On October 6, 2007, a new chapter in Marist athletics began with the dedication of Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field. The name change of the athletics field was made to honor Tim Tenney, CEO of Pepsi-Cola of the Hudson Valley, who provided the lead gift for the stadium renovation project. The Marist football, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse programs call the stadium home.
Construction on the old Leonidoff Field started in October 2006 and was completed in October of 2007. The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP was retained by the College to design, plan and oversee the improvement project. This project enhanced and developed two key areas of the facility -- the playing surface itself and spectator seating. In order to serve the five varsity programs that compete at Tenney Stadium, the need for a synthetic playing surface was obvious. With this in mind, Marist officials selected the industry leader in synthetic playing surfaces, FieldTurf.
The renovation project consisted of removing the existing grandstand and press booth along the west side of the field and constructing a new precast grandstand structure along with a modern press booth, media booths and VIP suites along the east side of the field. Additionally, an athletic training room, team and official's dressing rooms, rest-rooms, concessions and storage space were incorporated in the area located under the spectator seating. The new seating includes 1,744 chair-backs in the grandstand, with additional seating located on the West Berm, giving Tenney Stadium a capacity of 5,000.
Leonidoff Field had served as a hub of activity for the Marist College Athletic Department. With a ground breaking in 1965 and an official dedication in 1968, Leonidoff Field was named after Dr. Alex Leonidoff a local physician and avid Marist Athletics supporter. The field was able to accommodate 2,500 spectators.
The Marist College football team has been the one program that has seen the greatest amount of activity on Leonidoff. The program's humble beginnings date back to 1965 when the sport held club status until 1977. Although during the days of club football team records were set that still stand today, including the punting record held by Fox News' Bill O'Reily '71, who averaged 41.4 yards per punt.
A new milestone was ushered in when the football program moved to NCAA Division III status in 1978. The first game held at Leonidoff Field played at the Division III level was on September 24, 1978 which saw the Red Foxes narrowly lose to St. John's, 7-3.
The next leap for the football program came in 1993 when Red Fox football began play at the NCAA Division I-AA level. This new era of competition was ushered in at Leonidoff Field on a winning note. The Red Foxes defeated Pace by a score of 47-19 on September 18, 1993. Since beginning play at the Division 1-AA level, the Red Foxes enjoyed a perfect 5-0 home season in 1998 and an impressive home record of 40-22 from 1996-2000.
For many years football was the only activity on Leonidoff Field until 1981, when the inaugural season of men's soccer was played. That first season saw the Red Foxes post a 12-6-2 mark. In 2004, Leonidoff Field had one of the most successful men's soccer seasons take place on its turf. The team picked up four home victories on its way to the MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. The Red Foxes then repeated as MAAC Champions the following season.
Leonidoff Field's resume of programs continued to grow with the inception of the Marist College men's lacrosse team who played their first full Division I season in 1992. The first Marist men's lacrosse match featured on Leonidoff Field was a 18-5 loss to Boston College on March 28, 1992. Recently the 2005 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's men's lacrosse championship tournament was held on Leonidoff Field. The Red Fox men's lacrosse team would go on to win the 2005 league championship on their home field by defeating Providence College on their way to the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
With the arrival of the 1995 fall season came the addition of Leonidoff Field's fourth intercollegiate program, women's soccer. The program's first match on Leonidoff was a tough 1-0 loss to Columbia on September 9, 1995. Although the Red Foxes would come right back on September 10, 1995 to earn the program's and Leonidoff Field's first women's soccer victory by defeating Maine 2-1.
The most recent program addition to Leonidoff Field was the women's lacrosse team which began play in 1997. This team began their occupancy on Leonidoff Field with a 14-6 loss to Albany on April 2, 1997. In 2004 the Red Fox women's lacrosse achieved a 4-1 home record and in 2005 qualified for the MAAC championship tournament.
As a pivotal field in the Marist College Athletic Department, capital improvements were made to Leonidoff over the years. The beginning of the 2001 season saw the addition of Musco field lighting to allow night games to occur. An irrigation system consisting of 11 separate zones and 36 individual sprinkler heads was installed in 1990 to keep the then-Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and rye natural turf surface looking its best. The base was comprised of a blend of soils native to the region.
Leonidoff Field played host to numerous Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournaments, hosting most recently the men's lacrosse league championship in the spring of 2005. The summer of 2005 once again saw Leonidoff Field take center stage as it functioned as the competition site for 2005 Empire State Games men's lacrosse tournament.
