Members of the College of Saint Benedict community know first-hand how impressive the new CSB Outdoor Athletic Complex is, and have both club and varsity student-athletes have had the opportunity to practice and play at the new fields.
 
Now, the complex – and those who helped to design and construct the complex – are being recognized at the state level for the quality of work that went into the project, and the quality of the finished product.
 
CSB's Outdoor Athletic Complex won the Minnesota Construction Association's Award of Excellence in the "New Project Under $15 Million" category recently. The complex – which was submitted for the award by Terra Construction – was honored at the MCA's Awards of Excellence Gala on March 6 at the Minneapolis Marriott West. Terra Construction accepted the award on behalf of Saint Benedict and its other partners in the project, including CREO Design Collaborative, Anderson-Johnson Associates and HW² Design.
 
Schoenecker Commons, which now houses CSB's admissions team, Institutional Advancement, business office and human resources, and serves as a welcoming point for campus visitors, is also being recognized by the MCA.
 
"It is an honor to have these projects recognized by the Minnesota Construction Association. We are proud of the way that our investment in our physical plant was not only fiscally responsible, but has helped us achieve key elements of our mission," CSB President Mary Dana Hinton said. "When prospective students and families visit Schoenecker Commons, they are able experience our history and mission in that space and know that they can be a part of our very bright future.  The College of Saint Benedict's Athletic Complex supports the development of women as leaders on and off the field. I am delighted that our facilities support our vision of preparing women to think critically, lead courageously and advocate passionately."
 
"The new outdoor fields and athletic complex at CSB have been a long-time dream for students and staff at CSB. Working with Terra was truly a partnership in them listening to and designing to our needs," said Mary Geller, CSB's Vice President for Student Development. "The facility has completely transformed the student athlete experience with stunning locker rooms that flow into shower and team rooms. Here, at the College of Saint Benedict, we believe in providing state of the art facilities in which our student-athletes can perform because we know that it will serve them well throughout their life. Our new outdoor fields and athletic facilities stand as a testament to our commitment to the transformational power of women in sport."
 
The CSB Outdoor Athletic Complex sits on a 40-acre piece of land and includes three intramural/multi-use fields, one turf field and one natural field for both soccer and softball and a 20,000 square foot main building with concessions, restrooms, an athletic training room and locker rooms.
 
"The College of Saint Benedict outdoor athletic venues are exceptional," said CSB soccer coach Steve Kimble. "We are so thankful to have facilities that match the quality of the women who compete on them. Our deepest gratitude goes out to everyone who worked tirelessly on this project and helped see it to fruition."
 
Stephanie Valerius, the marketing coordinator at Terra, helped put together the submission for the award. She said the award application had eight sections, including basics such as general project information, project narrative, project contacts and project schedule.
 
Valerius also mentioned that safety precautions and overall management of the project were a key part of the application. She said Terra mentioned in the application how they set up safety fences and other protocols so that the soccer team could use its new turf field for the final five games of the 2017 season, despite the main building not being complete. She said they also documented the use of Procore – a cloud-based software – throughout the project. Procore allows all stake holders to access the files from anywhere to get an on-demand view of what's happening with the project.
 
After playing a handful of games on the finished turf in 2017, the CSB soccer team its entire 2018 season on its new turf field, and made use of the fully finished main building for the first time on Sept. 8, 2018, when it beat Wartburg 3-2 in overtime. The softball team played a trio of doubleheaders on its new turf field – which includes a grandstand and batting cages – last spring, and will make use of the finished ticket booth and concession stand for the first time in 2019.
 
"The addition of the new athletic complex has brought excitement to our campus and surrounding community," CSB softball coach Rachael Click said. "It has and will continue to positively impact our program at all levels. I enjoy seeing the impressed faces and hearing positive comments from visitors. The new facility also makes a powerful statement that the College of Saint Benedict values athletics and women are indeed a priority.