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SALT LAKE CITY — In an effort to stay as one of the nation’s elite collegiate teams, Utah gymnastics has initiated a fundraising campaign to expand and upgrade its training facility, the team announced Tuesday.
“When the Dumke Gymnastics Center opened back in 1999, it was a state-of-the-art facility that helped our program break barriers in women’s sports,” Utah co-head coach Megan Marsden said in a statement. “But the world has caught up and we need help in bringing our facility in line with the other top programs in the country.”
In the nearly two decades since the Dumke Gymnastics Center was built, the program’s gymnasts have outgrown the facility, which was once considered the “finest college training facility in the country.”
The plans, which will help attract world-class student-athletes to Utah according to the release, include a partial second-story addition to house an expanded team locker room, lounge and balcony, as well as locker rooms for the coaches and improvements to the athletic training and rehabilitation area.
“The improvements we need to make aren’t extravagant — they are essential,” Utah co-head coach Tom Farden, who also heads Utah’s recruiting efforts, said.
Marsden and Farden are spearheading the fundraising efforts with help from a committee of longtime season ticket holders. Their goal is to raise $3 million with construction beginning in 2020.
“People in our community are passionate about Utah gymnastics, and we hope to tap into that passion,” Marsden said, referring to the program’s dedicated fans who have led Utah gymnastics to seven all-women’s sports attendance titles and 33 gymnastics attendance crowns.
Fans can donate directly to the project when renewing their season tickets. For fans who choose to give larger sums, the team is offering several name recognition opportunities associated with the expansion — such as donor names etched on the exterior pillars and donor names featured on a Perfect 10.0 wall on the building’s exterior.
“Our huge crowds help us not only in recruiting, but in the great experience our gymnasts have throughout their careers. We hope our fans will go the next step and help us expand the Dumke Center,” she added.
Interested members of the public seeking more information will have three opportunities to meet with the coaches and fundraising committee — Tuesday, March 13 from 4-5:30 p.m. MDT in the Dumke Gymnastics Center; Friday, March 16 from 9:30-9:45 p.m. MDT in the Huntsman Center; and Monday, April 2 from 3-4:30 p.m. MDT in the Dumke Gymnastics Center.
“The Dumke Center expansion will help ensure our legacy of success continues into the future,” Farden said. “(The improvements) are the core to our mission of attracting world-class student-athletes to our program and providing them the best experience possible.”
