In the fall of 2022, the Monticello athletic boosters gave the go ahead to start a new project to upgrade the Dwight B. Wilkey Complex used by four different sports programs at MHS. This project proposed to install astro turf in the facilities to enhance the complex for the benefit of all programs. Boys and girls soccer, boys baseball, and girls softball all found themselves in a position of receiving brand new fields.
Last year, girls soccer got an early preview of the new turf before the other programs. Junior Alice Swanson described the turf as “easier in some areas and harder in others. The ball rolls a lot faster on turf, so you have to think about how hard you are going to kick the ball especially when it’s windy.” But, Swanson had also found that it is “a lot easier to run without worrying about rolling your ankle.”
The construction for the softball field wrapped up just before the middle school season in the fall of 2023. Compared to the old field, the high school softball team is very appreciative of the upgrade. The head coach of the softball team, Coach Klein expressed her gratitude for the field and said, “The new facility is amazing. The last field had many safety concerns ranging from the texture of the surface to the uneven ground in the outfield.”
Klein explained that the team is now able to “maximize efficiency in practice earlier in the season by practicing outside because the ground is not too wet or frozen.” Klein later emphasized that they “take pride in our new facilities knowing we have some of the best around for us, visiting fans, and other teams. We are grateful for the support and investment into the softball program.”
The high school baseball team shared very similar thoughts about the new field as the other programs. Junior Russ Brown said that he loves it because you know “you’re not getting any bad hops that we did on the last field,” and Brown thinks turf also affects their game play.
Since the turf is new, Brown said it “slows down the ball compared to older turf fields. The ball will [also] come off quick, so yeah I do think it impacts the game. They [also] moved the fence in a few feet, but it does make a difference.”
Ashley Stiverson, Staff Writer
stias26@sages.us
Leave a Reply