Tenney Stadium hosted its first championship in November of 2007, the MAAC Women's Soccer Championship. The championship game was the first nationally televised game in the history of Leonidoff Field and Tenney Stadium, airing live on ESPNU.
Answering the needs of Marist College's rapid growth, a state-of-the-art, $3 million, 20,000-square foot Fitness Center was completed in the fall of 1997, during a major renovation to the James J. McCann Recreation Center for Marist Athletics.
Recognized as one of the premier fitness centers in the Northeast, the facility offers Marist athletes and students some of the most technologically advanced strength and conditioning equipment on the market.
"Marist students enjoy one of the best recreational facilities in the Northeast," Director of Athletics Tim Murray said. "Whether you are an athlete preparing for a MAAC contest, or a student pursuing the benefits of a lifelong commitment to recreational sports, the McCann Center provides the space, the equipments and the trained staff to help you achieve your goals."
In addition to an 11,000-square foot multipurpose gym featuring two mid-sized basketball courts, one full-sized basketball court, and two volleyball courts, the fitness center also provides a 9,000-square foot strength and conditioning facility.
The 4,300-square foot lower level offers Wynmore free weights featuring nine Husker Power Racks, and a pair of Olympic Lifting Platforms.
Additionally the 4,700-square foot cardiovascular loft, which overlooks both the free weights and recreational gym areas, combines 16 pieces of Trotter-Galaleo equipment with a hardwood aerobics/dance floor, as well as more than 30 cardiovascular machines, including eight treadmills, six EFX Cross Trainers, 10 bicycles and 10 stair masters. The philosophy surrounding the strength and conditioning program is based on the concept of building the total athlete. In pursuit of the strongest and best conditioned athletes, Marist has implemented a year-round training program for student athletes, which encompasses preseason, in-season and out of season training protocols.
Preseason training begins four to five months prior to intercollegiate competition, in order to be most effective. Lifting, sprinting, jumping, and plyometrics are all activities that when done properly, will build powerful muscles for the athletes, and are the key ingredients in the preseason training.
As the season, arrives and continues, it is essential that the student athletes maintain the base that they have built. Marist athletes are active in weight lifting and conditioning during the season to maintain power, speed, and strength.
Marist strength and conditioning personnel, coaches and athletes immediately evaluate the program.s effectiveness at the end of each season in order to ensure continued development of sport-specific training programs from year to year.
"Marist is committed to providing our student athletes opportunities of the highest caliber," Murray said. "This complex assists our student-athletes in achieving and maintaining a level of fitness necessary to be competitive at the highest level."
The expanded fitness center is just one of the many facilities available to student athletes and the student body at-large in the James J. McCann Recreation Center.
The McCann Center Natatorium includes a six-lane 25-yard pool, as well as a regulation diving well. The facility is home to Marist's championship men's and women's swimming and diving teams and the women's water polo program, the newest addition to Marist's roster of 23 intercollegiate sports for men and women.
The McCann Center is also home to Marist's men's and women's basketball squads and its volleyball team, while the Marist baseball squad, a five-time NCAA Tournament participant, plays on the adjacent McCann Baseball Field.
Facilities for the Marist softball program and men's and women's crew teams have been joined on the North End of campus by the first-ever on-campus tennis center. The Marist men's and women's varsity programs began play at the Marist Tennis Pavilion in the 2006-07 season. The facility will also serve as an added resource for the 4,000 undergraduates at Marist.
Arguably one of the loudest basketball facilities in the MAAC, the James J. McCann Center Field House provides a true home court advantage to Red Fox teams whenever they take to the hardwood. Built in 1977, the Field House is called home by the men's and women's basketball and volleyball programs. Additionally, the Field Houses' versatility makes it a highly used practice venue by many of Marist's varsity teams.
The Field House's namesake James J. McCann (1880-1969), a Poughkeepsie native, was a strong Marist Athletics supporter and avid sportsman. Generous support from his charitable trust made possible the construction of the Field House.
A 160-meter Mondo surfaced track surrounds the Field House while oak tounge-in-grouve 25-foot high walls, adorned with over 60 Marist league championship and NCAA banners and five MAAC Commissioner's Cup Champion banners, provide shape to the space. The basketball and volleyball playing surface, a maple tounge-in-grouve floor, provides the playing surface and an interesting bit of Marist history. A maple floor was originally donated by former NBA All-Star Rik Smits ('87) for use by his alma mater. Tragedy would soon strike that floor when a ball would errantly strike a sprinkler-head located above the court, thus warping and ruining the surface. This potentially disastrous accident saw Smits step up to the plate and re-donate a second basketball/volleyball court only 2 years later.
