Anonymous $4 million donation will pave way for indoor track facility at Warrior Park

May 24, 2021 warrior park collage showing sign, track and softball field

An anonymous local donor has gifted Indiana Tech $4 million toward the construction of an indoor track and field facility at the university’s Warrior Park athletic complex, 377 East Tillman Road. The building will include a six-lane competition track installed by Beynon Sports, an industry leading manufacturer of track and field/athletic surfaces. The interior of the track will have a turf surface, which will allow other athletic teams to utilize the space.

“Indiana Tech is eternally grateful for this wonderful and historic gift,” said Indiana Tech President Karl W. Einolf, Ph.D. “This is one of the largest donations to our university in its 91-year history, and it will help us build a facility that serves not only Indiana Tech athletes, but additional track and field athletes throughout Allen County. This donor’s selflessness gives Fort Wayne a great victory. Thank you.”

Indiana Tech expects to make the facility available for use by local track and field athletes from area colleges, universities and high schools when it is not being used by Indiana Tech teams.

“One of our goals in buying the Donald Ross Golf Club and building our Warrior Park athletic complex there was to spur positive growth on the south side of our great city,” President Einolf said. “We are hopeful this project will continue that momentum.”

Ground broke for Warrior Park on May 4, 2018, nearly two months after Indiana Tech announced its intention to purchase Donald Ross Golf Club and develop the back nine for university athletic teams. The complex is comprised of a softball stadium, an outdoor track and field stadium and the Warrior Multipurpose Athletic Building, the training home for the men’s and women’s wrestling programs. The softball stadium hosted its first game on March 21, 2019, while the track and field stadium hosted its first meet on April 10.

Providing Indiana Tech’s men’s and women’s track and field student-athletes with dedicated indoor and outdoor facilities further separates the program as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics powerhouse; the program has experienced a remarkable decade of success while using a multitude of training facilities. Over the past 10 years, Indiana Tech’s track and field program has amassed 13 national championships. The men’s team won the outdoor championship in 2016, 2014 and 2013 and notching indoor titles in 2021, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The women won outdoors in 2014 and 2013 and took indoor titles in 2021 and 2017.

“This donation will make a major impact in the daily training of our student-athletes. To have a meet-level facility of our own is amazing; this is a huge step forward for our program!” said Indiana Tech head men’s and women’s track and field coach Doug Edgar. “I appreciate this generous gift and look forward to hosting meets in this facility very soon.”

Indiana Tech Director of Athletics Jessie Biggs echoed Coach Edgar’s gratitude.

“I am beyond grateful for the generosity shown toward our university and our athletics department,” she said. “This facility will affect hundreds of our student-athletes and give them an elite-level type of experience. For them to have this opportunity is amazing.”

Indiana Tech’s indoor track and field facility will attach to the east side of the Warrior Multipurpose Athletic Building. Groundbreaking for the facility will be announced soon.