After breaking ground in mid-September of 2023, community and college united in thanking donors during a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Wayne State College Athletic and Recreation Complex on April 24.
From the newly updated main entrance to the Recreation Center, a transformational project that has spent the better part of five years took a giant leap in another phase.
Celebration and excitement were two words shared on the project by Director of Athletics Mike Powicki.
"We were able to get just about all of our key lead donors for the event," said Powicki. "Every single one of them felt I think pride, happiness and joy about being part of the project. That's what you want, especially when people are giving you the substantial support that we received in this project."
Over $5.5 million was raised by the Wayne State College Foundation which was more than two times raised by any other project at WSC for one of the largest projects in school history.
Along with Dr. Marysz Rames, President of Wayne State College and her staff, the athletic department including Megan Finn, Director of Athletic Development, Powicki added this highlighted the critical importance of having a positive relationship between the foundation and college.
"We knew it was going to be a heavy lift and sometimes you're going along through the fundraising process and you're never quite sure how you're going to get there," Powicki. "We had a great plan in place and again we had such generous lead donors that got us off on the right start when you're trying to raise that amount of money."
Wayne State College partnered with Wayne America, Inc. for a Business After Hours event which brought forth more positive reviews following the ribbon cutting.
President Rames, Nebraska State College System Chancellor Paul Turman as well as student-athlete Molly Romano of the volleyball/beach volleyball program all presented to the well-attended crowd along with Powicki.
Powicki mentioned the project checked all the boxes supporting the college overall along with student-athletes.
"It's really about improving the overall student-life experience and the student-wellness experience," Powicki mentioned. "In addition to supporting Wildcat athletics and keeping up with the arms race and making sure we're providing state-of-the-art facilities for our student-athletes to develop and thrive."
Additional locations were named being the Randy & Rozan Pedersen Athletic Administration Office Suite as well as the Bebee Family Atrium along with a display of the major contributors when you walk into the main entrance of the Recreation Center.
The $30-million project showcased a new addition of the Wildcat Dome and enclosed the old alley-way between the Recreation Center and Rice Auditorium along with multiple renovations inside the Rec Center creating an additional court, workout areas and weight rooms for both the general student population as well as student-athletes.
Additional funds are in the process of being raised for the next component of phase three for the Athletic and Recreation Complex project. Step one will convert the Gardner Indoor Athletic Complex from a turf surface to a practice wooden court which would be just the second joining Rice Auditorium. Step two within the phase will be a renovation of the Rice Auditorium lobby.
The 2025 Spring semester is quickly winding down as all varsity teams are clicking in high gear.
Wayne State College softball recorded 30 wins for the first time since 2015 and are in the NSIC Tournament, WSC women's golf qualified for the NCAA DII Championships for the first time in program history, Wildcat baseball sits third in the NSIC entering the final week of the regular season; outdoor track & field has continued to break school records and the beach volleyball program posted one of their best seasons in recent years which included a win against NAIA #1 Ottawa (AZ) earlier in the season and qualified for the silver division during the AVCA Small College Beach Championships for the first time.