Marist men's basketball has enjoyed much success within the Field House. In 2003, the McCann Field House was selected to host a pre-season NIT game as the Red Foxes took to the court against Hofstra University.
The women's basketball program has likewise seen their share of home court triumphs since their inaugural 1981-82 season. Since that contest, the women's team has become a tough home court opponent. Over the past five seasons (2002-03 to 2006-07) Marist women's basketball has compiled a 53-12 home record.
In 1998 eighteen Musco 1500-watt metal halide light fixtures were installed to supplement the existing lighting to make televising home games possible. Another capital improvement likewise occurred in 1998 when two new Daktronics scoreboards, a player statistics display board, electronic message center and three-sided shot clocks were installed. The most recent improvement to the Field House occurred during the 2005-06 season with the installation of a new public address and sound system.
The Field House includes individual men's and women's basketball locker rooms along with an athletic training taping room and treatment facility located directly off the court.
A media room, which also features post-game press conferences, is located nearby and provides working space for media representatives. Additionally, along media row, an in-house wireless stat transmission system exists to provide live stats to media members and aid in the broadcasts and media coverage of games.
A ticket window is located directly in the entry-way of the facility for ticket point-of-sale and will call functions.
The Red Foxes Den is likewise situated within the Field House. This space, utilized by the athletic department's booster club, provides a place for individuals to meet and socialize with each other and athletic department coaches before, during and after home basketball games. Located on the second level of the Field House, with large windows overlooking the court, it provides a prime location to take in a Red Fox basketball game or volleyball match.
The McCann Field House also serves as a pivotal facility for College and special events. Hosting functions ranging from commencement activities to large-scale theatrical and concert productions is a frequent role for this venue. Concerts featuring artists such as Jewel, Michelle Branch, Cherry Poppin Daddies, Rusted Root, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Third Eye Blind, and Train have all played the McCann Field House.
It is safe to say the Marist College Department of Athletics would not be enjoying the numerous amenities and features of the James J. McCann Recreation Center and Strength and Conditioning Center without the generosity of the Gartland family. As a Marist Trustee, Jack Gartland has taken the lead in expanding the Athletic and Fitness opportunities for all Marist students. The construction of the James J. McCann Recreation Center under his leadership signaled the start of an ambitious commitment to high-quality athletics and recreational facilities at Marist. In 1997, to answer a dramatic increase in the size of the student body and in student interest in sports and fitness, Jack Gartland championed the renovation and major expansion of the McCann Center. This magnificent addition ushers in a new era in athletics and student recreation at Marist.
The McCann Center underwent a 20,000 square foot expansion in 1997 as a cost of $3 million to provide the College community and student-athletes access to a top-flight training and conditioning facility. This development saw the addition of an 11,000 square foot Mondo-surfaced auxiliary gymnasium, used heavily by intramurals and club sports, locker rooms, offices, a student lounge and a 9,000 square foot Strength and Conditioning Center.
The Strength and Conditioning Center, which encompasses two floors and is able to comfortably accommodate over 100 students simultaneously, provides cutting edge equipment to assist with the physical training and development of all Marist students. The Center has a over 40 pieces of Wynmore free weight equipment on the first floor complimented by Ivanko dumbbells and Olympic lifting platforms.
The second level of the Center is truly a multi-purpose space that has just recently received a major face-lift. In June of 2006 the delivery of 38 new pieces of Precor cardio equipment arrived all outfitted with the latest Cardio Theatre technology. Each treadmill, elliptical, bike, arc trainer and stepper are equipped with an individual 12" television monitor. Each unit is connected to the 84 station campus cable network and is equipped with an integrated headphones jack that allows the user to plug into the TV's audio. This technological advancement is common among health clubs that depend on membership for revenue, but rare among college campuses. Marist College is the first institution in the Northeast to install this style of integrated Precor Cardio Theatre.
The Cardio Theatre equipped cardiovascular training equipment overlooks the first floor of the Center and surrounds the 21 Cybex selecterize circuit weight-resistance machines. Marist Director of Athletics Tim Murray in remarking on the Strength and Conditioning Center notes, "Marist is committed to providing our students, varsity and recreational, opportunities of the highest caliber. This complex assists our students in achieving and maintaining a level of fitness regardless of whether they are a varsity athlete or a recreational athlete."
Throughout the Center Mondo All-Sport Impact flooring is utilized creating a safe and highly durable surface. Additionally, a 900 square foot aerobics hardwood floor is located on the second level of the Strength and Conditioning Center for use by all students and athletes.
