Dirt Hills Add Extra Seating, Conditioning Facilities to Manchester
Jacob Hamilton
Manchester University broke ground recently on the construction of the new stadium and track behind the PERC. The construction crews have been digging for a few weeks now and the product of said digging has been some large dirt mounds by the football practice field. These dirt hills have been the subject of conversations among students, athletes and fans alike.
One of the major questions seems to be whether we will be keeping them around or not.
According to numerous coaching staff and student athletes, we will be holding onto them for the foreseeable future. But they won’t just be there for decoration. As it turns out, there are actually many uses for these hills.
For one, they are to be used for training exercises by some of the sports teams on campus. Head coach of the football team Nate Jensen has stated that these hills will be used by his players for conditioning and training. Head Coach Brian Cashdollar of the men and women’s track and field teams has also expressed the intention to utilize the largest mound for conditioning and hill training for his running athletes.
Athletes under these coaches have taken to calling it “Agony Hill” in light of the difficulty of the workouts to come. Hannah Wappes of the women’s cross country team claims that Cashdollar has given them a different name. “Coach Cash has taken to calling it ‘Victory Hill,” she said.
Another use for these hills is by spectators and students who just want to get a higher vantage point during a game. Many people have been spotted putting up lawn chairs and blankets and settling in atop the mound to watch athletic happenings. “It is a very nice place to set up and relax,” said Emma Ayers. “You get a good view of things from above and the hills are more than big enough to share space with other people who have had the same idea as you.”
The largest mound has also been described by some as just a good place to go and relax. According to numerous students, these hills are also used as lounging spots either during the day or even at night. For the time being, then, the hill is not only for athletic, but also recreational use. “They are a really good place to just go and sit during the day, and at night there’s not as much artificial light so you can see the stars really well from there,” said Tyler Doud. “It’s just a really nice place to be.”
These hills are a hot topic as of late, finding themselves in everyday conversation on campus. They are already being utilized in a number of ways and creative students may invent even more uses.