NGU gets new turf and track
The NGU Crusaders played their first game on the new artificial turf last week.
By Jonathan Coelho
The Vision Online Senior Writer
North Greenville University Athletics are undergoing expansion on many fronts with the addition of turf fields for soccer/lacrosse, softball and football and a new state of the art track surface.
New Turf Fields
The new surfaces are being put down by Advanced Polymer Technology (APT Americas). The new football field will be using the Gridiron RS playing surface. The APT Americas website boasts of many advantages of its turf including, unbeatable UV, heat and humidity stability; resilient standup and re-spring, unique fiber shape that resists splitting and combines abrasion resistance and softness. And every installation is custom made for your environment.”
On the NGU athletics website Director of Sales with Advanced Polymer Technologies, Gary Wilson stated, “We are providing the most advanced state-of-the-art synthetic surface on the market today, and NGU will be a show place for our full line of products.”
The new soccer/lacrosse field boasts FIFA quality field conditions with Polytan LigaTurf. On the APT Americas’ website the turf is described as, FIFA 2-Star certified professional level system designed for natural turf-like ball performance with extreme durability and weather resistance. These pitches need less maintenance, giving more playing hours. “Used in numerous high-profile arenas worldwide, Polytan LigaTurf holds the most high-level synthetic turf system certifications in sports,” the website state.
Players see the advantages to such turf fields, junior Shomari Bridgewater said, “It will be good to have an all-weather pitch. We won’t have to miss out on any practices due to weather and we’re ensured a level playing surface. It will take some adjusting too, but we will have an advantage being the only team that plays on turf.”
The soccer/lacrosse complex will also be getting new nets that will keep both soccer and lacrosse balls within the area around the field and out of the woods.
On the NGU athletic website, Wayne Landrith, VP for Corporate and Foundation Giving & The Crusader Club, North Greenville University’s athletic fundraising arm, said the University is dedicated to providing the finest coaches, facilities, services, and equipment to ensure academic and athletic success for more than 400 Division II student-athletes. North Greenville University is providing top-quality playing environments for its student athletes and is providing one of the top athletic facilities in NCAA Division II.