The natatorium is home to the most dominant force in swimming and diving in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The 265,000-gallon facility, ranging in depth from 4 feet to 13 feet provides six 25-yard lanes and an independent diving well. The well contains two 1-meter Duraflex diving boards and one 3-meter Duraflex diving board.
Separating the diving well from the lap pool is a seven-foot wide Whitten movable bulkhead. The bulkhead was installed in 2001, the same year the aquatic facility was re-coated with a Marcite surface. Mezzanine level spectator seating provides room for up to 325 fans while deck level seating can accommodate up to 320 individuals.
The 5,400 square foot deck contains a training trampoline for divers along with ample space for numerous conditioning opportunities for the men's and women's swimming and diving teams. An additional convenience are the easily accessible men's and women's team locker rooms located directly off the deck.
A Colorado timing system is used to record all the swimming and diving outcomes of a program that dominates the MAAC.
The McCann Natatorium, one of the premier aquatic facilities in the MAAC, houses a dynasty of a men's and women's swimming and diving program. Adoring the north and west walls of the McCann Natatorium hang 20 championship banners recognizing the swimming and diving team's championship seasons. Marist stakes claim to more swimming and diving league championships than any other MAAC school and is the most decorated varsity program with the Marist Athletic Department.
Since joining the MAAC in 1996, the men's program has won the league title nine times and have enjoyed three undefeated seasons (1988-89, 1994-95 and 2000-01). Over the last 10 years, the men have complied a 60-0 home and away MAAC dual meet record.
The women's program likewise enjoys much success at the McCann Natatorium. With their latest MAAC championship in the 2004-05 season, the women's team has won seven league titles.
In 2000 the Natatorium had another program added to its resume by becoming the home to the women's water polo team. This program played its first home match versus Iona College in March of 2000. The movable bulkhead and pool depth make the natatorium an optimal site for water polo competition. An additional water polo amenity was the installation of a new Colorado water-polo specific timing and scoring system in 2005. Several MAAC women's water polo championship tournaments have been held at the McCann Center.
The Natatorium is available for use by all Marist College students, faculty, staff and McCann Center members during open swim hours.
Formerly the site of a an amusement park, the Gartland Athletic Field, also known as North Field, now serves as a core practice facility for both Marist intercollegiate and club teams. While providing striking views of the Hudson River and surrounding wooded bluffs, the Gartland Athletic Field encompasses almost 10 acres of turf composed of a Kentucky bluegrass, rye and fescue mix is situated on a sand and organic material base. An irrigation system installed in 1990 provides 85 heads to irrigate and help maintain this practice locale.
The Gartland Athletic Field is large enough to accommodate three team practices simultaneously and sees a diverse amount of activity take place upon its surface. Events ranging from soccer and lacrosse practices to college special events and graduation week activities all occur on this multi-use field. The field is also occasionally used as a helicopter landing area for VIP guest arrivals on-campus.
Without question the athletic facilities with the greatest amount of history in the Marist College Athletic Department are the boathouses located on campus, which sit on the banks of the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York. Currently, two houses exist. The first is the original boathouse once occupied by Cornell University's crews during their annual training and racing at the IRA National Championship Regatta, which was held from the late nineteenth century until 1949 in Poughkeepsie. The second boathouse currently holds the Marist men's and women's rowing programs. This boathouse stands where the University of California and University of Washington boathouses once stood, adjacent to the Cornell boathouse.
The Hudson River provides the Marist College men's and women's crews unlimited miles of rowable water situated in the shadows of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge and Mid-Hudson Bridge. Immediately downstream from Marist are the Vassar College rowing facilities as well as the Hudson River Rowing Association's newly constructed community boathouse. Thirty miles to the south of Marist, on the opposite shore, is the United States Military Academy. This close proximity between Marist and Army has created a rich rowing rivalry displayed annually at the President's Cup Regatta, which has been raced for over four decades.
The Marist's men's and women's crews have established themselves as the dominant rowing force in the MAAC conference, owning more league crowns than any other MAAC school. The women have won 4 MAAC Championships since 2001 with three coming consecutively from 2001 to 2003. The men have won a total of eight league championships, the last four being won consecutively.
The Marist boathouse provides numerous amenities to the men's and women's crews, not the least of which is it's on campus location, a rarity in collegiate rowing. Two boat bays exist, which contain a fleet of 16 top-of-the-line Vespoli shells. Additionally, on the second floor are 30 Concept II ergs, free weights, a video viewing lounge and a coaching office. Most recently, a State of New York Riverfront beautification and development project was begun, which will further benefit the Marist College program. This State project, funded in part by Marist College, features a new bulkhead and dock system, scenic river walks, renovated green space, a gazebo and new landscaping.
