By Caleb Elliott
Since the founding of Delta High School in 1967 our athletes have been among the most successful in the state of Indiana. Countless winning seasons, championships and records have created a winning environment.
Even with all of this, our athletes have had to work with subpar weight equipment to help improve their performance. But in the winter of 2018 a plan was made to help provide them with a new opportunity.
In 2018, then Superintendent Mr. Reece Mann devised a plan for a new athletic facility featuring a football locker room, weight room, wrestling room, indoor track facility and more to be added to the building. Delta High School Principal Mr. Chris Conley said that funding for the new project came from local property taxes.
“When you do a building project like the one we’ve done the last two times the school issues bonds, and then they issue the tax rate, and then the money collected from the taxes is used to pay back that loan,” said Conley. “Each of these bonds, the ones for the new science rooms and fitness center, are 20 year bonds so it will keep the tax rate remarkably the same.”
After nearly a year of relentless work the construction workers were finally able to complete the new facility. Just from the outside students and the community knew this new addition was special and not to be taken for granted.
“First off I love my job, I’ve always loved my job, but this is a bonus on top of that,” weightlifting teacher and football head coach Mr. Chris Overholt said. “It’s allowing our student-athletes to do things we never thought were possible in the old locker room and weight room.”
The new facility has created a sense of anticipation to see what’s to come. Overholt said that new weights for the squat and bench stations are still coming in. The addition of two new television screens and a $6,000 music system will also be new to the facility in the coming months.
The facility includes a track and wrestling room on the second level. There is also a football locker room and trainer’s room on the lower level.
Sophomore Brady Carrigan, who plays football and baseball, said he uses the new weight room during first period.
“The new weight room is awesome,” Carrigan said. “It’s a lot bigger than the other one so I can do more of the exercises without having to wait for my turn.”
The biggest difference between the previous weight room and the new one is the significant difference in size. The old weight room was roughly 1,872 square feet, whereas the new room is around 7,200 square feet.
Since the opening of the new weight room in August of this school year, almost all of the fall sports teams have been using this new area to their advantage.
New Athletic Director Tilmon Clark said it best, “I think I can speak for the coaches by saying that we are very fortunate here at Delta to be able to train in this new facility. From physical activity, weight training and cardio work, they will be able to prepare our student-athletes to compete at a high level.”
