The renovation on OU's gymnastics facility was finished this spring, adding 7,000 square feet of space and overhauling the existing facilities, according to the OU athletics website.
Improvements to the Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center include the complete renovation of the current gym, locker rooms, sports medicine training rooms and the awards recognition room. The facility, first built in 1983, is across from Lloyd Noble Center, where the teams often compete.
A new storage area, a reconfiguration of foam and resi-pits and an outdoor patio also were included in the renovation, the website states.
During the renovation, both teams trained in a converted warehouse without the air conditioning or heating.
The women's team had a historic 2010 season. At the NCAA championships last month, the women finished a best-ever second place. Senior Hollie Vise won two individual silver medals, the best result for a Sooner female gymnast since 1988. The remarkable improvement didn't go unnoticed, as OU head coach K.J. Kindler was named 2010 National Coach of the Year, and assistants Lou Ball and Tom Haley shared the honor of Assistant Coach of the Year.
The men's team finished third at the NCAA championships and won individual titles from junior Steven Legendre (floor exercise) and freshman Alex Naddour (pommel horse).
Along with the recent renovation, the website states that a new conference room was constructed during the 2008 competition season and dedicated for team meetings. The conference room includes a plasma TV, wood floors, custom cabinets, custom gymnastics artwork and computer workstations, according to the website.
The Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center's website states the facility's improvements were funded entirely by private donations and is one of only a handful of freestanding, co-ed college gyms in the country.
The building originally was constructed with only one large foam pit, and to perform floor exercises, gymnasts would have to step up to use the equipment, men's head coach Mark Williams said.
During the renovation, the foundation was renovated and the floor plan was redesigned, Williams said.
"Expansion allowed us to put in four vaulting stations and more pits," he said.
Now the men's and women's gymnastics teams can train without having to share pits, Williams said.
The renovated floor plan also lowered floor exercise equipment to be level with the ground, he said.
"Back in 1983, this was a state-of-the-art of the building," he said. "We're accomplishing that again."
Williams said the Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center is the best co-ed facility in the nation.
The facility has an appeal that aides in recruiting gymnasts, he said.
Additionally, Williams said former OU gymnasts who have come back say they are jealous of the current gymnasts using the renovated facility.
"I'm thrilled and really pleased how things have come out," he said.
—Amanda Turner contributed to this report
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