SpecTACular surroundings
Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2005
Editor’s Note: The Daily Record is counting down the top 10 Benton County sports stories of 2005.
BENTONVILLE — Bentonville athletes got their first taste of the future in June. In the coming months, almost all of the Tiger teams will have a place to call home.
The 13-million dollar, 76-acre Tiger Athletic Complex, which is highlighted by the state-of-the art football stadium and 80,000-square-foot multipurpose facility, is nearly complete.
The multipurpose facility opened its doors in June for the Tiger Elite Strength and Conditioning Program, where athletes from BHS were able to take advantage of the new 80-by-60-yard indoor artificial field and the 3,680-squarefoot weight room. The multipurpose facility also has locker rooms for the football teams, the spring sports and coaches. Coaches’ offices, administration offices, meeting rooms and the athletic trainer’s office and rehabilitation area also are located in that building. "I don’t believe it," senior football player Jamie Harrington said during the summer workouts. "Nobody else is probably doing this. We’re the only people in the state that has this type of facilities. Being able to come in here and work out and everything, it’s great."
The new stadium made it’s public debut on Aug. 19 at Tiger Pride Night. From it’s 70-foot high pressbox to its 6,000-person capacity, from its stateof-the-art scoreboard to its ProGreen synthetic turf, Tiger Stadium is first class.
The football team, which went 2-4 in its first season at the new stadium, had big crowds for most of its games. Fans and opposing teams were impressed with the new facility.
The new facility replaced the 40-year-old Tiger Stadium, where BHS built a 101-104-2 record in 41 seasons.
The finishing touches are currently being put on the other parts of the TAC. "It’s going to be a special place," baseball coach Todd Abbott told The Daily Record in September. "And not just for baseball, but because you have that whole row for the athletics complex. We’re going to have these nice new fields, something all the kids can be proud of."
The baseball and softball fields — located on Southeast 18 th Street west of Tiger Stadium — will share an entry plaza, parking lot, concession stand and restrooms. Each field has a scoreboard from Rainey Electronics, a sound system and a press box and will have natural grass. Each field has a seating capacity of 250 in the bleachers plus room for fans to bring their own lawn chairs.
Both fields have sunk-in, covered dugouts which have some storage room inside.
Further down Southeast 18 th Street, at the corner of Southeast C, is the soccer and track facility.
The facility features a ninelane track and a synthetic, regulation-size soccer field. There is a seating capacity of 250, a concession stand, restrooms and a storage space for the track equipment.
The nine-lane polyurethane track will allow the Tigers and Lady Tigers to host a meet, which was impossible at the track around old Tiger Stadium. The facility also has a Rainey Electronics scoreboard and HiTech timing system for the track. It will be the first time Bentonville’s baseball, softball and soccer teams will have their own fields. Two new gyms and additional locker rooms were also added to BHS this fall, giving the basketball teams addition practice space in preparation for next year when the district’s ninth-graders will attend the high-school campus.
• • • Friday: Golden Eagles fly high
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