Lake Forest College Sports Information
June 18, 2004
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Major Renovations to Lake Forest College’s Farwell Field Under Way
Construction has begun on new bleachers; new press box and playing surface to follow
  

Construction of Farwell Field's new
bleachers is nearly complete.
LAKE FOREST, IL - Farwell Field, home to the Lake Forest College football team since 1903, is receiving a major facelift this summer. Construction on new bleachers is already under way and both a new press box and artificial playing surface will also be added to the facility in the coming months. The site will now host Forester soccer games as well, beginning this fall.

The new bleachers will hold more than 1,000 fans. While the old bleachers started at ground level, fans in the first of 15 rows in the new seating area will sit five feet off the ground. The Dant Clayton Corporation is handling construction of the both the bleachers and press box, which will more than triple in size and be much easier to both access and utilize than the previous version.

As for the playing field, the College has hired Sportexe® to install its artificial grass surface called Momentum™. The same surface can be found at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens. Major colleges like the University of Maryland (Shipley Field) and the University of California, Berkely (Memorial Stadium), have also chosen the Momentum™ surface. The synthetic turf has proven to be both faster and safer than real grass and is known for its durability.

“I’m very excited about all the improvements we’re making to Farwell Field,” begins Lake Forest College Athletic Director Jackie Slaats. “A lot of research and planning was done to ensure that each enhancement to the facility would be in the best interest of the players, fans, and our surrounding community. I think all those in attendance at football and soccer games this fall will share my enthusiasm for the project.”