawrence experience. Their $150,000 gift will allow for the construction of a multi-purpose video and media room, providing student-athletes and coaches with a dedicated space to review game videos, to hold pre- and post-game meetings, and to engage with University and league officials as well as the media.
Dotty & John Hall Coaches Strategy Room
This named space honors a beloved Laurentian couple, Professor Emerita of Sport and Leisure Studies Dorothy “Dotty” Hall P’96 and her husband, Professor Emeritus of Education John Hall P’96. Dotty was a Hall-of-Fame coach of women’s field hockey and lacrosse and made innumerable contributions to women’s athletics on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.
Alumni, parents, friends, and family showed their appreciation and love for the Halls, both of whom passed away this year, by contributing to a $100,000 gift to name a state-of-the-art coaches strategy room in their honor. The fundraising campaign was led by Chris Petritz MacInnes ’69 and Jim MacInnes and Carey Scully Strobeck ’96 and Matt Strobeck ’96, who matched funds dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000.
Haehl Family Athletic Training and Treatment Center & Riesenberger Family Players Lounge
With the additional $1 million commitment from George ’68 and Kathy Karpus announced in December 2022, both the Haehl Family Athletic Training and Treatment Center and the Riesenberger Family Players Lounge will be named in honor of George and Kathy’s family members. The Haehl Family Athletic Training and Treatment Center, named in honor of Don and Debbie Haehl P’17, ’24, Lexie Haehl ’17 and Alana Haehl ’24, will help student-athletes recuperate and perform at peak levels. The Riesenberger Family Players Lounge, named in honor of Rodd and Joan Riesenberger P’24, ’26, Austin Riesenberger ’24 and Adeliene Riesenberger ’26, will offer a quiet space where our Division III student-athletes can study, eat, and talk with a coach or teammate.
There are still team and athletic room naming opportunities available for new donors. While the donor-funded project has the commitments necessary to move forward, additional support is still being secured and coordinated by University Advancement and Andy Whittier ’91, Principal Gifts Officer/Director of Athletic Development, who serves as the project liaison. For more information on naming opportunities and supporting the project, please contact Andy at awhittier@stlawu.edu or 315-229-5511.
