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SPECIAL CAMPAIGNS
GAINING MOMENTUM IN 2020-2021
Women’s Acrobatics and Tumbling
Acrobatics and Tumbling athletes give an exhibit performance in Koehler Fieldhouse in February 2020.
A campaign to support recruitment costs, equipment needs, travel, and athlete scholarships for the Women’s Acrobatics and Tumbling program saw steady growth in 2020-2021. As of Nov. 30, 2021, $117,795 in cash and pledges has been raised in the $500,000 campaign.
A fundraising committee is comprised of alumni from various generations of the former ESU men’s and women’s gymnastics teams and friends of ESU athletics, all working closely with the ESU Foundation, Warrior Athletics Department and Interim Head Coach Kristina “Krikit” Gulics. The committee, chaired by Bruno Klaus and Alumni Vice Chairs Sue Bateman Walton ’90 and Anthony “Tony” Gehman ’78, continue outreach efforts for alumni and corporate support for the program.
Sheska Soccer Stadium
An artist’s rendering of Sheska Soccer Stadium to be built in the heart of campus where ESU’s baseball field once stood.
Launched in 2019-2020, the fundraising campaign to build a stand-alone soccer facility in the heart of campus gained strength last fiscal year, edging closer to the funds needed to build the facility.
As of Nov. 30, 2021, $166,685 in cash, pledges and verbal commitments had been donated by alumni and friends, all looking forward to naming the stadium after Jerry Sheska '68 M'81, ESU’s men’s soccer coach for 29 years (1982-2010) and women’s coach for three (1992-1994). Sheska is the winningest PSAC coach with 424 wins to his name.
A 36-member committee (chaired by Sheska) is working with the ESU Foundation in rallying alumni and friends support of the project. Sheska Soccer Stadium will be built adjacent to Eiler-Martin Stadium where the baseball field (Mitterling Field) was once located. Its features will include a new NCAA regulation artificial turf soccer field, perimeter fencing, spectator seating, field lighting, a press box, scoreboard and sound system.
More good news came to the campaign in April 2020 when ESU’s Student Activity Association (SAA) Board approved a dollar-for-dollar matching gift up to $1,250,000. Through SAA’s support, ESU’s club and intramural sports will also have use of the field when the soccer programs are not using the facility.