Built in 1991, the McCann Baseball Field has served as the home to Marist baseball since its dedication at the onset of the 1992 season.
The ballpark features seating behind the backstop and along the third base line that can accommodate over 350 fans. This pitcher-friendly facility has a dead center field measurement of 414 feet, the deepest distance of any MAAC field, while the power alleys check in at 377 feet. The left and right field foul lines are un-symmetrical measuring 337 feet and 330 feet respectively. The outfield fence begins at 9 feet at left field and drops to 7 feet in right field.
The natural turf field, irrigated by 53 sprinkler heads, is composed of a bluegrass, rye and fescue mix and is rooted in a sand base. This sand base, along with the installed drain tile, provides superior drainage thus allowing very few Red Fox games to become rain-outs. The field being situated directly next to the James J. McCann Center provides close proximity from the field to the home and visiting team locker rooms. The athletic training room and three indoor batting cages are likewise located just steps outside the field's gate inside the McCann Center. While an additional outdoor batting cage is located just beyond center field.
The baseball team's numerous MAAC regular-season and conference tournament championships along with their multiple NCAA regional tournament appearances are celebrated with outfield fence signs adorning left and right fields. The Red Foxes have tallied a total of four MAAC league championships and have five NCAA Regional Tournament appearances since 1997.
Over the course of the McCann Baseball field's existence seven former Red Foxes have gone onto play baseball professionally after finishing their collegiate career.
The East Campus Tennis Pavilion features 8 regulation sized courts, a center walk-way and a pergola-covered spectator area.
With project design and architectural planning provided by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, a primary focus of this project was the playing surface itself. To provide the Marist tennis programs with a world-class surface, there was only one choice, Deco II. The surface will be applied as a liquid, then dries to form the playing surface. Marist will join the ranks of the United State Military Academy and the United States Tennis Center in Queens, New York, host site of the U.S. Open, as the only tennis venues in the area that can boast a Deco II surface.
Another feature that makes the Marist College Tennis Pavilion one of the finest facilities in the MAAC will be the state-of-the-art lighting system. The industry leader in sports lighting, Musco Incorporated, provides the lighting scheme for the Pavilion. Musco's latest lighting technology, Light Structure Green, will be the system used to light the facility. This particular lighting technology features 50% less offsite light spill and glare than Musco's prior technology and an energy savings of more than 50% over a standard lighting system.
Perhaps the only aspect of the Tennis Pavilion more impressive that its physical components are the men's and women's teams that will call this venue home. The Marist College men's and women's tennis programs have enjoyed much success over the past few seasons of play. Since the 2001 season, the women's squad has compiled a 52-18 overall mark and added a 2005 MAAC regular season league championship to their list of accolades. The men's team has similarly amassed an impressive 66-19 record since the 2001 season while putting together a four year run of MAAC Championships from 2000 to 2003. In each of those seasons the men's team likewise made an appearance in the NCAA tournament. With highly successful men's and women's tennis programs, the Red Foxes will look to continue their winning ways at their new home.
A picturesque and breathtaking view of the Hudson River provides the dramatic backdrop for the Softball Park at Gartland Athletic Field. This jewel of an athletic venue is nestled away on the north end of the Marist College campus as part of the Gartland Athletic Field and has served as the home to Marist softball since the program's inception in 1992.
The sand-based bluegrass, rye and fescue mix natural grass field is completely irrigated and surrounded by numerous amenities. A batting cage is located outside the right field foul territory for pre-game warm-up and daily practice sessions. Semi-portable seating along the first and third base lines provides seating for over 160 fans. A 50-foot high plateau located behind the field allows additional seating for fans to take in a game while providing all with terrific vistas of the Hudson riverfront and surrounding bluffs. The Softball Park at Gartland Athletic Field truly has one of the most dramatic and striking backdrops of any softball facility in the country.
New fencing was added to the softball park in 2002 giving the facility traditional field dimensions of 190 down each line and 210 to dead center field. A warning track composed of crushed brick along with individual home and away bullpens likewise serve to add to the facility's list of comforts.
The Softball Park was chosen as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's championship tournament site in 2001 and 2004. Additionally, in 2005 the Empire State Games utilized the Softball Park as their competition venue.
Most recently, a new Daktronics scoreboard located beyond right-field was added.
