Fitness Center Redesign is a Huge Hit
With the addition of two new athletic programs earlier this year, Chestnut Hill College saw the need to increase the offerings in the Jack and Rosemary Murphy Gulati Complex Fitness and Recreation Center to better suit the needs of its athletes and the entire campus population.
Returning from their summer vacation, students found the new and improved fitness center, complete with new strength training equipment including squad racks and the addition of more rowing machines, as well as an entire redesign, moving all of the cardio equipment to the mezzanine.
According to Lynn Tubman, director of athletics, the redesign was prompted after the College evaluated how the campus community used the fitness center.
“We realized that we were growing and that the center needed to meet the expanding needs of the population,” she says.
Tubman adds that the redesign happened simultaneously with a renewal of the College’s contracts with the exercise equipment companies that have provided the machines for the fitness center since its opening in December 2010. This provided the College the opportunity to upgrade certain equipment that was outdated while also adding new and state-of-the-art equipment.
The new geography of the fitness center works to the benefit of all students, not just the athletes. Students who are more comfortable with cardio workouts can remain on the mezzanine where all of the treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals are now located and students more interested in strength training and calisthenics can work out on the ground level.
Dylan Hyland ’16, a member of the sprint football team, believes the new equipment such as the rowing machines and squad racks, will help the athletes be able to better train and increase their odds of having successful seasons. Hyland also added that the new set-up better allows the teams to “work out at the same time.”
Julie Heaton ’16, a member of the women’s softball team, also appreciates the changes.
“The new design of the fitness center is unbelievably awesome,” says Heaton. “All of the new equipment not only caters to sprint football but it is a fantastic set-up for everyone.”
Tubman, who spearheaded the project, believes that being able to make the updates to the fitness center will serve everyone in the campus community, especially the athletic teams.
“Before the redesign, the fitness center was not able to accommodate large team workouts,” Tubman says, “but now, with the new setup, teams can practice together without affecting the general population’s use of the facility.”
“The remodel is great,” added senior Dan Welch, who is a certified personal trainer and member of the men’s basketball team. “The addition of the extra racks and monkey bar setup make exercise selection a lot more unique and diverse than previously.”
--Nick Kowalski ’16, Editor in Chief, The Griffin
Men's Lacrosse and Baseball's Support of Team IMPACT Continues to Inspire
Chestnut Hill College baseball’s Team IMPACT representative, Owen Frenia, is already a full-fledged member of the team. This week, he got the chance to observe his Griffin heroes off the field, receiving a first-hand look into the life of a collegiate student-athlete.
Frenia recently visited campus and spent time with Robert Spratt, head coach, and several of his favorite players for an in-depth tour. Joined by 2015 baseball alumnus Michael McLaughlin, the 9-year-old visited Logue Library, Sorgenti Arena and the newly redesigned fitness center. He even spent some time in a real-life college dorm room, visiting the one occupied by senior Zachary Crim, and had lunch with teammates.
“It was a pleasure having Owen and his family on campus today,” Spratt says. “Owen has experienced our dugout, practices and road trips but had never seen his teammates in a classroom setting. The baseball team was excited to share what it is like to be a Griffin.”
Frenia is a resilient youngster who was diagnosed at age 2 with Neurofibromatosis (NF) type 1, a genetic disorder that disturbs cell growth and the nervous system, causing tumors to form on nerve tissue. About two years ago, an inoperable brain tumor was discovered during a routine MRI. Frenia has undergone a challenging course of chemotherapy and will continue to have MRIs every three months to monitor the tumor.
Like last year, Owen will be supported by a leadership council comprised of a group of baseball student-athletes who serve as advocates for Team IMPACT.
Working with their Team IMPACT representative, the men's lacrosse team recently traveled to Camden, N.J., in support of one of their three Team IMPACT members, Zach Notarianni. Notarianni joined the Griffins in March of 2015 and has become a beloved member of the team. In support of their teammate's fight with Mitochondrial Disease, a dysfunction of energy production at the cellular level, that can at times be fatal and cause the shut-down of vital cells, the Griffins joined Team Super Zach for the United Mitochondiral Disease Foundation's Energy for Life Walk at Cambell's Field.
"Zach is a part of our family and to be there by his side during the walk and throughout his journey is a true blessing for all of us," senior captain Derick Darnulc says. "The Energy for Life Walk was a great experience for the team. It is heartwarming to see the community come together to fight back against Mitochondrial Disease."
"We really enjoyed being a part of the walk because it is for a teammate and we are willing to do anything for a teammate," Thomas Cain '19 adds. "That is what CHC lacrosse is all about. We are ONE (a team philosophy since 2012) with Zach. We love him like we love each other."
Making a difference in the lives of countless children worldwide, Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization focused on improving the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses. Team IMPACT looks to harness the powers of teamwork and human spirit by linking these courageous kids with various collegiate athletic teams as Team IMPACT children are drafted onto local college teams and, to the greatest extent possible, become an official member of the team for the duration of their treatment and beyond.